the publisher

01 Editions is a boutique publisher based in Sydney, Australia. We have designed very exclusive and unusual books for some of our clients and we believe that good design makes all the difference.

This folio represents a very special kind of publication fitting for a grand master of design such as Glenn Murcutt. So we were thrilled when Glenn agreed to work together with us. It took us five years to bring this folio together.

We asked Kenneth Frampton if he would write the main text, because Frampton once commented to Murcutt that the definitive book on Murcutt had not yet been written. We flew Frampton to Sydney and set off on a two week road trip to all but one of the eight houses featured in the eight folders. The days were long, the home owners welcoming and generous, and Murcutt and Frampton incredibly productive. By the time Frampton was on the plane back to New York, he had written three quarters of his first draft. Finishing off the essay and writing the separate texts about the drawings for the folders would take almost another year. Meanwhile we approached David Malouf, Juhani Pallasmaa and Phil Harris to write and Sheila Simpson-Lee to provide us with rare insight into the client experience.

After Frampton’s visit we commissioned the architectural photographers and revisited the houses. We carefully briefed the photographers on key images and time of day (for light) and position, as well as the finished size of the reproduction (often A2 size) so the photographers could calibrate lens length, vanishing point and angle of perspective for a true representation of what it is like to be standing there, in person.

Murcutt’s hand-produced drawings are at the core of this publication. A mountain of original drawings and sketches was first reduced to a manageable volume, before Frampton curated it further. Months of scanning ensued as each original drawing was mounted directly onto a drum scanner for maximum detail. Designing this non-linear content into a coherent whole was both challenging and exciting for us.

Production was approached with the same high standards. The finest archival uncoated papers were selected and waterless printing chosen for better lift on uncoated stock. Specialty linen and cloth was selected from Italy and Germany for the box and book cover.

Anyone involved in production knows that behind the pristine finished product is a lot of skill, determination, anguish and challenge. Where normally one bookbinder makes a box, the minimalist design of our box required two bookbinders to work together. We even designed and commissioned a special tool to form the corrugation for the live hinge on the folders. Back at the bookbinders, a skilled Italian nonna would individually stitch each photo booklet on her heavy-duty sewing machine.

The Glenn Murcutt Folio weighs in at close to eight kilos - it includes the box, book, drawings, photo booklets and eight project folders.

A product of hard work, passion and love, we like to think of it as analogous to Murcutt’s houses; surprisingly simple in presentation yet carefully resolved and detailed.

We hope you agree.

01 Editions — boutique publishers

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