Koren, Leonard and William Hall, et al. — Concrete

London/New York, Phaidon, 2012. Hardcover. Grey boards; grey illustrated DJ with silver lettering; 235 pp.; richly illustrated. "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 house. 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." -- WorldCat. VG/VG: Exlibrary book. Stamp and sticker on front free end page. Stamp, sticker, and due date card on back pasted end page. Stamp on top text block.