Aires Mateus: Book of Models

This poetic and minimalist anthology presents 10 years of heritage of AIRES MATEUS
design studios at the Accademia di Archittettura di Mendrisio in Switzerland.100 images of
largescale models built by students of AIRES MATEUS are brought together to create a
family portrait. Each expertly staged model is pictured with the essential schemes necessary
to understand the volumes portrayed. Francisco and Manuel Aires Mateus' many years of
experience in pedagogy and the use of models in practice are brought together in a manifesto
which precedes the anthology of images. The importance of the model in the formation of
architectural ideas and throughout the design process, as well as its potency as a standalone
statement are highlighted. The evocative photographs in this book reveal abstract spaces
produced by artistic interpretations of light, volume and materiality.