Hasta La Ideas

A half-century of work by an internationally acclaimed architect in a new monograph

Many of today’s up-and-coming architects are eager to design buildings with a surplus of modern bells and whistles, but even a quick study on the work of esteemed architect Rafael Viñoly shows how a true understanding of a structure’s relationship to the space surrounding it will ultimately lead to an impressive and elegant facade. As an international presence for over 45 years, Viñoly has a solid place as one of the world’s most influential architects, easily seen in the beautiful monograph celebrating his work.

Presented in chronological order, the book begins with the early projects that sculpted the landscape of his native Argentina and ends with current works in progress across the U.S., where he currently lives. Originally born in Uruguay, it wasn’t until 2009 that Viñoly left his mark on his homeland, building the luxury oceanfront property Edificio Acqua in Punta del Este. Each of his projects is artfully depicted along with riveting photography, descriptive renderings and insightful sketches by Viñoly and his design team.

Founded in 1983, Rafael Viñoly Architects PC has expanded from its humble beginnings in New York to include offices in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Abu Dhabi. The firm’s productivity and quality of design has grown along with its number of employees, having completed over 30 projects as of 2010 with nearly 15 more in progress.

Although well into his late sixties, Viñoly is still very much involved in the world of architecture, making it known that he will continue to sculpt urban environments around the world for years to come. Published by Prestel, Rafael Viñoly Architects monograph is available now from Amazon.

Photographs from top: Brad Feinknopf, Benny Chan, Rafael Viñoly Architects. More photographs after the jump.