Living with Architecture as Art

Cette magnifique publication en deux volumes fait découvrir aux lecteurs l’une des plusgrandes collections privées de dessins architecturaux au monde. Mettant en valeur desdessins et des modèles et objets étroitement liés datant de 1691 au milieu du XXème siècle,ce somptueux pavé inclut à la fois un catalogue et de nouveaux textes provenant d’autoritésexpertes. Il fournit un regard intéressant sur ces produits dérivés de formation et pratiquearchitecturales qui sont souvent très beaux.One of the largest private collections of architectural drawings in the world has been assembledover 30 years by investor and philanthropist Peter May. Comprising more than 600 sheets thathave all been carefully preserved and handsomely framed, the drawings and related models andartefacts date from 1691 to the mid 20th century. This handsome two-volume publication willintroduce amateurs and specialists alike to the largely unknown collection. The book includesa catalogue and innovative texts by leading authorities that present the raison-d’être for theproduction and preservation of these sometimes neglected by-products of architectural trainingand practice that have been collected off-and-on through history by individuals and institutions.The architectural sheets acquired for the collection are principally 19th- or early 20thcenturycompetition or certification drawings by design students. Others are presentationdrawings for public commissions, reconstruction studies or interior designs. The catalogue isarranged by category, to demonstrate May’s inclination towards specific building types suchas commercial or cultural institutions, train stations and spas, landmarks and monuments,private and royal residences, and cast-iron architecture. Also included is a category for landscapedesigns and garden architecture, reflecting May’s experience as a gentleman farmer with apredilection for building.Peter May informs the reader about his history as a collector and builder. Maureen Cassidy-Geiger discusses the formation of the collection and with Basile Baudez introduces the Frenchsystem of architectural education, from which some of the finest drawings come. CharlesHind offers a history of design training in Britain and writes about patterns of collecting andthe market for architectural drawings. Matthew Wells’s subject is the history of architecturalmodels.