[USED] Vector Architects: the Art of Building

Vector Architects: Gong Dong and the Art of Building

Av Monographs' sold-out collection of works by Chinese architect Dong Gong.

Vector Architects is a pioneering new generation of Chinese architects, advocating an innovative approach to architecture and design that blends tradition and modernism. Gong Dong's architecture emotively blends contemporary elements with the precepts of traditional Chinese craftsmanship, while paying utmost attention to the experiential quality of the design. In addition to exceptional technical expertise, the firm is highly regarded for exploring the possibilities of sustainability and environmentally conscious construction.

Featured in the exhibition "Reuse, Renew, Recycle: Recent Architecture from China" at MoMA in New York, Gong Dong's work was particularly highlighted by the Alila Yangxiao Hotel. Reusing an old industrial area and former sugar factory near Guilin, China, the hotel takes full advantage of its spectacular location, characterized by steep limestone karst hills, and features a reflecting pool, providing guests with comfort and convenience.

This book showcases the firm's most spectacular works, from the Seashore Chapel, which combines the intellectual power of Le Corbusier with the sophisticated magic of Tadao Ando to establish a unique, serene expression, to the Captain's House, a renovation of a modernist residence perched on a cliff overlooking a fishing village and the sea. This elegantly illustrated and beautifully designed book is the first comprehensive record in English of this architecture of exceptional quality, quiet richness, and great reward.