Books in the Architectural Guide series

The Architectural Guide Norway showcases 150 architectural objects realized in Norway in the period from 2000 to 2020. The geography of the buildings covers both the largest and most visited cities of the country - Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger - and objects of the so-called Norwegian Scenic Routes, one of the most important infrastructure project to promote the breathtaking nature and its architecture. Anna Martovitskaya's selection of projects demonstrates a wide range of artistic techniques, typologies and scales, but these are not only united by the country of origin, but also by their diversity. A much more important factor of unity is the approach of Norwegian architects to the challenges they face. No matter whether it is an everyday task (e.¿g. a pedestrian bridge, a viewing platform or a pavilion), a large office complex or a large urban development project, the focus is always on people and their relationship to nature. While today many voices loudly promote the need to conserve resources, Norway consistently implements the principle of environmental protection, not only through the use of innovative technologies, but also by making the buildings themselves and the developed areas the epitome of human rationality and environmental friendliness.

Tbilisi, capital of the Republic of Georgia, has ­increasing international attention in recent years: Buildings play no small part in its reputation, as ­evidenced by the urban mega­projects enacted by successive administrations, countless real estate adverts shilling surrealist investment properties, and the recent establishment of the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial.Architecture, in fact, offers perhaps the best guide to the myriad contradictions of the city's history: Tbilisi is a Silk Road outpost with caravanserais newer than brownstone Brooklyn. The Orientalist landmarks that prompted many a traveller to invoke the Thousand and One Nights were, in fact, usually built by members of a German minority emulating European trends. Today, touts may peddle tours of Brutalist Soviet ruins, but one would be hard pressed to find clear examples of the style within city limits. This book helps to unravel the different layers of this fascinating metropolis. It does so by providing in-depth profiles of more than 120 buildings, themed guides to many others (sacred architecture, Art Nouveau, Constructivism), and essays contributed by local scholars.