In this month's review of books and design events: Soviet bus stops, Christo's Floating Piers, forgotten seaside towns in New Jersey, Tunisian beachside tents, China's urban sprawl and Cinecittà.
SOVIET BUS STOPS - Christoper Herwig (2016)
Photographer Christopher Herwig has been photographing bus stops in the former USSR for over a decade, after first noticing their unique and diverse design while on a bicycling trip in Eastern Europe. This book includes a large collection of photographs from multiple countries, highlighting the creativity and boldness of these small architectural projects. To see more images and buy the book, visit Fuel Design Publishing or Amazon.To see more images and Herwig's work, visit his website.
To see more images and buy the book, visit Fuel Design Publishing or Amazon.
To see more images and Herwig's work, visit his website.
OUT OF SEASON: The Vanishing Architecture of the Wildwoods
By Mark Havens (2016)
Out of Season celebrates the architecture of a bygone era of Jersey Shore summers. Photographer Mark Havens has been photographing the nostalgic beauty of mid-century motels, neon signs and closed umbrellas for a decade. Now, a substantial number have been demolished and many that remain face an uncertain future. The book reflects the mood of an era coming to an end alongside the timeless beauty of beaches and the sea.
To purchase the book go to Amazon.
To see more images and Havens' work, visit his website.
CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE: THE FLOATING PIERS (2016)
For sixteen days – June 18 through July 3, 2016 – Italy’s Lake Iseo was being reimagined - it was Christo’s first large-scale project since The Gates in 2005, and since Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009. 100,000 square meters of shimmering yellow fabric undulated with the movement of the waves as The Floating Piers rose just above the surface of the water and allowed the movement of people on water.
This book gathers sketches, models, photographs, documents, and designs to reveal the complete process behind this waterborne work of art. It documents not just the creative design process, but also the immense technical, bureaucratic, and logistical feats that allowed the concept to take float.
To purchase the book go to Amazon
NOMAD‘S LAND by Yoann Cimir
French photographer turned Tunisian resident Yoann Cimier photographs the ephemeral constructions that Tunisians create whenever they visit the seaside. The minimal photographs with their particular color palette highlight the beauty of the Tunisian culture and the unique experience of a day on the beach.
To see more of Cimir‘s work and to purchase the book, visit the photographer‘s website
METAMORPOLIS: the Insatiable Sprawl of Chongqing by Tim Franco
(photoessay in lensculture.com)
This photo essay displayed a series of photographs capturing the incredible mega-city of Chongqing: one of fastest urbanizing city in China, if not the world. The photos were taken over five years, showing how the city has quickly spread itself out into its once rural surroundings. Its monolith buildings create the feeling of a modern-day science fiction.
To read the article, visit lensculture
To see more of Tim Franco‘s work, visit his website
CINECITTA SI MOSTRA: permanent exhibition and set tour
Cinecittà, Rome, Italy
Cinecittà is a legendary film studio in Rome where many Italian and Hollywood classics were shout through cinema history. A few years ago parts of it opened to the public, and now visitors can wander through an exhibition and the backlot, featuring large sets. The Exhibition tells of the studio‘s colorful history, from its founding by Mussolini, through WW2 and its recovery helped by Hollywood epic films. There‘s a room dedicated to Federico Fellini, who shot most of his films there. Lastly, the tour of the sets lets visitors glance at the huge sets built for various projects, from the TV show “Rome“ to Scorsese‘s “Gangs of New York.“
It‘s an incredible glimpse into a dream-factory of a bygone era and a great gesture to Italian cinema.
To learn more about the exhibit, visit their website
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