Dirty Old River

By (author) Emerson, Tom; Edited by Handelman, Sarah
Short description/annotation:
Collects 12 essays by distinguished British architect Tom Emerson, cofounder of London-based 6a Architects, on topics ranging from the design, drawing, and construction of architecture to the transformation of materials, nuances of human creativity, and the intimate craftsmanship behind literary spaces.
Description:

Dirty Old River brings together 12 essays penned by British architect Tom Emerson over the past three decades. Written on very different occasions as contributions to books or articles in magazines, they explore a wide range of topics through the lens of architecture. The book’s title is borrowed from the British rock band The Kinks’ cult song ''Waterloo Sunset'' to symbolise a journey through the interweaving of culture, imagination, and the built environment.

Naturally, the architect Emerson writes about architecture: how it is designed, drawn, and built. Yet he also turns his attention to other, wider fields, from the transformation of materials to the nuances of human creativity, the explosive early works of his celebrated fellow architect Frank O. Gehry, and the intimate craftsmanship behind the literary spaces of French writer Georges Perec.

Emerson’s unique approach to writing is often inspired by sideways glances and disciplines beyond architecture. He offers a new perspective on how things are made, why they take shape the way they do, and what these processes reveal about humanity.

Table of contents:
Framing Frank 12 The Monika Papers 34 Cutting Corners 54 Tolerance 60 Blue 66 Openings 68 From Lieux to Life 78 Dirty Old River 102 Gardens, Grids and Ghosts 120 Working at Home Like Everyone Else 138 Juergen on a Plate 142 Tough Love 162
Biographical note:

Tom Emerson is cofounder of the London-based firm 6a architects and a professor of architecture and design in the Department of Architecture at ETH Zürich. Sarah Handelman is a London-based author and editor.