FIRST LOOK

AT TOP: Axonometric view of an office building in Stockholm designed by Sigurd Lewerentz for Philips. ABOVE: The crematorium at Eastern Cemetary in Malmö.

ArkDes Collections

FOR THE GRAVE, AND BEYOND

The enigmatic Sigurd Lewerentz (1885–1975) rarely spoke publicly and even less frequently published his thoughts on design, and yet he is one of the most influential modernist architects to come out of Sweden. On October 1, ArkDes (Sweden’s national center for architecture and design in Stockholm) opened Sigurd Lewerentz: Architect of Death and Life, the first major exhibition of the work of Lewerentz since the 1980s. Initially trained as a mechanical engineer and architect, Lewerentz set up an independent practice in Stockholm in 1911, and four years later he won the competition to design a new cemetery in Stockholm. His proposal, submitted with Gunnar Asplund, would yield one of Lewerentz’s most famous projects: the Woodland Cemetery, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout his career, Lewerentz would continue to design cemeteries, as well as churches, office buildings, products, and more. The exhibition will include photographs, drawings, sketches, and models.

ALL-ACCESS ARCHITECTURE

Rotterdam’s Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen art-storage facility.

ëossip van Duivenbode

It’s not common to visit an art museum and think about the parts of a collection that aren’t on display, but when it came to Rotterdam’s Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen art-storage facility, the idea of full accessibility was central to the design. Opening in early November 2021, the MVRDV-designed building, located next to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, will allow visitors to see the institution’s full collection of 151,000 artifacts. A building that opens 99 percent of its square footage to the public is rare in the art world—its in-the-round shape and crisscrossing staircases will lead visitors to exhibition rooms and curators’ studios, breaking down traditional front- and back-of-house demarcations. Artifacts will stand wrapped, hang from racks, be displayed in cabinets, or be exhibited in one of 13 gigantic glass cases suspended in the atrium. Prints, drawings, and photographs will be stored in enclosed spaces, but visitors can submit requests to view these works. The building’s striking façade comprises 71,139 square feet of glass subdivided into 1,664 mirrored panels that reflect the surrounding Museum park designed by landscape architect Yves Brunier with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture. »

GLAZING SUCCESS

Jeffery Cross

Launched October 1, the Heath Ceramics winter release takes inspiration from the darkest night of the year. Featuring four new glazes, the Solstice collection pairs the deep purples and rich cranberry reds of a vibrant sunset with the dusk-and-dawn tones of pale blue and light lavender. Driven by glaze exploration, and covering items ranging from mugs and vases to bowls, candles, and serving dishes, the seasonal palette highlights a special glaze-application technique developed by Mel Danico with an assist from Winnie Crittenden, Heath’s most experienced glazer and the niece of the brand’s founder, Edith Heath.

DESIGN ON THE WILD SIDE

The Main Museum of Los Angeles Art, (2014-2017), designed by Tom Wiscombe Architecture.

© Tom Wiscombe Architecture, courtesy Rizzoli

Some architects thrive when given a tight set of design constraints, while others crave uninhibited freedom to design the seemingly impossible. Architecture Unbound (out November 23 through Rizzoli), looks at the latter, celebrating some of the most avantgarde buildings of the past 100 years, many of which have become icons of modern architecture. Written by noted author and architecture critic Joseph Giovannini, the book examines the rise of social, cultural, and political movements in the decades after World War I and their impacts on the field of architecture, as well as the discipline’s evolution into digital form-making in the 21st century. Giovannini profiles influential practitioners and their most notable projects, including Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao Museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall, Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera House, Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum Berlin, Rem Koolhaas’ CCTV headquarters, and more. —Rachel Gallaher