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michael held
27 häuser
monograph of works, stuttgart 2011

michael held was a man of letters. he recorded his thoughts in notebooks where he made a collage of them with tickets to exhibitions and all kinds of small treasures: there are photos clipped from magazines, of items of clothing, bicycles, tables and above all houses. this book presents his work in the same way that his diaries are arranged: as a multifaceted architectural landscape comprising narrative elements, drawings and colour. the material for this monograph of his work – a collection of plans, computer drawings, sketches and photos – has been assembled in blank »diaries«. the quality of the reproduction has been deliberately sacrificed to maintain the impression of a diary, which aligns well with michael held's approach as an architect for whom perfection was less important than the story, the image or the atmosphere, which is not, of course, to detract from his painstaking attention to detail when planning his buildings. this report on his oeuvre is complemented by articles from architects, engineers and artists whom he held in esteem and whose work, he felt, added value to the buildings he created.