James Stirling: Office Drawings

A landmark collection of drawings produced in the office of James Stirling, one of the greatest British architects of the twentieth century. 

James Stirling, after whom the RIBA Stirling Prize is named, was born in Glasgow and raised in Liverpool, and became one of the most inspiring architects of the twentieth century. Alongside partners James Gowan and Michael Wilford, Associates Laurence Bain and Russell Bevington and other office members, Stirling created some of Britain’s iconic buildings. These include the Leicester University Engineering Building, the History Faculty Building at Cambridge University and Number One Poultry in London, which was listed by Historic England as a masterpiece of Postmodern architecture.

The fascinating drawings included in this book reveal the collaborative nature of architecture and the relentless process from idea to completion, fluctuating between doodles and technical drawings. There is a playfulness and irreverence that pervades many of the drawings, doodles and notes that communicate Stirling’s intelligence and ironic inclinations. This beautifully produced, cloth-bound book provides an insight into everyday life in an architectural office before the advent of the computer, which appears more varied and collaborative than one might imagine.