Braun Publishing strana 4 z 8

American architecture has created a symbol for itself in the skyscraper. It is a typology that seems to shout Yes we can!, and the superpower lives by these words to this day. As a little boy, President Barack Obama dreamed of becoming an ar-chitect. Now, those who have fulfilled this dream demonstrate how architecture in the USA has moved on past the skyscraper. The generously illustrated volume from the trilingual Collection series reflects the complete bandwidth of the architecture of this vast nation. Top contemporary projects completed in the last few years have been selected, representing many different categories, including residential houses, office buildings and government buildings as well as sports facilities, research laboratories and museums.

Often associated with traditional styles involving floral motifs, pastel colours and soft fabrics, British interior design used to be rather modest. The contemporary scene however is filled with a wild array of styles juxtaposing the classical with the kitsch, the romantic with the quirky and the rough with the polished. This volume offers a thrilling glimpse into a range of the most recent and inspiring British interiors from internationally renowned designers as well as talented individuals striking new paths in this dynamic and fascinating world. Whether private homes, offices, clubs, bars or restaurants, the projects presented here reveal a fusion of the utterly familiar with the wonderfully eccentric and place Britain firmly at the forefront of global interior design.

In recent years, Prefab has become a major buzzword in the world of contemporary architectural design. Prefabricated and flat-pack homes, buildings and furniture represent the possibilities of partial mass production and extreme portability fused into aesthetically awesome finished products. This title showcases the work of architects and builders who are striving to bring design and production concepts together to embrace modernist ideals and deliver affordable edgy designs. The challenge is to combine the need for mobility and sustainability with a building design that appeals to clients and overcomes potentially negative stereotypes that are conventionally associated with prefab.

An important material for many centuries and used in countless diverse ways before being almost despised for a long time in the modern era, wood has now become a source of fascination and inspiration in contemporary architecture. The sustainable and locally available building material is easy to process, structurally very powerful and extremely simple to combine with other materials. It insulates against heat as well as cold, but is also breathable - excellent qualities for a pleasant and healthy interior climate. Along with these practical considerations, it is the unlimited abundance of creative possibilities that accounts for the ever-growing popularity of residential dwellings made of wood. From one-story bungalows to multi-story dwellings, timber houses are at the forefront of the development of contemporary architecture and design. This volume presents the huge creative diversity of individual solutions from across the globe.

Germany’s image in the world is defined by modern technology, high-quality craftsmanship and a passion for detail, characteristics that are also reflected in the built environment. German interior design embodies functionality, timelessness and an unembellished modernism. Contemporary design combines these concepts with a more emotional and playful attitude towards the task of interior composition. This volume showcases recent examples of German interior design from renowned German architects and interior designers alongside emerging offices. Every project presented here from areas of both public and private life convinces with its own distinct style, whether composed of bespoke one-off creations or skilled arrangements of mass-produced products. The meticulous handling of forms and materials and the targeted use of color, graphics and light as accentuating features provide the world with an entirely new and surprising perspective on life beneath German rooves.

Swiss Design has almost become a fixed term: the Swiss army knife is just one of many products that have popularized the image of the white cross on red background. The triangular Toblerone chocolate bar is defined by its rectilinearity and instantly recognizable shape. In terms of the well-known Swiss asparagus peeler, functionality is its sole formative characteristic. When it comes to fonts, few are as clear-cut as Helvetica. This volume demonstrate that Swiss design incorporates much more than just austerity and functionality; nowadays, young designers from the Alpine country demonstrate their ability to create every conceivable contemporary design style that this day and age has to offer.

In New York, Berlin and Tokyo, night is the new day, and life is celebrated in some of the most unusual clubs around. With unique style and creative design, a culture of its own is staged. Modern club design demands spectacular gestures, innovation and creativity. These may find expression in the use of unusual materials, experimental forms and outstanding ground plans. Dance! is a tour through 40 of the hippest clubs in the world’s most vibrant cities, the volume presents the current state of international club design. The powerful designs of both emerging artists and established interior designers transform music into spatial form. The spectrum of club design is as varied as a good DJ's music collection, ranging from the intimate hot-tip club to a well-established dance temple. The result is a fascinating variety of colorful, opulent and reduced design.

Museums are some of the great architectural hallmarks of any place. Since the discovery of the Bilbao Effect, triggered at the end of the last century by the Frank O. Gehrys building, new museums have been emerging all over the world. The volume presents the most varied forms of exhibition buildings of the last decade and reveals their varied spatial and architectural concepts: from the white cube idea that exists chiefly to display the exhibit itself, to a flamboyant freestanding structure, which enriches the image of the city and involves the works in its dynamic spatial configuration. A broad diversity of museums is considered: museums of businesses and institutes, of technology and toys, of literature and architecture. It is the art museums, however, which represent the principle focus: from collections of the old masters, handed down through generations, to small, private collections of contemporary art. The texts focus on the architecture and design of each museum as well as the collection housed within it.

Germany’s image in the world is defined by modern technology, high-quality craftsmanship and a passion for detail, characteristics that are also reflected in the built environment. German interior design embodies functionality, timelessness and an unembellished modernism. Contemporary design combines these concepts with a more emotional and playful attitude towards the task of interior composition. This volume showcases recent examples of German interior design from renowned German architects and interior designers alongside emerging offices. Every project presented here from areas of both public and private life convinces with its own distinct style, whether composed of bespoke one-off creations or skilled arrangements of mass-produced products. The meticulous handling of forms and materials and the targeted use of color, graphics and light as accentuating features provide the world with an entirely new and surprising perspective on life beneath German rooves.

Street furniture is the secret star of urban outdoor design. Though rarely noticed at first glance, it significantly contributes towards the urban experience. Benches, fountains, street lamps, rubbish bins, post boxes, tourist information signs, bus stops as well as public toilets are items that reoccur in various urban spaces. Just like outstanding monuments and landmarks, they determine the identity of a square, street or town. This volume introduces 100 exceptional examples of contemporary street furniture, presenting both items that are one-of-a-kind as well as objects that are part of a product series.