Adolf Loos: Works And Projects: Skira

Apart from his immortal declaration that "ornament is a crime", Viennese architect, Adolf Loos' work is not on the forefront of most people's mind these days . But this new monograph from Skira, which documents his revolutionary houses as well as their surprisingly seductive interiors is very inspirational for TI right this minute . Yes Loos scraped away all those Art Nouveau and Belle Epoque curves and swirls and swoops to replace them with a hard and sharp rectalinear ideal. But the way he used the lushness of marble and the organic tones derived from wood makes his work a case study in how to build something that feels modern and disciplined, as well as opulent and lush. The way in which the houses are photographed by Phillipe Ruault with a rigorous clarity shows a level of consideration and respect that is not always present in architectual monographs. "Works and Projects" is easy for a layman to browse, but technical enough for a architect or interior designer to find great inspiration in its pages. This book is a genius must-buy. You could design a whole fleet of luxury stores based on that Loos aesthetic, no?