‘Ouvertures’, the first monograph on the multivarious work by the young architectural office Powerhouse Company is now available in a digital version for the iPad. Originally a printed book, the digital version contains loads of extra material. The added videos, sketches, building pictures and images provide a ‘behind the scenes’ insight into the design process of the office as well as an alternative reading experience.
In the App a simple ‘+’ icon reveals a secondary layer of information about the projects. This layer contains movies, process models, anecdotes, details and images. The iPad App is now available for €7,99 ($9,99) in the iTunes Store.
Nanne de Ru: “From the start we had the intend to launch an App next to our printed publication. Over the last few years, we have seen architecture books trying to show more and more of the process behind the designs and realized works. We always had the feeling that books are perhaps not the right tool for this kind of amalgamation of process, failures, anecdotes and results. The interactive abilities of tablets however have made it possible to add ‘depth’ to a publication. So the clean and clear lay out of a classic book can now obtain more layers of information through an App.â€
Charles Bessard: “The great thing about books is that they potentially have an eternal value as beautifully crafted objects. That’s why we took great care in selecting the paper, the photos, the finishing and even the weight (540 grams) of the book. At the same time we wanted to explore the gracious way Apps allow e-books to become interactive. Since the invention of hypertext in the nineties, this has been a promise of new ways to navigate information. We believe that books and Apps will more and more exist as complementary forms of experiencing content.â€
About the book
The book ‘Ouvertures’ was published by Hatje Cantz in 2011 upon the receiving of the Rotterdam Maaskant-Prize for Young Architects by Nanne de Ru. Featuring 14 selected projects—from designs to finished buildings— ‘Ouvertures’ presents the architects’ special, so-called integrated approach. Further more the book contains text by Hans Ibelings and Boris Brorman Jensen, photos by Bas Princen and images by MIR. (ISBN 978-3-7757-3270-3)
