New Public Architecture1996

The mid-1990s have seen a resurgence of interest and investment in public architecture. Civic authorities have been faced with the challenge of regenerating run-down cities and regions after the recession of the early years of the decade, and of attracting investment and jobs to their regions. These conditions have inspired a new generation of 'magnet' buildings and interiors. New Public Architecture examines more than fifty of the most outstanding of these projects, including libraries, museums, town halls and seats of regional government, art, media and convention centres, schools and universities, theatres and concert halls, as well as a synagogue, swimming baths, an aquarium and an embassy. Jeremy Myerson chronicles the progress of a new spirit in the design and architecture of public spaces and reveals how the traditional forms of the buildings are being reinvented by architects and designers around the world in clever and surprising ways.