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Unpacking
My Library: Architects and Their Books edited
by Jo Steffens
Yale University Press, 2009
Hardcover, 192 pages
The photographs of twelve famous architects' bookshelves
collected here remind me of visits to apartments and offices
when my eyes would linger over the books arranged on shelves,
distracted from the task at hand, be it socializing or work.
Finding myself with my head cocked 90-degrees to read the
bindings would snap me out of my perpetual gaze. This book
makes me realize I'm not alone. Of course it is much more
than photos of bookshelves for bibliophiles to run their
fingers over the books of other bibliophiles. It is a testament
to the importance of books in many ways: in communicating
ideas, in influencing the work of architects, in expressing
an individual's thoughts and experiences. The book and the
exhibition it is based around -- Unpacking
My Library, at Urban Center Books in New York City
-- also mark a time when the future of books is uncertain,
when digital means of sharing information have taken hold
with the rise of handheld devices and electronic paper.
The title of each comes from an essay
by Walter Benjamin, in which he talks about the act of book
collecting, from browsing and purchasing to unpacking and
arranging. This word, collecting, stays with the reader
moving from one architect to another; each features photos
of parts of their bookshelves, as well as statistics on
the bookcases (dimensions, manufacturer, quantity) an interview,
and a list of ten favorite books. Certainly the interviews
give some insight into the role of books in each architect's
practice, but it is the photos and the stats that say the
most. So what do they say? The statistics tell us that most
architects build custom shelves, some mirroring the designer's
tastes (the double-column supports in Michael
Graves' library) but most slight variations on standard
designs. I particularly liked the horizontal slots in Peter
Eisenman's wall of books, which allowed for certain
titles to lay flat. (Unfortunately a close-up photo did
not illuminate what titles receive such a distinction.)
The photographs tell us not only what each architect reads
but also how they arrange them. Many are thematic but not
strictly ordered otherwise, though Steven
Holl's office library is strictly alphabetized and the
books in the office of Tod
Williams and Billie Tsien feature various colors and
shapes of stickers on the bindings for organization, as
well as an organizational chart that would make any OCD
bibliophile jealous. These snapshots reveal habits that
have accrued over time, becoming an organic reflection of
the individual or couple and therefore more illuminating
than the top ten lists provided.
Nevertheless the twelve architects'
top ten books reveal something about how the various architects
relate to each other. For example, a number of books appear
repeatedly, such as Robert Venturi's Complexity
and Contradiction in Architecture, something by
or about Le Corbusier, and Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's
Rainbow. These similarities say something about
age, but they also hint at the fact that most architects
don't read architecture books, at least exclusively. The
last book I read before I cracked this one was a mystery
book, and it made me want to read more of them. Influence
comes from many places, from children's books to philosophy,
as is documented here. I'm glad for the sharing in this
book, be it recommended books or brief glimpses at large
collections. They all have the opportunity to influence
those flipping through this book on books.
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