Wood Architecture Now! Vol. 2
Taschen takes a look at the material’s widespread use in contemporary architecture
As a global culture, our attitude towards architecture has relaxed in recent years, realizing that in most cases, it is not in fact permanent. With this, wood has experienced a resurgence in popularity for its adaptability and general sustainability—when acquired correctly. Advancements in technology and CNC milling have, of course, helped as well. Picking up where volume one left off, Taschen’s soon-to-publish Wood Architecture Now! Vol. 2 takes a look at a range of contemporary applications of the organic material. From beautifully modern homes in Japan, to sculptural forms in unforgiving landscapes, wood takes center-stage in the book’s 400+ pages.
Extra attention is paid to specific architects and studios behind many of the buildings, giving the reader a base knowledge with which to dive into their work. By educating the reader further with small sectionals, each project becomes more than just a steady stream of pretty pictures—of which there are many, for those who prefer to peruse. At a glance, the many minimalist beach homes and mountain cabins are certainly eye-catching, but the more sculptural forms sustain maximum attention. From the raw steel and oiled pine Norwegian Wild Reindeer Center Pavilion, to the winding Dada-inspired Temporary Museum (Lake) that only stood for six weeks, the many unconventional shapes thought up by contemporary architects deservingly find a home in Wood Architecture Now! Vol. 2.
As the second volume’s announcement created a brief stir some weeks ago, Taschen has bumped the publication date from 1 August to 15 July 2013. To secure a copy in the meantime, pre-orders are available from both Taschen and Amazon for approximately $60.
Images by Graham Hiemstra
