MEDIA

Hassell - Poetic Pragmatsim

INTRODUCTION

A beautifully put together publication showcasing the outstanding works & projects of the award-winning firm Hassell.

Covering a wide variety of projects of differing scale & diverse cultural contexts.

This practice's output is both a manifestation of richness & complexity of a contemporary Australian architecture & design

The challenge of developing a reputation in development itself is an arduous step in the postmodern age of excess, oversupply and competition. Let alone to mould oneâ??s reputation as a diverse and sensitive provider; escaping the pitfalls of typecast and generic repetition. Ambiguous as this introduction may be, its sense comes into remarkable focus when applied to the prolific achievements of Hassell. Whilst the name may evade celebratory recognition, the societal legacies of this Australian architecture firm will intelligently accommodate the vast majority of our humble population at some point, as well as a growing number of people abroad.

Architectural educator and writer Robert Powell has compiled an apposite collection of recent projects representing the scope of Hassell's public works, sharing a common balance of articulate aesthetics and lucid functionality.

The repertoire of the firm's commissions has become usefully broad, facilitating a collection of performing arts spaces and institutions, tertiary education buildings, offices and urban spaces. Transport terminals are becoming a particular forte of Hassell, thanks to hugely successful projects such as the Sydney Qantas domestic terminal and the Olympic Park train station that are now as appreciated as they are familiar, with their almost trademark dream-work structural engineering that embodies the freshness of the firm's philosophical dynamics.

Renowned photographer Patrick Bingham-Hall as usual immortalizes the works to the greatest extent that a page will allow, complimenting Powell's informative commentaries.