The Anatomy of the Architectural Book, an exhibition presented in conjunction with the publication of a book of the same title by André Tavares, examines the relationships between book culture and building culture, making visible the axes along which architectural knowledge circulates through books into buildings and back. Through seven themes—Texture, Spread, Sequence, Structure, Scale, Material, and Trade—Tavares analyzes the material qualities of a wide range of books in order to assess these dynamics and intersections. This investigation confronts us with the rise of the industrialized book and thus of the editor as an important intermediary between the author and the printer. It also explores the configuration of the book as a unique visual device, a process that has shaped the role of the designer and a progressively more complex chain of decision-making.

The Anatomy of the Architectural Book features books, drawings, ephemera, and objects from the CCA Collection.

Curator: André Tavares, Porto.
Graphic design: Sean Yendrys, New York/Montréal.