Pacific Edge : Contemporary Architectures on the Pacific Rim

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Summary: A great introduction to the region's architecture
Review: Although this book is nearly two years old now, the concepts, pratices and projects presented still indicate that the Pacific is an increasingly important cultural zone. Very few books have attempted to tackle the issue of a non-European architecture and whilst this misses some major practitioners (notably Glen Murcutt and Peter Corrigan in Australia, Tadao Ando in Japan and Frank Gehry in LA) and projects I still give the book two thumbs up!

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Summary: One to be missed
Review: Destined to be a fixture in many bargain used bookshops or the coffee tables of people who should no better.

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Summary: This is the worst coffee-table book on architecture
Review: Incongruos selection of works, grouped between two badly designed covers, with the obvious intention of just selling it to people with no other interest in architecture than to have a book to place in their living rooms. Zellner's writing is of poor style and denotes lack of knowledge and research.

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Summary: Bad design, worse write.
Review: Is incredible this book receive a good critique. The text is badly write and the grafic design too bad for a architecture book. The reader who review it as good must be himself Zellner under a faked identity.

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Summary: Outstanding - A Must for Anyone who Likes Architecture
Review: This book is fantastic. In addition to profiling the work of many leading architects who have contributed to Pacific Rim infrastructure, the book dwells into the inter-relationships between architecture and the cultures and societies that encompass the lives of Pacific Rim people. Mr. Zellner has truly brought together a great collection of works and opened our eyes to the influences behind the buildings. Beautiful pictures and illustrations pervade the book. A definite must for everyone from the aspiring architect to the household appreciator of the art of architecture. - Chris Barton

Rating:
Summary: Quiet achiever
Review: This book is well-written, well researched, exploring contemporary architecture in the Pacific Rim, complemented by 3 essays which are definitely thought provoking. Sad to say that the rating by the readers is poor because this is one of the best architecture book that I have ever come across & a book that I keep coming back too. If readers are looking for a pictorial architecture book that looks good on your coffee table, probably there's an element of truth that its standard can't surpassed those published by Phaidons, but in terms of being an intelligent book, it delivers, even exceeding my expectation. The author split the book into 5 different types of architecture that are observed in this region. They are the the modernist legacies (international vernacular), edge condition (regional inflection & the architecture of local identity), dense cities (architecture in the expanding new world city), tectonics (building corporeal architecture) & lastly, media-tectonics (generating an ambient architecture). Many examples are provided from LA to NZ. Rather than covering works of superarchitects of our time, the book opted to cover works by established but less well known architects such as Mathias Klotz of Chile, Stephen Yeang of Malaysia, Thom Craig of Christchurch (good on ya!), Ricardo Legoretta (this year's winner of AIA gold medal), etc. Considering that the book is published in 1988, the author definitely does have foresight in his selections of those architecture works. A book not to be missed by architecture enthusiast. Highly recommended & look forward to his next book offering.

Rating:
Summary: a whole new view on architecture
Review: zellner's book opens up a whole new view of architecture through an inspired analysis of the architectures of the pacific rim.