A&M Monograph

A&M Monograph is a book that presents the last 20 years of A&M architects work. This volume includes a wide spectrum of the firm’s projects and provides to the reader a full coverage of their works’ diversity.

The stylistic pluralism and the scale-based differentiation of the projects led us to a design concept that was not linked to A&M architects’ touch. Furthermore, the client’s brief described a monograph that will act as a hold for all the projects, a book with its own special narration to pro- mote the prestige and dynamics of the firm.

Conceiving this book as an exhibition was the starting point, that led us to handle the artboards as a white cube gallery. Based on this concept, we created a two-dimensional route through an imaginary exhibition. The content was organized in exhibition sections and the narration was “woven” by overlapping threads, as for example the presentation of the firm’s team in random parts of the book.

In order to gradually introduce the reader-visitor to this two-dimensional exhibition experi- ence, we transformed the cover to a “manifesto stand”, where the philosophy of the firm is imprint- ed. The information handling is also based on a gradual way of entering an exhibition’s world. The large-scale typographic elements provide a comprehensive overlook of the content, while a more thorough browsing offers a plethora of microscale texts accompanying the projects.

Elevating the matter through light and shadow, as one of architecture’s founding elements, was one of the main design aspects and its application is clear on the book cover, where the text creates a sculptural object. Τhe fabric (white canvas) that is used, emerges the exhibition atmos- phere that runs the concept of the book. The book binding and its distribution box combine formal and informal looks and techniques, that create the sense of surprise while unboxing.