Perimeter Books is a small bookstore, art space and platform for various art publishing endeavours in Melbourne, Australia.
They stock a curated selection of local and international small press, art, photography, architecture and design publications, and exhibits publishers and contemporary artists with an interest in the printed form.
And they are digging Portrait of a House.
“Portrait of a House comprises a stunning series of photographs taken by Simon Devitt of the Athfield House, otherwise known as ‘the village on the hill’ – an architectural experiment started by New Zealand architect Ian Athfield in 1965 in Khandallah, Wellington.
This book compiles Devitt’s photographs of the incredible house as well as portraits, paintings and plans from the Athfield archive.
Beautifully produced and published by Balasoglou Books (Auckland), it proves both rigorous and personal in tenor.”
Busy times!
There’s been plenty of nipping around the countryside recently for me, and now you get to enjoy the fruits with an eclectic architectural jaunt around NZ.
There’s something for everyone: from the grandeur of Government House to a temporary, street-side cinema in Auckland.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki »
Portrait of a House has been doing a little world trip, this time popping up in the book review section of the incredibly stylish Elle Decor Italia.
If your Italian is a bit rusty here’s what they said:
“Featuring architectural daring from New Zealand.
Discover this home and project created on the hill by architect Ian Athfield.
An innovative publication, charmingly presented and photographed by Simon Devitt.
I was chuffed to find Portrait of a House reviewed by Tommy Honey in The Hobson magazine December 2013 issue.
“The most intriguing and certainly the most personal book on architecture published this year is Portrait of a House (Balasoglou Books) by photographer Simon Devitt.
It is, as Devitt states, “a portrait of the Athfield House, the village on the hill”.
Ian Athfield, once the enfant terrible of New Zealand architecture, and his wife Claire, started building their house high on the hill in Khandallah, Wellington, nearly 50 years ago.
The story of their house is told almost entirely in pictures (some archival, some taken by Devitt over a 10 year period), anecdotes and recipes.
It is the intimate made public and a reflection of the Athfields’ generosity and Devitt’s commitment.
A beautiful, beautiful book.”
Urban design critic Tommy Honey is a former architect, now Dean of College at Parnell’s Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design. He lives in Remuera.
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