Marcus Binney
Publication date: 13 October 2014
Price: £45.00
Under embargo until 22 September 2014
In the design publishing coup of the year, if not the decade, Thames & Hudson is delighted to publish the long-anticipated first monograph on Anouska Hempel. This volume, written by respected author and architectural critic Marcus Binney CBE, is both a celebration of her achievement and an intimate insight into her working practices. Hempel’s vision and creative flair know no bounds and her interiors and landscapes are truly incomparable. One of the world’s most celebrated designers, there really is no one else quite like her. This astonishing book is divided into thirteen chapters, each highlighting one of her many stunning achievements. There is Beluga, the sleek, opulent Turkish Gulet; the luxurious interiors and perfectly manicured gardens of Cole Park, the quintessential English country house; and the clean lines of the Grosvenor House Apartments in Mayfair. The iconic hotels, including the two Blakes, The Hempel itself and Warapuru in Brazil are also explored in-depth. Anouska Hempel Design is a truly international practice with projects completed or underway in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle and Far East and the book reflects the scope and scale of the work to date. The thirteen projects are contextualised by Binney in his introduction, which describes the qualities that have driven her incredible success and made her so respected by her peers, both for her architectural interventions and her aesthetic sensibilities. Throughout her work Anouska Hempel has always exerted the desire and determination to go on and on until every aspect of a room, a gown, a table arrangement or upholstery is done to her idea of uncompromising perfection. This is perhaps best exemplified by The Hempel’s crisp volumes, smooth surfaces and a symmetry that is simply worthy of a Renaissance architect. A special section details the key influences on Hempel’s aesthetic, from the Elizabethan era to the colours and landscapes of Thailand, as well as the characteristics that unite all of her projects, from control and symmetry to juxtaposition and layering. With over 400 stunning colour photographs of interiors, architecture and gardens, this lavishly-illustrated volume is itself a masterwork. A joy for lovers of distinctive design, it is also an essential reference for design professionals. As beautiful as her iconic interiors themselves, Anouska Hempel by Marcus Binney brings to life a remarkable design vision as never before. Author Marcus Binney is The Times’s Architecture Correspondent. He is the author of many books, including The Ritz Hotel London and In Search of the Perfect House. He fronted the 39-part television series ‘Mansion: The Great Houses of Europe’. Contents Introduction • ‘Inspirations’, Belinda Harley • Cole Park • The Hempel • Blakes, London • La Suite West • Warapuru • Blakes, Amsterdam • Grosvenor House Apartments • Ennismore Gardens • Vaduz House • Addison Road • Henry Cotton’s • Hotel Pierre Apartment • Beluga