Odile Decq: The Wunderkammer of Odile Decq

This splendid volume invites you to take a voyage and explore Odile Decq's unique and complete universe of architecture, urban planning, design and art, which celebrates the freedom of imagination and shines a light on her distinctive approach to what is conventionally defined as architecture. From her signature concept of dynamic space, setting body into tension and movement, to lifelong ideals of organic transformation of object, perception, and fluidity of things. Spectactularly bound in Odile Decq's signature black, as well as with black gilding, and with intricate sketches and concept models, rich photography and insightful commentary, this book showcases the quintessential frameworks of Odile Decq's multidisciplinary design approach, illuminates her inspirational sources, and most importantly, demonstrates the coherence that is legible on every scale of her work. AUTHOR: Odile Decq is a French architect and urban planner. International renown came in 1990 with her first major commission: La Banque Populaire de l'Ouest, in Rennes, France. Since then, she has been faithful to her fighting attitude while diversifying and radicalising her research. Being awarded The Golden Lion of Architecture during the Venice Biennale in 1996 acknowledged her early and unusual career. Other than just a style, an attitude or a process, Odile Decq's work materialises a complete universe that embraces urban planning, architecture, design, and art. Her multidisciplinary approach was also recognised with the Jane Drew Prize in 2016, and she was honoured with Architizer's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 for her pioneering work, but also her engagement and contribution to the debate on architecture. She was also invited to create two installations (Phantom's Phantom and Diagonal 0) for the Biennale Architettura 2018. In 2018, she received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in recognition of her outstanding contributions in building science, design and education. SELLING POINTS: * In 2017 Odile Decq was described by Vanity Fair as being one of the 50 most influential French personalities in the world; she's been awarded the Jane Drew Prize in 2016 for her relentless work in advocating for equality for women in architecture * Notable works include Populaire de l'Ouest in Rennes (the first metal-construction office building in France); FRAC Bretagne (one of France's first new contemporary art museums) in Rennes; interior designs of the Le Cargo offices in Paris; Viaduct and Operation Center of the A14 motorway, Nanterre, France; Phantom (the L'Opera Restaurant of the Opera Garnier) in Paris; Fangshan Tangshan National Geopark Museum in Nanjing, China; and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome. 400 colour images