Transparent Plastics

In recent years the construction of buildings made of plastic has increased dramatically. Originally used for temporary structures like the BMW Pavilion in Frankfurt, plastic is now employed in many permanent buildings as well, including the recent Catholic church in Radebeul by Staib/Behnisch. Prominent international avant-garde architects such as Shigeru Ban and Herzog & de Meuron frequently use transparent plastic for their structures. Transparent Plastics is a fascinating guide to building with this material whose formal qualities make it possible to achieve effects with light and color. The book is brimming with useful tips for design and building practice and includes such stimulating examples of plastic in use as the Allianz Arena in Munich by Herzog & de Meuron, the Rocket Tower in Leicester by Grimshaw & Partners, the Paper Art Museum by Shigeru Ban in Shizuoka, Japan, and the public housing development Cité Manifeste in Mulhouse by Lacaton Vassal.