Parallax

by Steven Holl

As we learn in Parallax, Steven Holl s success comes from his sculptural form-making, his interest in the poetics of space, colour, and materiality, and his fascination with scientific phenomena. Holl reveals his working methods in this book, part treatise, part manifesto, and part, as Holl writes, "liner notes" to fifteen of his projects. Parallax traces Holl s ideas on topics as diverse as the "chemistry of matter" and the "pressure of light," and shows how they emerge in his architectural "criss-crossing" at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, "duration" in the Palazzo del Cinema in Venice, "correlational programming" in the Makuhari housing in Japan. The result is a book that provides a personal tour of the work of one of the world s most esteemed architects. Parallax is designed by Michael Rock of the award-winning design firm 2x4.

Genres: Architecture, Art

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

About the author

Steven Holl (born December 9, 1947) is an American architect and watercolorist, perhaps best known for the 2003 Simmons Hall at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the celebrated 2007 Bloch Building addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri,[1] and the praised 2009 Linked Hybrid mixed-use complex in Beijing, China.

Holl graduated from the University of Washington and pursued architecture studies in Rome in 1970. In 1976, he attended graduate school at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and established his offices New York City. Holl has taught at Columbia University since 1981.

Holl's architecture has undergone a shift in emphasis, from his earlier concern with typology to his current concern with a phenomenological approach; that is, with a concern for man's existentialist, bodily engagement with his surroundings. The shift came about partly due to his interest in the writings of philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty and architect-theorist Juhani Pallasmaa.

Reviews

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

for me the best thing about this book is the titillating (architectural) imagery: moving plays of shadow & light, holl's lovely watercolors, piquant assemblages of shapes. an irksome thing is the lack of identification of said imagery - a good number of the buildings are holl's projects, but to know that you need a preexisting familiarity with his built works, and certain other images are anybody's guess. (the book arose from a series of lectures, which i'm sure is the explanation.) holl's theorizing is not so much what grabs me here, though one might like that too; like i said, the images are the thing here.

[Wei Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Architects can be poets and philosophers sometimes. At least Steven Holl is. His writing is magnificent. The way in which he expresses himself is wonderful, very deep and thoughtful. I understood what he was trying to communicate. His graphics communicate and read very well. He is a master at developing diagrams, his diagrams are very alluring, entertaining, pleasing to look at, understandable, and colorful. His water color sketches are luxurious, very well crafted and communicated very well the idea.

Steven Holl seems to get inspiration from everywhere and anything. He is one of the most popular architects of our modern time. Some of the buildings I like from him are the Bellevue Art Museum and the dorm he design for MIT. I wish I could go and experience those spaces. He places emphasis on experiencing spaces, it just feels differently, a great kind of different.

His subdivision of the book is marvelous and informative. I learned quite a couple of things of his persona by reading the book. It's like he poured his soul onto these pages and I'm quite happy he wrote this book. The architect also becomes a philosopher.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of his best books. something new every time i read it. i guess i'd call it a monograph, but it's not a typical one. the book is divided into sections based around several ideas (like light, or material), and he weaves the work into those ideas.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good architecture theory in here! Holl roxors my balls!