Lorenzo Ciccarelli offers a brilliantly told story starting from Renzo Piano’s “Prehistory” to the architect’s large-scale collaborations.

Chapter by chapter, we learn about the evolution of Piano and his practices. This book is a text that both architects and any enjoyer of art will find encapsulating.

Ciccarelli masterfully balances giving us an in-depth look at the artist at hand as well as the collage of collaborators on each project. A personal highlight has to be the author’s chapter on the Menil Collection. The text here is a worthy match to the museum.

This is a beautiful book filled with drawings and photos of the amazing buildings (and a car!) that Renzo Piano designed. From the Georges Pompidou center in Paris which I absolutely love in the middle of the Marais district with its whimsical fountains out front, to the Whitney in NYC - I could not get enough of these photos. I will definitely appreciate seeing these buildings again the next time I visit these cities. In the meantime, I have the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago which I go to a lot and enjoy the beauty of the light and space in his incredible design. I loved learning more about his story and the stories of the creation of many of his famous sites.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

Although the Kindle format of this title prevented me from fully viewing photographs and illustrations, this is a great addition to our library's modern architecture collection. The book spans Piano's entire career, allowing readers to get a sense of modern architecture's place among contemporary/post-modern works. While this is ultimately a coffee table book, I liked how their is wider discussion regarding the architectural profession and the relationship between buildings and culture. This makes for a more nuanced read that goes beyond just a general survey book. This book will be a great, foundational source for an student studying Piano's work and life.

I love Renzo piano and all his pieces this biography it’s fantastic! I recommend it all lovers of architecture will find it indispensable to understand one of the major architecture of our time