Thom Mayne, the founder and principal of the Los Angeles-based firm Morphosis, is one of the most influential architects of his generation practicing today After completing several residential projects and renovations in the late 1970s, Morphosis first gained widespread recognition in the architecture world in the early 1980s with the design of high-profile restaurants in the Los Angeles area, including Kate Mantilini, with highly articulated steel-and-wood facades and unconventional plans. The firm's non-Cartesian forms, beautifully executed, sculptural models, and complex, computer-generated drawings helped to usher in a new era of architectural experimentation and have made Mayne a highly sought-after teacher and lecturer.
This book publishes for the first time all of Morphosis's completed work, showcasing 35 buildings and installations in bold, documentary-style color photographs with selected plans and drawings. The work ranges from the firm's early residential and restaurant projects in Los Angeles to its most recent work beyond California and the United States, in Canada, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Austria. Included are the Cedars Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center, Diamond Ranch High School, later residential projects the Lawrence, Crawford, and Blades houses-the Hypo Alpe-Adria-Center in Klagenfurt, Austria, and University of Toronto Graduate Student Housing in Canada, among others.
The book features an essay by Thom Mayne that combines project descriptions with reflections on the firm's theories, convictions, and inspirations. Parallel commentary by Val Warke is a counterpoint to Mayne's writing, project credits and a complete bibliography conclude the volume.
