Katsura - (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A captivating and comprehensively illustrated study of the seventeenth-century Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto, Japan

An outstanding example of Japanese architecture, Katsura has inspired countless architects from Bruno Taut and Le Corbusier to Tadao Ando and Kenzo Tange, and is often considered a precursor of Modernist tendencies.

Now available in a new format, Katsura Imperial Villa offers an in-depth exploration of the seventeenth-century palace in Kyoto, Japan through detailed drawings and historical analysis.

The extensive selection of maps, drawings, and photographs make this book an indispensable reference work and offer unprecedented access to this beautiful palace.

Review Quotes

'Revisits one of Japan's most celebrated architectural landmarks with fresh relevance...[and] reveals why Katsura continues to shape contemporary thinking around minimalism, spatial sequencing, and the enduring elegance of restraint.' - Whitewall

'A sumptuous new book... Beautifully designed and lavishly produced... Yoshiharu Matsumura's splendid photographs allow a virtual guided tour leaving no detail uncovered. One can work through every well-proportioned reception room, admire the fine woodwork and almost touch the magnificent bamboo fences enclosing the garden.' - Building Design

'A stunningly beautiful and minutely detailed portrait of the 16th century Katsura villa in Kyoto.' - Icon

'Extensive color photographs by Yoshiharu Matsumura, along with detailed line drawings, help to comprehensively document this revered complex.' - Architectural Record

'Readers will be lulled by the symmetrical layouts and clear lines of one of Japan's most Zen landmarks.' - Publishers Weekly

'Fascinating.' - Daniella on Design

About the Author

Arata Isozaki (1931-2022) was a renowned Japanese architect who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2019.

Yoshiharu Matsumura is an architectural photographer based in Japan.

Manfred Speidel is a German architect and a leading authority on Bruno Taut.

Bruno Taut (1880-1938) was a German-born architect and theorist who visited Katsura in the 1930s and was one of the first to champion the complex as a precursor of modern architecture.

Walter Gropius (1883-1969) was chairman of Harvard University's Graduate School of Design from 1937-52 and was a founder of the Bauhaus.

Kenzo Tange (1913-2005) was one of Japan's foremost architects and was the winner of the 1987 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Francesco Dal Co is Professor of Architectural History at the University Institute of Architecture in Venice.