Dirty Old River

Collects 12 essays by distinguished British architect Tom Emerson, cofounder of London-based 6a Architects, on topics ranging from the design, drawing, and construction of architecture to the transformation of materials, nuances of human creativity, and the intimate craftsmanship behind literary spaces.

Dirty Old River brings together 12 essays penned by British architect Tom Emerson over the past three decades. Written on very different occasions as contributions to books or articles in magazines, they explore a wide range of topics through the lens of architecture. The book’s title is borrowed from the British rock band The Kinks’ cult song 'Waterloo Sunset' to symbolise a journey through the interweaving of culture, imagination, and the built environment.

Naturally, the architect Emerson writes about architecture: how it is designed, drawn, and built. Yet he also turns his attention to other, wider fields, from the transformation of materials to the nuances of human creativity, the explosive early works of his celebrated fellow architect Frank O. Gehry, and the intimate craftsmanship behind the literary spaces of French writer Georges Perec.

Emerson’s unique approach to writing is often inspired by sideways glances and disciplines beyond architecture. He offers a new perspective on how things are made, why they take shape the way they do, and what these processes reveal about humanity.

Contributor: Sarah Handelman (Edited by)

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