The first volume on the exciting work by one of the most cutting-edge architects and interior designers working today.
Founded in 2006, Rafael de Cárdenas’s firm Architecture at Large was created after a roundabout route to architecture. His experience as a menswear designer at Calvin Klein and a creative director at the special-effects production house Imaginary Forces led him to study architecture and blend his multidisciplinary background to create spaces that are artful and highly conceptual. He is known for his bold and eye-popping projects spanning commercial and residential interiors, art objects and furniture, and pop-ups.
With four thematically organized chapters treating his most stunning projects from a decade of work in vivid detail, this book is a must-have for those interested in contemporary spaces. From highly sculptural and geometric commercial interiors to some of the most sophisticated homes in Manhattan, de Cárdenas and his firm infuse their work with an energetic spirit that is less about a particular style than it is about a masterful shaping of atmospheres and moods. The book includes stunning photography alongside two insightful essays by thought leaders in architecture and art.
"The pool house is a highlight in a book that reveals a designer who embraces idiosyncrasies. Projects are grouped thematically by vibe, rather than chronologically, with four chapters loosely governed by some favorite films: Dune, Flashdance, The Hunger, and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. 'Every single thing I’ve ever looked at is a reference,' Cárdenas says. 'I do things when things are right for me. If something is in the air, I try to stay away from it.' "
—Architectual Digest.com
"Rafael de Caddenas/Architecture at Large (Rizzoli), a monograph about the New York-born architect and designer famous for creating bold, luxe restaurants and retail spaces... compares de Cardena's work to a masterful drag performance."
—W Magazine
"Cárdenas catalogues his greatest design hits, including retail spaces for the likes of Baccarat and and Delfina Delettrez"
—In Style
