Notable Design Books of 2013

Our Book Board members–including designers, commentators, and specially invited guest contributors–have chosen these as the most notable design books of 2013. The recommendations are submitted throughout the calendar year.

Also see Notable Books: Reviews, Notable Design Books of 2012 and Notable Design Books of 2011.

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87 books

The Library James W. P. Campbell (text) et al. On Stanley Abercrombie’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Mapping Manhattan Becky Cooper On Allison Arieff’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Everything Sings: Maps for a Narrative Atlas Denis Wood On Allison Arieff’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Architecture on the Carpet Brenda Vale et al. On Allison Arieff’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Formica Forever Text by Alexandra Lange, Phil Patton, and Peter York On Allison Arieff’s Notable Books of 2013 list On list of Books by Alexandra Lange On list of Books by Phil Patton On list of Books by Abbott Miller Add to My Reading List	Graphic Icons John Clifford On Allison Arieff’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	100 Years of Architectural Drawing Neil Bingham On Allison Arieff’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Lolita—The Story of a Cover Girl: Vladimir Nabokov’s Novel in Art and Design John Bertram et al. On Allison Arieff’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List
The Invention of Craft Glenn Adamson On Zara Arshad’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon Stephanie Dalley On Diana Balmori’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Mario Buatta: Fifty Years of American Interior Decoration Mario Buatta et al. On Wendy Goodman’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Printer’s Devil Simon Loxley On Steven Heller’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	All the Buildings in New York *That I’ve Drawn So Far James Gulliver Hancock On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Architecture after Images Edward Dimendberg On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Encounters 2 Juhani Pallasmaa et al. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list On list of Books by Juhani Pallasmaa Add to My Reading List	Architectural Guide Japan Botond Bognar On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List
The Light Pavilion Christoph a. Kumpusch, ed. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Theater of Architecture Hugh Hardy On list of Books by Hugh Hardy On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	James Turrell: A Retrospective Michael Govan et al. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Hand-Drying in America Ben Katchor On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Culture:City Wilfried Wang, ed. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	The Images of Architects Valerio Olgiati, ed. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	MVRDV Buildings MVRDV et al. On list of Books by Nathalie de Vries On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	PIN-UP Interviews PIN-UP et al. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List
Cosmos of Light Henry Plummer On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Lina Bo Bardi Zeuler Rocha Mello de Almeida Lima et al. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Wunderkammer Tod Williams et al. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Discovering Architecture Philip Jodidio et al. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Deventer Matthew Stadler et al. On John Hill’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	The Pinecone Jenny Uglow On Mark Lamster’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	James Stirling: Revisionary Modernist Amanda Reeser Lawrence On Mark Lamster’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Henri Labrouste Barry Bergdoll et al. On Mark Lamster’s Notable Books of 2013 list On list of Books by Barry Bergdoll Add to My Reading List
Building Seagram Phyllis Lambert et al. On Mark Lamster’s Notable Books of 2013 list On list of Books by Phyllis Lambert Add to My Reading List	A Country of Cities Vishaan Chakrabarti On Mark Lamster’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Le Corbusier: An Atlas of Modern Landscapes Jean-Louis Cohen et al. On Mark Lamster’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Dekho CoDesign On Ellen Lupton’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Hall of Femmes: Lella Vignelli Samira Boubana et al. On Ellen Lupton’s Notable Books of 2013 list On list of Books by Angela Tillman Sperandio On list of Books by Samira Bouabana Add to My Reading List	Hall of Femmes: Tomoko Miho Samira Boubana et al. On Ellen Lupton’s Notable Books of 2013 list On list of Books by Angela Tillman Sperandio On list of Books by Samira Bouabana Add to My Reading List	Multiple Signatures Michael Rock On list of Books by Michael Rock On Ellen Lupton’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List	Synesthetic Design Michael Haverkamp On Ellen Lupton’s Notable Books of 2013 list Add to My Reading List

Announcements

Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy by John Lobell

Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy

By John Lobell
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: June 2020

Noted Louis I.Kahn expert John Lobell explores how Kahn’s focus on structure, respect for materials, clarity of program, and reverence for details come together to manifest an overall philosophy.

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Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn by Harriet Pattison

Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn

By Harriet Pattison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Forthcoming: October 2020

An intimate glimpse into the professional and romantic relationship between Harriet Pattison and the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Harriet Pattison, FASLA, is a distinguished landscape architect. She was Louis Kahn’s romantic partner from 1959 to 1974, and his collaborator on the landscapes of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the F.D.R. Memorial/Four Freedoms Park, New York. She is the mother of their son, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn.

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Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes

Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes

By Per Olaf Fjeld and Emily Randall Fjeld
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: October 4, 2019

A new and personal reading of the architecture, teachings, and legacy of Louis I. Kahn from Per Olaf Fjeld’s perspective as a former student. The book explores Kahn’s life and work, offering a unique take on one of the twentieth century’s most important architects. Kahn’s Nordic and European ties are emphasized in this study that also covers his early childhood in Estonia, his travels, and his relationships with other architects, including the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo.

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Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context by David Raizman

Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context

By David Raizman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Published: December 2020

An innovative approach to graphic design that uses a series of key artifacts from the history of print culture in light of their specific historical contexts. It encourages the reader to look carefully and critically at print advertising, illustration, posters, magazine art direction, and typography, often addressing issues of class, race, and gender.

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David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian by Rick Poynor

David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian

By Rick Poynor
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: September 2020

A comprehensive overview of the work and legacy of David King (1943–2016), whose fascinating career bridged journalism, graphic design, photography, and collecting. King launched his career at Britain’s Sunday Times Magazine in the 1960s, starting as a designer and later branching out into image-led journalism, blending political activism with his design work.

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Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller

Teaching Graphic Design History

By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019

An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.

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