Marco Iuliano

Over a period of forty years, Hélène Binet has photographed both contemporary and historical architecture – this is the complete monograph of her work, with two extensive critical essays. Marco Iuliano details Hélène Binet’s background, from her childhood in the Italian fishing village of Sperlonga and in Rome, through her early ‘discovery’ of architectural photographer Lucien Hervé, to other significant influences, like the collaborations with Daniel Libeskind, John Hejduk and the connections at the Architectural Association (AA) in London where she met Zaha Hadid. The essay highlights in detail Binet’s approach to photography, her process and archive. Martino Stierli sets Binet’s work within the conceptual framework of architectural photography, discussing whether an architectural photograph is an inventory of a building or space, a translation into a two-dimensional image or, rather, an image in its own right; an artifact that loosely relates to the original object or phenomenon. Within this context, Stierli argues that Binet’s oeuvre seems to oscillate between two obsessions: a desire to translate spatial phenomena into the two-dimensional space of the image and a quest to articulate the modulation of light on a surface. The two essays are followed by a catalogue of Binet's work, which is framed within a series of her recurring themes emerged through dialogues between the authors and the photographer.

This monograph on celebrated architect James Stirling provides a fascinating insight into the construction of some of his most famous projects, as well as a peek into everyday life in an architectural office. James Stirling, after whom the RIBA Stirling Prize is named, was born in Glasgow and raised in Liverpool, and became one of the most inspiring designers of the twentieth century. Alongside partners James Gowan and Michael Wilford, and the Associates Laurence Bain and Russell Bevington, Stirling created some of Britain’s iconic Postmodern buildings. These include the Leicester University Engineering Building, the History Faculty Building at Cambridge University and Number One Poultry in London, which was listed Grade 2* by Historic England as a masterpiece of Postmodern commercial architecture. The fascinating documentation and drawings included in this book reveal the collaborative nature of architecture and the relentless process from idea to completion, fluctuating between doodles and technical drawings. There is a playfulness and irreverence that pervades many of the photographs, doodles and notes that communicate Stirling’s intelligence and ironic inclinations. This beautifully produced, cloth-bound book provides an insight into everyday life in an architectural office before the advent of the computer, which appears more varied and collaborative than one might imagine.