Overview
Powell/Kleinschmidt, based in Chicago and acclaimed as one of the 20 best interior design firms of the last 25 years, have designed interiors for corporate, legal, educational, retail, hospitality and residential environments. Underlying their work is always the belief that good design is the result of thoughtful planning, careful attention to detail, cost effective budgeting and impeccable execution. This book documents a selection of their most important interior designs, incorporating environments on a variety of scales for a variety of clients. These have ranged from 500,000 square feet of corporate office space to 1200 square feet residences. What becomes apparent in all the examples presented in this volume is that successful interior design is not just a question of furnishing architecture but is also an aesthetic expression of its function.
Synopsis
Powell/Kleinschmidt, based in Chicago and acclaimed as one of the 20 best interior design firms of the last 25 years, have designed interiors for corporate, legal, educational, retail, hospitality and residential environments. Underlying their work is always the belief that good design is the result of thoughtful planning, careful attention to detail, cost effective budgeting and impeccable execution. This book documents a selection of their most important interior designs, incorporating environments on a variety of scales for a variety of clients. These have ranged from 500,000 square feet of corporate office space to 1200 square feet residences. What becomes apparent in all the examples presented in this volume is that successful interior design is not just a question of furnishing architecture but is also an aesthetic expression of its function.
Library Journal
Donald Powell and Robert Kleinschmidt, partners in their eponymous, preeminent Chicago interior design firm, are identified here loosely as disciples of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and, perhaps more importantly, as apprentices early in their careers at the influential architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. This volume begins with a short but insightful introduction by Stanley Abercrombie (A Philosophy of Interior Design) summarizing the essential qualities of Powell/Kleinschmidt's work: clarity in plan, attention to surface detail, and the occasional lavish effect. Blaser's (Mies van der Rohe) essay, translated somewhat leadenly from the German, is less successful, resorting to generalities. The remainder of the book features primarily double-page spreads comprising a one- or two-paragraph descriptive analysis; a floor plan printed on warm-gray, coated stock reflecting the firm's subdued aesthetic; and a black-and-white photographic reproduction. Occasionally, additional photographs are included, some in color. Most of the projects selected are commercial, but a few are residential, including the partners' own apartments and the interior of a private airplane. Although this volume would have benefited greatly from a more critical perspective and from a greater number of color illustrations, it is still essential for all interior design collections and for large architecture collections. Paul Glassman, New York Sch. of Interior Design Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.