Reading room: New and notable books worth diving into

SANAA in Sydney: The architecture of Naala Badu at the Art Gallery of New South Wales

Presenting various perspectives, this new book considers the design of Naala Badu, an extension of the Art Gallery of NSW that was completed in 2022. The expansion was the culmination of a decade-long vision to transform a 153-year-old public institution into an art museum campus that seamlessly connects art, architecture and landscape. The design team responsible for making this vision a reality included architect SANAA, executive architect Architectus, landscape architect McGregor Coxall and structural engineer Arup. SANAA in Sydney features a compilation of essays that each examine the expansion’s built form and its interaction with art, people and the environment. The book includes a design statement from SANAA founders Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, as well as reflections from the art gallery’s director, Michael Brand. Further contributors to the book include Eve Blau, an architectural historian at Harvard University, and Anthony Burke, a professor of architecture at the University of Technology Sydney, among others.

SANAA in Sydney: The architecture of Naala Badu at the Art Gallery of New South Wales is edited by Michael Brand and published by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Grounds, Romberg and Boyd: Melbourne’s midcentury modernists

Grounds, Romberg and Boyd (1953–1962) was one of the most innovative modernist architectural firms to practice in Australia. Led by Roy Grounds, Frederick Romberg and Robin Boyd, the firm had a role in shaping many high profile national projects, including the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne and the Australian Academy of Science’s Shine Dome in Canberra. Less than a decade after it was founded, the practice disbanded – a decision that has been attributed to differing personalities and visions. This book is unique in that it is the only publication dedicated entirely to exploring the work of Grounds, Romberg and Boyd as a practice as opposed to individuals. The text goes beyond a compilation of completed projects, also examining the relationships between the three directors and the goings-on behind the scenes through archival material.

Grounds, Romberg and Boyd by Maria Larkins is published by Uro Publications.

View gallery

Design and Building on Country: First Knowledges for younger readers

Part of the First Knowledges for younger readers series, this richly illustrated text offers insights into creations developed by the world’s oldest continuous culture – Australia’s First Nations people. Authored by designer and artist Alison Page, and anthropologist and non-practising architect Paul Memmott, the book introduces objects, tools and architecture designed and used by First Peoples in their daily routines. It also delves into the kinds of materials used to craft these functional items, such as bark, stone and plants. With comprehensible text accompanied by eye-catching illustrations from Archibald Prize-winning artist Blak Douglas, this book provides young readers with a deeper understanding of Australia’s history.

Design and Building on Country by Alison Page and Paul Memmott is published by Thames and Hudson Australia.

View gallery

Adelaide Modernism 101 Houses

In his fourth book, South Australian historian and author Tim Reeves collates 101 examples of modernist houses completed in Adelaide between 1939 and 1974. The book presents modernist architecture in all its guises, and with all its strengths and flaws. The majority of architects showcased are South Australian, with some so prolific and talented that they have multiple entries allocated to them (think John Chappel and Jack Cheesman). Nearly half of the projects featured are architects’ own homes; however, the book also contains examples of modernist public housing, blocks of flats, conceptual competition entries and designs by bodies such as the Small Homes Service and the South Australian Home Builders’ Club. There is no shortage of illustrations in the book, with more than 300 floor plans, images and historical newspaper clippings dispersed throughout.

Adelaide Modernism 101 Houses by Tim Reeves is published by Wakefield Press.

View gallery