On 21 June, KAAN Architecten will present Portraits, their first monograph recently published by Park Books.

Portraits is the first substantial publication offering a unique perspective on fifteen of the firm’s major built works to date. The selected projects are portrayed as different characters with distinctive physiognomies but belonging to the same family and sharing similar features, hence the book’s title.

About the book

The volume explores the studio’s work using multiple lenses. On the one hand, it retraces and unfolds the projects’ narrative, focusing on single pieces of a complex puzzle: a fragment of an image, a citation from an article, a detail. On the other hand, it simply holds up a mirror to the projects, reflecting them as they are, with no additional interpretation.

Beyond being a project overview, Portraits is a culmination of a research process aimed at interpreting a complex genealogy that reveals the 15 buildings not as autonomous entities but as parts of a shared vision.

Join KAAN Architecten in celebrating this major milestone on Tuesday evening, 21 June, in a festive ceremony with a brief introduction by the authors and editors. The book will also be available for purchase during the event, courtesy of NAI Booksellers.

Practical info

The launch will take place at Baanhof, a unique and quirky venue located in the mid-century power station in the heart of Rotterdam. Entry is free with registration via the ticket link. Spaces are limited.

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