Open: New Designs for Public Spaces

Open: New Designs for Public Space puts forth the simple proposition that new public spaces need not be the banal leftovers of design neglect. Open showcases the best recent public projects from some of the world's most talented designers, including Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, Craig Dykers, Peter Eisenman, Zaha Hadid, Walter Hood, UN Studio, Norman Foster, Weiss/Manfredi, and Will Alsop. More than 300 images, many commissioned for this publication, illustrate a range of projects from emmorials to new types of urban plazas and parks.
Essays by Raymond Gastil, Linda Pollak, and Zoe Ryan, argue that the most successful urban spaces are those that combine large-scale operations and small-scale experiences, major infrastructure with recreation and culture, and grand civic events with intimate daily interaction.

Raymond W. Gastil is director of the Van Alen Institute. He lectures widely and is the author of numerous articles. Gastil lives in New York City.