Essay by Leonard Koren
Edited by William Hall
Phaidon Press, London and New York, 2012, English
Nonfiction, Architecture
11.38 x 9.88 inches, hardcover, 240 pages, 175 color illustrations
ISBN: 9780714863542
Suggested Retail Price: $49.95

From the Publisher. Concrete is a visual celebration of concrete architecture, through an exploration of 180 structures from ancient Rome to the present day. It is the most extensive book of its kind on this popular material. Covering everything from monuments and churches to bus stations and crematoriums, Concrete features innovative and inspirational projects from all over the world. Featuring iconic structures from great architects such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, Concrete has been carefully designed to pair projects to incite discussion and appreciation of this versatile material.

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Mark Lamster

I am generally loath to recommend thematic door-stop picture books, but Concrete is the rare exception that warrants some praise. Making an argument for the sheer beauty and physical force of the "brutalist" architecture of poured concrete at a moment when so much of it is under attack and in peril, is a valuable service. This book carries off that task handsomely, pairing large-format images of exceptional international projects divided into categories that illustrate concrete's ability to shape mass, texture, light, and form. Koren's provides a thoughtful personal essay on concrete's underappreciated value.

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