Anyone who occasionally wants to dream away from their everyday life will now find countless ideas in two newly published books. Photographer Julius Shulman has documented iconic houses of American modernism, while Philip Jodidio shows how innovative it is to live in even the smallest of houses today. As different as the approaches between modernism and the trend to build small houses may be, the fascination lies in rethinking spaces.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Mies van der Rohe - the names are well-known and many of their houses have become icons. But many other gems were created in the Mid-Century Modern style, villas as well as simple family homes, office buildings and churches and, above all, fascinating interior designs. Photographer Julius Shulman documented them during his long career and his pictures often ensured that many a house became an icon in the first place.
When talking about modern architecture in America, it is impossible to avoid Shulman's photographs, which were published in countless magazines and books and made the unusual spaces and structures accessible to a wider public. But Shulman also photographed countless objects that have been forgotten or no longer exist today. The book "Modernism Rediscovered" is therefore a very special treasure, as it brings together around 300 forgotten masterpieces from the photographer's archives. On over 500 pages, you can marvel at private residences and true dream homes, as well as offices, restaurants and car dealerships. What unites them all is this incomparable style, which still looks modern today in the truest sense of the word. Julius Shulman's skill does the rest, he was a master at capturing the interplay of a building with its surroundings, he was able to translate an architectural idea in such a way that it became clear even to inexperienced viewers and he was able to capture the dreams of those years.
Leafing through "Modernism Rediscovered", you start dreaming yourself, you see yourself walking through these special spaces that so charmingly combine inside and outside - or better still, you see yourself sitting by the pool with a cocktail or looking out to sea from the terrace. Escapism can be so beautiful!
The volume "Small Houses" is also a wonderful place to dream. Here, Philip Jodidio presents houses that are one thing above all: small. You will be amazed at what can be accommodated in often just 40 square meters and, above all, how attractive and cool the whole thing can look. Because what space is not available - none of the houses presented has more than 100 square meters - has to be made up for with clever room layouts.
"Small Houses" is therefore first and foremost a testament to inventiveness. New room layouts are created or rooms and furniture are used several times, if the inside is small, the outside is included or cleverly built upwards. The examples shown can be found in areas where space has always been at a premium, such as Japan. But they can also be found in Brazil and the USA.
Building small houses is a special trend that is not only a challenge for architects. All the houses shown in the volume are also examples of sustainable building and the careful use of resources. Very few of us are likely to live in a fully designed architect-designed house, but even after a brief browse through "Small Houses", the mental exercise begins. Do I really need more space? How could I make better use of the space I have? And anyway, how much space do people need to live happily?
Admittedly, you would probably have to watch a lot of Marie Kondo episodes to be able to use the space you have. But that's another topic and with "Small Houses" you can at least dream of living so frugally and focusing on the essentials.
Julius Shulman. Modernism Rediscovered
Julius Shulman, Pierluigi Serraino
Taschen Verlag
Hardcover, 19.6 x 25.5 cm, 1.81 kg, 576 pages
€ 30 | CHF 30
ISBN 978-3-8365-9255-0 (German, English, French)
Small Houses
Philip Jodidio
Taschen Verlag
Hardcover, 24.6 x 37.2 cm, 3.41 kg, 424 pages
€ 60 | CHF 60
ISBN 978-3-8365-8701-3 (German, English, French)
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