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Book with Photos of The World’s Best Wood Architecture

Three Mountain, Green village, Bali, Jörg Stamm, 2006. Picture credit: Mark Magidson

Wood is a visually striking presentation of one of the world’s best lumber architecture, demonstrating a striking collection of wooden constructions from the last 1,000 years and emphasizing the beauty of a material that enhances our everyday lives. Superbly illustrated and showing the material’s amazing range, Wood is a new book that gives the ideal introduction for architects, aesthetes, students and anybody with an interest in creativity.

Featuring images of projects from some of the most influential and innovative architects of the last century as well as striking and memorable buildings by contemporary architects, Wood reveals architects’ ongoing fascination with timber. Spanning the globe, the projects encompass churches, monuments, cultural spaces and more – from Renzo Piano’s otherworldly Jean-Marie Tijbaou Cultural Centre to FAO’s sprawling timber landscape for Yokohama port terminal and Le Corbusier’s humble room-sized cabin – demonstrating the startling variety of structures the material can inspire.

Nicely arranged to encourage comparison and discussion, each project includes key information alongside interesting long captions, which give an insightful explanation.

Building on the initial bestselling titles, Concrete and Brick, Wood is authored by graphic designer William Hall. It highlights an opening essay by writer and naturalist Richard Mabey who investigates the symbiotic relation between building and trees. Eventually, with its blend of inspiring and wonderful imagery and insightful and thought-provoking text, Wood will attract not only an architect or art enthusiast but also to anyone with an interest in the possible of this overlooked yet charming architectural material. Published by Phaidon on 20 March 2017.

Via Creative Boom

Market Hall, Ghent, Belgium, Marie-José Van Hee and Robbrecht & Daem, 2012. Picture credit: Klaas Vermaas
Grotto Sauna, Ontario, Canada, Partisans, 2014. Picture credit: Jonathan Friedman Photography/PARTISANS
Bamboo Hostel, Baoxi, China, Anna Heringer, 2016. Picture credit: Jenny Ji
Bird Observation Tower, Graswarder-Heiligenhafen, Germany, Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner, 2005. Picture credit: Heiner Leiska
Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Nouméa, New Caledonia, Renzo Piano, 1998. Picture credit: Gollings, John © ADCKcentre culturel Tjibaou/ RPBW, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, architects
Evolver, Zermatt, Switzerland, Alice Studio/EPFL, 2009. Picture credit: © Joel Tettamanti/ALICE Studio EPFL
Uchronia at Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, NV, USA, Arne Quinze, 2006. Picture credit: Jason Strauss
Liyuan Library, Beijing, China, Li Xiadong, 2011. Picture credit: Li Xiaodong