Many consider Frank Lloyd Wright to be the greatest architect of the 20th century. Sigrid Faltin’s documentary “The Phoenix from the Ashes” examines his visionary architecture as much as it […]
Paul Smith is considered a charismatic designer who produces more than fashion. A new monograph published just in time for his brand’s 50th anniversary captures the spirit and coolness of […]
There is obviously no shortage of extensive, voluminous and richly illustrated books about Dieter Rams and his work. Frankfurt-based design historian Klaus Klemp has now published an annotated catalogue raisonné […]
By Thomas Wagner. They drive away boredom, they liberate thought and they civilise people. In a book entitled “Die blitzenden Waffen” [English: The Flashing Weapons], philosopher Robert Pfaller explores why […]
Exhilarating conversations about absent colleagues: the book „architects on architects“ collects dialogues about the significant architects of the past. It proves that personal understanding is better learned by looking through […]
By Thomas Wagner. A fairy tale of the stylish life. Americans love the freedom of personal choice. The 1958 promotional film „American Look“ is all about the highly stylish life […]
An analysis of a goddess: Roland Barthes saw a magical object in the Citroën DS; others saw a profane yet well-designed vehicle. Swiss architect Christian Sumi explores the history of […]
By Thomas Wagner. Why is it like that and not like this? Gary Hustwit is a popular documentary director in the design community, a status cemented with Rams in 2018. […]
By Thomas Wagner. Are our technical appliances intentionally made to have a short life? The notion of planned obsolescence alleges that developers and manufacturers deliberately shorten the life of a […]
By Thomas Wagner. The wonder of Riola The documentary film rediscovers a jewel of modern architecture and tells the fantastical story of its creation. At its heart is Cardinal Lercaro, […]
Filmed for the 50th anniversary of the Ulm School of Design, this film by Günther Hörmann and Martin Krampen has now been released on DVD. It is a multifaceted documentary […]
By Thomas Wagner. Rediscovering the magic The “Christian Dior. Couturier du Rêve” exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris inspired the fashion world and the public in equal […]
By Thomas Wagner. A world away from alpine wood carvings: „Design from the Alps“ is a book founded on extensive research which offers an enthralling overview of 100 years of […]
Strategic brand management is a key success factor for companies. But there is also an increasing trend for individuals to present themselves as brands – as artists, consultants and/or influencers. […]
By Jan Rasmus Ludwig. When did the protection of designs originate? And what factors are considered in a design patent? The publication “Designpatente der Moderne 1840-1970” (“Design Patents of the […]
By Bernd Müller. In his book “AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order”, Kai-Fu Lee writes about the global impact of AI and digitalisation, from the loss […]
Sigfried Giedion and Carola Giedion-Welcker write about architecture and design, art and literature. The base from which they conduct their rather unorthodox style of research is their Wilhelminian style villa […]
Recommendations and tips for the Christmas season It’s here again: Christmas is almost upon us, and many people are racking their brains about what presents to buy. Or wondering how […]
By Thomas Wagner. When compiling “100 Books All Designers Should Know” (Original title: “100 Bücher, die alle Designer kennen sollten”), René Spitz and Marcel Trauzenberg had no intention of simply […]
By Gerrit Terstiege. In November 2019, the Vitra Design Museum launched a fundamental work of encyclopaedic proportions on the history of modern furniture design. With more than 1,000 pages, the […]