Great architecture arises from the unexpected. As designers, we discover the world around us from experiences that shape who we are. Thoughtful solutions emerge from analysis and playful creation, a process intimately tied to the world as we find it, with its inherent needs and constraints. Few practices regularly elevate architecture above commodity: to do so usually becomes arduous and costly and takes considerable time.
Yet, when designers choose to value imagination and exploration, a powerful story unfolds, one imbued with mystery, inspiring ideas, and meaningful connections. Each firm forms its own path to realizing its work. While traditional methods quickly become standardized, innovative and visionary processes exist, ones which advocate a design methodology rooted in people and place.
Mastering this approach with poise and finesse, Mecanoo is a firm that challenges designers to enhance and enrich the human condition. Since its official inception in 1984, the practice has transformed from a group of students to a global firm with over 150 professionals from 25 countries.
While already boasting an impressive body of work, including the library at Delft University of Technology, the Library of Birmingham, and a Cultural Complex in Shenzhen, China, the firm also recently landed the high-profile New York Public Library commission.
Full article at Architizer