It was perhaps no surprise that Jacques Ferrier was personally selected by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to design the country's pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. It was to become, along with Thomas Heatherwick's 'Seed Cathedral', one of the most lauded and visited pavilions of the fair, and embodied the key characteristics of Ferrier's work: a deep interest in technology; the encouragement of social interaction through the use of courtyards, walkways and loggias; and the use of a perforated outer skin that not only responds to the need for internal climatic control but also provides an additional space for informal social gathering while softening the transition from the building's internal space to the outside world. Influenced by the critic Rayner Banham, by the work of French architect-engineer Jean Prouve, and by his early experience of working with Norman Foster, Jacques Ferrier has developed a highly individual approach to architecture that seeks to harness technology in order to create buildings and urban environments that fully engage with the practical and emotional needs of people. Central to Ferrier's philosophy is the idea of the 'Sensual City', which aims to create buildings and cities that engage with the five senses - sound, smell, sight, touch and taste - that are central to human experience. Ferrier is the antithesis of the celebrity 'starchitect', but his work stands out precisely because of its calm thoughtfulness, sensitivity and precision.

The first major study of one of France's most lauded contemporary architects and his highly individual approach to architecture

About the Author
Alexander Tzonis is Professor of Architectural Theory at Tsinghua University, China, and Emeritus Professor of Architectural Theory and Design Methods at the University of Technology in Delft. Kenneth Powell is an architectural historian, critic and consultant. He has written extensively on 20th-century and contemporary British architecture, and is the author of books on the work of Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and other major British architects. He is an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and has served on the Council of the Architectural Association.


Book Information
ISBN 9780500343128
Author Alexander Tzonis
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 1510g