Neri&Hu Design and Research Office: Thresholds

Standout projects from Chinese architecture and design firm Neri&Hu come to life in this thoughtful entry from the company’s founders. Hotels and retail outlets, among other projects, are brought to the page with insightful essays and stunning photographs, drawings, and floor plans. There’s the Beijing B+ Automobile Service Centre, which was originally designed and used as a missile-manufacturing factory; the Vertical Lane House, a Japanese army building reimagined as a hotel that hangs onto such former flaws as crumbling bricks and deteriorating plaster; the Sukhothai hotel in Shanghai, filled with nature motifs of 13th- to 15th-century Thailand and with elegant gray stairs; and the New Shanghai Theatre, with its fluted bronze walls. The essays that accompany each project offer a glimpse beyond the buildings: “An Enigma of Volume” showcases an office in Cologne, Germany, “The Lantern” sees the authors exploring the decisions behind the design of the flagship store for a skin-care brand in Seoul, and a concluding section, titled “Objects,” highlights the firm’s approach to finding beauty in everyday household items. The elegant and intelligent prose, paired with photos that highlight the firm’s spare design, will enchant fans of minimalism. Sophisticated and beautiful, this is sure to delight architecture buffs. (Aug.)