(Ebook) Exuberance: New Virtuosity in Contemporary Architecture (Architectural Design 03-04.2010, Vol. 80 N°. 2) by Marjan Colletti ISBN 9780470717141, 0470717149

(Ebook) Exuberance: New Virtuosity in Contemporary Architecture (Architectural Design 03-04.2010, Vol. 80 N°. 2) by Marjan Colletti ISBN 9780470717141, 0470717149

It is entirely fitting that in 2010, in the year of our 80th anniversary (AD was founded in a
basement in Bloomsbury in 1930), we should launch the redesign of AD with the Exuberance
issue. Not only because the word ‘exuberance’ reflects our general excitement, enthusiasm,
energy and high spirits, but also because the richness of its contents suggests much that
has been strong, unique and potent about AD. This title, so adeptly guest-edited by Marjan
Colletti, is highly visual. At a time when many architectural journals have taken a knocking
in the current economic climate, AD remains one of the most image-rich publications, in
recognition that architecture needs to communicate visually as well as verbally. It is printed in
Italy to a high standard and illustrated throughout with high-quality colour images undisrupted
by advertising. With the redesign, the art director, Christian Küsters of CHK Design, and
the designer, Andrea Bettella of Artmedia, have put a great deal of effort into both ensuring
continuity of style throughout the journal while maintaining the discrete identity of each
article. The intention is to have a design that is both elegant and distinct, which gives space to
the images: so that the images can both illustrate and enrich the meaning of the text, creating
effectively a truly integrated page design. Exuberance celebrates the aesthetics of architecture. This to some degree addresses the recent emphasis that has been placed on techniques and technologies in architecture. For here, most notably in the work of Colletti himself, Ali Rahim, Hernan Diaz Alonso and Tom Wiscombe, the formal overlays become integral to the digital. There is an understanding that architecture can become nuanced and remain creative only with a conscious development of form and aesthetics. You cannot design with techniques alone. This continues a rich seam in AD’s history, as reflected by the presence of Peter Cook ...
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