Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects MNAL was established in 1996 by Einar Jarmund and Håkon Vigsnæs. Alessandra Kosberg became partner in 2004. The firm is located in Oslo, Norway. JVA works in a wide architectural range with commissions mainly in Norway, but also in other European countries. The majority of their finished work are public buildings and housing projects. JVA also are involved in urban planning and building interiors; aiming to cover all corners of the architectural field. They focus on the independent concept for every single project, avoiding general stylistic approaches. Priority is given to early participation in creative programming and an attentive relation towards the surroundings.

Wang Shu’s design process always begins with an intense study of the location. The architect spends as long as possible on the site, absorbing its atmosphere. He then produces drafts in the form of hand-drawn sketches, creating them in relatively quick succession. Imagining the House follows this process in various buildings. Photographic documentation of the locations elucidate Shu’s on-site research. The reproductions of drawings in this book demonstrate how the designs change and become more concrete over the course of the process. The book provides unique insights into the work of an architect who has hitherto received little attention in Europe, thereby addressing a considerable omission in the publishing world.

The average age of the population in Western societies is rising steadily, sometimes faster than the age the individuals actually feel. Senior citizens, who are often full of vitality, have diverse conceptions of life. These are met by increasingly differentiated alternatives offering residential environments suitable for the later years of life. The designation of corresponding building projects as 50+ solutions can however give rise to a clash between the strategy of the housing industry and the target group’s perception of itself. Although the elderly generally wish to live in their own four walls for as long as possible, they tend to avoid considering the various available options. 

The works of Sou Fujimoto resist any form of conventional categorization. This young Japanese architect stands for unconventional buildings that cannot be described by standard criteria and definitions such as inside/outside or public/private. Clear divisions such as between floor levels and rooms are shattered by his complex ground plans and interlocking structures which—in a reference to the idea of the cave—he describes as “Primitive Future.” With this approach he creates forms that are committed to a playful interaction between user and space. Alongside private residences, such as the well-known N House, his library for Musashino Art University has achieved particular recognition. In addition he was represented at the 2010 Venice Biennale with a design for a house.

Singapore-based DP Architects has played a significant role in shaping Orchard Road’s present form. Since the practice’s establishment in 1967, it has designed, retrofitted and reworked nearly thirty projects on Orchard Road, oftentimes reinterpreting the same building several times over a period spanning two or three decades. These projects cumulatively represent over one million square metres of mixed-use commercial space – a rare example of the comprehensive, long-term influence of a single design firm on an urban centre.

To Enjoy To Listen is composed of four chapters: cinemas, theaters, music halls and performing arts centers. The book aims not only visually beautiful, but also indeed practical, telling some design skills of theater buildings with a combination of gorgeous photos, elaborate drawings, a fresh layout and vivid descriptions. It even shows in a particular way with images of auditoriums, stages, foyers and corridors etc. Readers may get a deep understanding of architectural design while enjoying plays and music here.

I Want to be METROPOLITAN is a research project on small scale metropolises, MINI Metropolis, using Boston as a case study to provide a different reading of the city. The study focuses on showing the efforts that the city of Boston has made in order to grow with metropolitan characteristics while remaining at a much smaller scale than cities like New York, London, or Tokyo. The morphology of Boston has been achieved through different metropolitan interventions that occur on different scales. These are divided on an infrastructural scale, urban scale, and architectural scale. By means of analyzing these different aspects, we can compose a vision of a future Boston, or Fictitious Boston, derived from its metropolitan potential.

This special monographic issue of ‘Japan Architect’ features Kumiko Inui, who is perhaps best known for her facades, each one a visual pun or optical illusion. It is the first time that almost all of her work has been collected in book form. The magazine “carefully traces Inui’s reference and study process with the idea of conveying the joy derived from the creative process,” exploring 26 of her projects in chronological order, from early proposals and competition entries to high-profile projects such as Dior Ginza, Louis Vuitton Taipei Building and the Shin-Yatshushiro Monument. Includes essays by Tom Heneghan, Taira Nishizawa and Kumiko Inui.