Review: Vibrations, A Portrait of Houses Designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects by Karsten R.S. Ifversen

As many look towards a Scandinavian minimalist ethos to reconsider options for optimal living, Karsten Ifversen looks to contemporary Danish architects Lundgaard & Tranberg to launch his exceptional query into the notion and power of ‘vibration’ in architecture.

Ifversen begins his volume with a quick but potent explication of select philosophical approaches to understanding space, time and our concept of ‘place’. As he explains in his introductory essay, beauty, for these architects, “is rather a result of the process, of the energy and the many hours invested in making the elements vibrate.”

His claim is illustrated in the book’s 150 stunning illustrations, which – unlike many architectural volumes – often include people interacting with each building and space. Those projects that seem to truly illustrate the author’s thesis include but are not limited to The Tietgen Hall of Residence, Axel Towers, the Villa in Hellerup, and the headquarters of SEB bank.

Whether readers agree with his initial philosophical propositions or not, his concluding essay broaches questions that are essential for all contemporary architects, and his fantastic bibliography offers resources that every student and practitioner should have the courage to read. And, of course, his embrace of Lundgaard & Tranberg as visionaries is spot on.

Vibrations, A Portrait of Houses Designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects

By Karsten R.S. Ifversen

Hatje Cantz