Steven Holl, reading Maurice Merleau-Ponty at the time of the competition for the Museum of Contemporary Art Helsinki, decided on the concept of "Kiasma" for his design. The idea picks up on the philosopher's notion of Chiasm and Holl's own concept of Intertwining, what is also the title of his second monograph. Holl's fairly literal interpretation of chiasm and intertwining into the building form was appealing enough for him to win the competition, and strong enough for the museum to take on the name of the architect's title concept. But it's the intangibles – the sensations of space, light and movement – that appeal to visitors, echoed by Kiasma director Tuula Arkio in an introduction to this book on the building: "The overwhelming sensation induced by Kiasma must be experienced personally; it cannot be described in words." What follows is primarily photographs, interspersed with words from Holl and critic Pekka Suhonen. It would be great to see more of Holl's signature watercolors as well as more architecture drawings, something beyond photos of the almost-completed building at the time. But perhaps that is the task for some of the other many books by and on Holl. ( )