Ian Lambot

If one building warrants a coffee table book devoted to documenting its construction, it's Norman Foster's Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, a tower whose exposed trusses express the technology involved in its design and erection. Yet a close look at the cover photo illustrates the influence of tradition, in this case the bamboo scaffolding that wraps part of the structure. This tradition extends to the design's incorporation of feng shui principles, which determined orientation, among other things. Photographer Lambot, who self-published the portfolio and is best known for his documentation of Kowloon Walled City with Greg Girard, reveals just about every aspect of construction, from the foundation work to the huge trusses and the numerous services tucked into logical places. Captions for each photo are helpful in deciphering what was snapped, making the book appealing for not just architects and engineers.… (more)