World-class mansions

Author: Bopul
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: One of the important characteristics of architectural development over the past 50 years has been the miniaturization of many design objects. Before 1945, people believed that the scale of a building was proportional to the social status and power of its owner. Now, carefully designed objects based on thrift have given rise to another design trend. Small apartments are no longer synonymous with cheap housing or lack of power. Instead, they symbolize a series of cultural values: simplicity, efficiency, individuality, dispersion, and minimalism. Unlike traditional middle-class architecture, small apartments return to a simple form, where everything deemed "excessive" is seen as a negative in design aesthetics. The book "World Famous Mansions" begins with a detailed introduction to the social and historical background of the development of small apartments in the 20th century. Next are 37 illustrated cases, which represent the most successful small apartment projects built in the world in the recent five years. The design area is approximately 92.9 square meters or less, and each project reflects a unique approach to designing small apartments. The case studies are divided into three chapters—rural retreats, urban and suburban estates, and small building clusters and duplex clusters—and include works by Toyo Ito, Lacaton & Vassal, LOT/EK architects, and Kazuyo Sejima. The book features 400 images, including 300 color images.