Books & Gifts

The USA is one of the most varied and fascinating countries in the world. Its areas of natural beauty such as the Pacific Coast, the Yosemite National Park, and Monument Valley are the stuff of great cinema (Hollywood finds its best settings practically in its backyard). For everyone who explores the USA beyond its big cities on a classic road trip, on the trail of Native Americans and pioneers, in the mountains or by lakes and beaches, unforgettable moments are guaranteed.

In Great Escapes USA, Angelika Taschen presents remarkable places to stay through impressive photography, entertaining texts, and practical details on how to get there, prices, and tips for books and films. Her journey starts on the East Coast, where intellectuals and artists once met in idyllically located country houses such as the Twin Farms in Vermont and Troutbeck in New York State. It continues to the South, where The Moorings Village and Hôtel Peter & Paul, for example, tell of the history of Florida and Louisiana, and Southern belles such as the Commodore Perry Estate in Austin, Texas reveal their glamor.

Dimensions: 1.4" H x 12.2" L x 9.8" W
Hardcover
Weight: 5.3 lbs
360 pages
Written by Angelika Taschen
Publisher: Taschen

Reclaimed, reused and virtually indestructible: The Gestalten bestseller Container Atlas comes in a long awaited updated edition. In recent years container architecture has become an essential part of our twenty-first-century surroundings, with it being used to create modular structures for pavilions, brand showrooms, retail premises and even residential homes. During this time, architects have been developing increasingly inventive methods of working with this unassuming construction material, shifting from simple stacks to elaborate compositions. 

Dimensions: 1.2" H x 12.0" L x 9.7" W
Hardcover
Weight: 4.35 lbs
305 pages
Written by Han Slawik
Publisher: Gestalten

Looking for a vacation that leaves you relaxed, restored, and uplifted? In this gorgeous updated guide, Angelika Taschen gathers the most exquisite and inspirational yoga retreats around the world, from an exotic luxury hotel in Bhutan to a spiritual ashram in India, a beach resort in Mexico to a tucked-away treasure in Brazil's tropical forests.

Dimensions: 11.4" H x 12.2" L x 9.7" W
Hardcover
Weight: 5.35 lbs
360 pages
Written by Angelika Taschen
Publisher: Taschen

Around the world people are choosing to live small--whether it's downsizing from a large home or converting a van into a house on wheels. This gorgeous book looks at a variety of scenarios, taking readers across the globe and inside the doors of remarkable compact homes. Interior design expert Marion Hellweg combines her years of experience with that of inveterate style bloggers to offer practical and innovative advice on interior design; storage solutions; finding adaptable, multifunctional furniture; decluttering and organizing; and, more generally, leading a mindful, eco-conscious minimalist lifestyle. 

Dimensions: 1.0" H x 9.55" L x 6.95" W
Hardcover
Weight: 1.95 lbs
224 pages
Written by Marion Hellweg
Publisher: Prestel Publishing

Mass urbanization. Population growth. All happening faster than we can build for. As global populations are projected to shift to 80-90% urban in the next 30 years, architects are faced with a growing challenge: how to accommodate all this growth in limited space? At the same time, movements around downsizing and living with less are redefining how we live. Vertical Living explores the future of residential architecture in growing cities. The book looks at ingenious architectural solutions: impossibly skinny houses wedged into narrow plots, spacious homes built into neglected infill sites and comfortable homes created in tiny spaces. By combining inspirational projects, in-depth features and engaging profiles of architects around the world, Vertical Living will offer a new way of looking at how we live in the built environment.

Dimensions: 1.1" H x 8.5" L x 10.4" W
Hardcover
Weight: 3.05 lbs
304 pages
Edited by Gestalten
Publisher: Gestalten

The most exciting new buildings today are almost all environmentally aware, sustainable, and conceived to consume less energy than ever before. Discover the best examples of green projects from the Architecture Now! series in this handy Bibliotheca Universalis edition.

Dimensions: 1.75" H x 8.0" L x 5.8" W
Hardcover
Weight: 2.7 lbs
624 pages
Written by Philip Jodidio
Publisher: Taschen

In Exceptional Treehouses, author and treehouse builder Alain Laurens reveals 30 gorgeous treehouse structures, 25 of which are entirely new creations, all illustrated with Daniel Dufour's beautiful watercolors as well as photographs by Jacques Delacroix, commissioned specially for this book.

Yearning for rustic simplicity? Open the door to Cabins, a gorgeous showcase of minimal, low-impact, peaceful abodes around the world. From contemplative bliss in an English coastal studio to eco-home huts in the Western Ghats of India, each of these minimal homes exude innovative, eco-friendly, mindful living.

Dimensions: 1.5" H x 7.8" L x 5.5" W
Hardcover
Weight: 2.3 lbs
640 pages
Written by Philip Jodidio
Publisher: Taschen

The nuanced realm of Nordic design has two personalities. On one side, there sits the open, light, friendly, and democratic constituent. And, on the other hand, is its moody counterpart: sleek and sophisticated; timeless and traditional; and deeply rooted in the sensations and juxtapositions of nature. Within the lines of tile-covered roofs born from the existence of nearby clay deposits and large windows that let in light during the shorter winter days, insight into this special thread of skilled craftsmanship awaits. Scandinavia Dreaming presents dazzling interiors, architecture, and products that show the richness, variety, and intensity of contemporary Nordic spaces. 

Dimensions: 1.2" H x 12.1" L x 9.7" W
Hardcover
Weight: 4.2 lbs
256 pages
Written by Angel Trinidad
Publisher: Gestalten

Great inspiration for small spaces! Petite Places presents clever solutions for compact living. From living rooms and kitchens to bedrooms and bathrooms, small spaces can offer immense possibilities, if only the interior is well considered. By showing a variety of projects in different styles - from reduced and pragmatic to cozy - Petite Places delves into how small homes are being designed today, delivering insights from interior designers and architects. Floor plans will allow you to translate inspirations from the book into your home.

Dimensions: 1.1" H x 10.4" L x 8.5" W
Hardcover
Weight: 2.8 lbs
256 pages
Written by Tessa Pearson
Publisher: Gestalten

Over the years, talented architects have occasionally indulged themselves with the challenge of designing small but perfectly formed buildings. Today, with reduced budgets, many architects have turned in a more focused way to creating works that may be diminutive in their dimensions, but are definitely big when it comes to trendsetting ideas. Whether in Japanese cities, where large sites are hard to come by, or at the frontier between art and architecture, small buildings present many advantages, and push their designers to do more with less.

Dimensions: 1.6" H x 8.0" L x 5.9" W
Hardcover
Weight: 2.55 lbs
584 pages
Written by Philip Jodidio
Publisher: Taschen

Designing private residences has its own very special challenges and nuances for the architect. The scale may be more modest than public projects, the technical fittings less complex than an industrial site, but the preferences, requirements and vision of particular personalities becomes priority. The delicate task is to translate all the emotive associations and practical requirements of "home" into a workable, constructed reality.

This publication rounds up 100 of the world's most interesting and pioneering homes designed in the past two decades, featuring a host of talents both new and established, including John Pawson, Richard Meier, Shigeru Ban, Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, Daniel Libeskind, Alvaro Siza, and Peter Zumthor. Accommodating daily routines of eating, sleeping, and shelter, as well as offering the space for personal experience and relationships, this is architecture at its most elementary and its most intimate.

Dimensions: 11.8" H x 7.9" L x 6.0" W
Hardcover
Weight: 2.45 lbs
688 pages
Written by Philip Jodidio
Publisher: Taschen