What happened when art and architecture collided? This isn't a trick question but an invitation into Hans Arp’s world, a world where sculpted forms brought walls and towering structures to life. A world that had long lived quietly in the margins misunderstood and overlooked.
This book was the first to put Arp’s architectural works in the spotlight they deserved. Wall reliefs that whispered stories to wide-eyed passersby. Monuments that bent the rules of geometry. Each piece was brought to life through detailed illustrations.
The essays by renowned authors dug deep, placing each work in its historical and artistic context. They connected dots you didn’t know existed. What was Arp thinking here? What did it mean there? Like crumbs on a trail, the text gave readers a fuller appreciation of Arp’s genius.
It was also about perspective, which made you pause and think (and maybe sip your coffee a little slower). This wasn’t just a book for dedicated art historians or architects obsessed with the balance of form and function (although they loved it). It was for anyone who wondered how creativity defies boundaries. How a poet could become an artist, then an architect—and somehow, all three at once.
This book was my first collaboration with Scheidegger & Spiess, a partnership that began when I designed this publication. It marked the start of a 5-year partnership with this esteemed publishing house. The book invited us to see Hans Arp’s work in a new light. It filled in the gaps of history. And maybe, just maybe, it made us fall a little in love with what happens when art explores space.
