Gwathmey Siegel: Buildings & Projects 1965-2000

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Work in an Absurdly Small Format
Review: This monograph documents the firms finest projects over the last 35 years in microsized barely readable format. The work is beautiful but the book is absurdly small. It's an example of the new 50% sized architectural monographs aimed at architects who look at images and do not care to read micro text. Many of the postage stamp sized photographs are not legible. Why include 1"x1" photographs? Why are 2 important buildings on the front and back covers mislabeled? Gwathmey Siegel are fine architects doing high profile projects that are aesthetic and functional. This book is aesthetic without being functional. I am amazed that an established, leader of the architectural profession allowed such impressive work to be published in such a poorly designed book. This book confirms the worst fears about our profession: architects care about aesthetics at the expense of function.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Work in an Absurdly Small Format
Review: This monograph documents the firms finest projects over the last 35 years in microsized barely readable format. The work is beautiful but the book is absurdly small. It's an example of the new 50% sized architectural monographs aimed at architects who look at images and do not care to read micro text. Many of the postage stamp sized photographs are not legible. Why include 1"x1" photographs? Why are 2 important buildings on the front and back covers mislabeled? Gwathmey Siegel are fine architects doing high profile projects that are aesthetic and functional. This book is aesthetic without being functional. I am amazed that an established, leader of the architectural profession allowed such impressive work to be published in such a poorly designed book. This book confirms the worst fears about our profession: architects care about aesthetics at the expense of function.