There are numerous links between architecture and art. In his architectural work, Philipp von Matt, who lives with his partner the Japanese artist Leiko Ikemura, has often explored themes relating to the creation and presentation of art. Designs of exhibitions and “artist houses” feature among the Swiss’s oeuvre – and such projects have brought him far beyond his adopted city of Berlin. With his two studio buildings O12 and A27, von Matt has delivered impressive designs that reveal key aspects of his understanding of architecture. Free from standard forms of the era, his buildings reflect the architect’s interest in different materials and technical solutions as well as the influence of traditional Japanese and Swiss architecture.

The book provides insights into von Matt’s diverse work. In addition to highlighting his “artist houses”, it showcases many exhibition designs that he produced for Leiko Ikemura, including her major exhibition in the National Art Center in Tokyo and the 2019 retrospective created in collaboration with the Kunstmusem Basel.