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It’s been quite the year for French architect Dominique Perrault. His work continues to defy categorization, owing no reference to history, and emphasizes both the landscape and meticulously developed materials. An exhibition celebrating three decades of his work was on view at the Pompidou last summer, and a comprehensive monograph was published in conjunction with the exhibit, which includes plans for the upcoming rock-formation-inspired Thermal Baths in San Pellegrino (set for 2012) and the recently completed—and dramatically cantilevered—Hotel Habitat Sky in Barcelona.   MORE >>

It’s been quite the year for French architect Dominique Perrault. His work continues to defy categorization, owing no reference to history, and emphasizes both the landscape and meticulously developed materials. An exhibition celebrating three decades of his work was on view at the Pompidou last summer, and a comprehensive monograph was published in conjunction with the exhibit, which includes plans for the upcoming rock-formation-inspired Thermal Baths in San Pellegrino (set for 2012) and the recently completed—and dramatically cantilevered—Hotel Habitat Sky in Barcelona.

Perrault founded his firm in Paris in 1981 and first obtained international attention with his National Library of France (1989) and the Berlin Velodrome and Olympic Swimming Pool (1992). He pioneered the use of metal mesh in architectural applications, thereby challenging notions of walls and impermeability, as exemplified in his brand-new Madrid Olympic Tennis Stadium, nicknamed the “Magic Box.” The building—topped with a series of massive moving panels on hydraulic jacks—showcases his technical mastery. The Box will sit atop a man-made lake, engaging itself in a spectacular dialogue with the surroundings. perraultarchitecte.com   << LESS