New books at the British Architectural Library

With the chill of autumn almost upon us, we may soon find ourselves indoors more and tackling the stockpile of unread reading material many of us have. To add to any architect’s reading wish list (or backlog), more recently-published books have been added to the RIBA’s collection of books.

Of note are several titles about the British-designed MAXXI in Rome. This building has received a lot of coverage in the British press, but some of these new books are in Italian, reflecting the international nature of architecture and the extensive influence of British design. It’s also an indication of how important this building has been to the modern Italian architectural scene.

For those seeking inspiration and solutions, books on accessible and mobile architecture have also been added to the collection. Construction and Design Manual: Accessible Architecture asks architects how they use mobility in architecture to respond to modern challenges, such as: the internet, which has freed people to work anywhere and remain connected; sustainability, with growing considerations for the re-use of buildings and the embodied energy in their construction; changing lifestyles; and population movements.

Books themselves are also objects of design. While Construction and Design Manual: Architectural Models argues that  physical models still hold a special place in communicating space and form in our digital age, the same book’s wooden slipcase appeals to the human desire to touch and feel which digital books have yet to replace satisfactorily.

All these books are available for reference at the British Architectural Library. Entry to the Library and the RIBA’s other collections of 4 million architectural items is free. Alternatively, many of these are also available from RIBA Bookshops.

Happy reading!

Books from top to bottom:

• MAXXI – Materia grigia, M. Avagnina, M. Guccione, S. La Pergola
• MAXXI Architettura – Fotografia, Le Collezioni, Francesca Fabiani
• Ikonen der Weltarchitectur, Werner Blaser
• Construction and Design Manual: Mobile Architecture, Kim Seonwook and Pyo Miyoung
• Construction and Design Manual: Architectural Models, Pyo Mi Young
• Construction and Design Manual: Accessible Architecture, Philip Meuser
• Landscaping in Natural Environments, Josep Maria Minguet
• Commercial Interiors, Design Media Publishing Limited
• Construction and Design Manual: Architectural Photography, Axel Hausberg and Anton Simons

About Wilson Yau

I work for the British Architectural Library at the RIBA as part of a team to share news, images and information online about the activities of the Library and the fascinating items we have in our architectural collections – it contains over four million items, so there's plenty to see! If you’re curious about what we do at the Library and with the collections, or want to discover the latest about our education programmes, public events and exhibitions at the RIBA, please visit www.architecture.com

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