by Ian Ritchie, Ingerid Helsing Almaas Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days. Paperback - 96 pages (September 1999)
More than 240 meters long and 80 meters wide, and with 1140 tons of glass suspended from a single-layer steel barrel vault, the great central hall at the new Leipzig fair, designed in cooperation by von Gerkan Marg und Partner and Ian Ritchie Architects, is one of the world's most spectacular glass structures. Underlying the design is Ian Ritchie's penchant for transparent enclosures, already seen in such famous structures as the great greenhouses at La Villette Science Museum in Paris and the glass towers at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid. Here in Leipzig, the glass envelope is hung from, and is visually separate from, the steel filigree of the barrel vault. Low-iron glass and the absence of any framing to the glazing enhance the transparency, while the vault form means that views out of the space in all directions are always perpendicular to the glass surface, limiting reflection. The book illustrated the building and its construction with photographs and design drawings. An essay describes the design objectives and issues, and Ingerid Almaas provides a critical view of this remarkable project. Ian Ritchie is one of the UK's most innovative architects. His previous book, (Well)-Connected Architecture, is published by Academy Editions. Ingerid Helsing Almaas is a London-based architect and author of the Ellipsis guide to contemporary architecture in Vienna.

This is a cool LITTLE book Reviewer: Mic Patterson (mic1@asidesign.com) from Santa Monica, CA December 6, 1998 This is a very elegant little book (4.5 inches square) about a very interesting, cutting edge glass structure. The glass palace at Leipzig is perhaps the most significant glass structure since the Crystal Palace in 1850. (The Crystal Palace is still the more remakable in many respects.) In spite of its small format it is crammed with interesting detailed information regarding the project and many photos and sketches. Guess the concept was to have the smallest book in the world about the largest glass palace in the world. Still, I can't help but wish it was in a 12x12 format, like the Phaidon publications. The font is very small and dificult to read, and much of the detail in the drawings is lost. However, a must read for anyone interested in modern glass architecture. I'd love to build one in the U.S.!