ABOUT THE BOOK

Concrete takes a fresh look at the world’s most versatile and abundant building material. Collating fascinating and beautiful concrete buildings by some of the most celebrated architects of the last century, it features familiar projects from Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright alongside work from some of the leading lights of contemporary architecture including Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, and many lesser-known newcomers.

Arranged to promote comparison and discussion, the selected projects take the reader on a global tour of inspiring and intriguing structures: a German skatepark sits beside an Italian rooftop test track, a Japanese crematorium alongside a Portuguese swimming pool and a Brazilian government building next to a Chinese opera.

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Illustrated with extraordinary photographs, each project includes an extended caption providing a commentary on the building. An essay by Leonard Koren, author of the best-selling Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, offers an evocative and perceptive view of concrete through the author’s experience of studying architecture in California and living in Tokyo.

Concrete is a beautiful and informative visual exploration of a material often considered dull and cold but actually full of spectacular potential.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

William Hall trained at Central Saint Martins and began his career in the office of the minimalist architect John Pawson. Formerly a Design Director at Phaidon Press, Hall now runs his own design practice in London, working with clients such as Calvin Klein, Henry Moore Institute and Tate.

Leonard Koren has written and designed a number of books including Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers. In 1976, two years after studying architecture at UCLA, he founded WET, one of the premier avant-garde publications of the 1970s. He now consults on the subject of design, aesthetics, and communications. He lives in San Francisco.

IN THE PRESS

'sweeping survey. . .illustrates the material's chameleonlike versatility' Elle Decor

'Yes, concrete can be cold and imposing -- but as the 175 structures in the book attest, it can also be colorful, playful, and delicate' Wall Street Journal

'The eye candy here, from the graceful to the brash is enough to open the mind of any skeptic' Atlantic Cities

'Concrete is a beautifully designed book. It is also a thought-provoking exploration of an important subject.' John Pawson

'What a surprising and beautiful book – a parade of amazing buildings.' Peter York