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 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.