Luc Deleu & T.O.P. office: Founder's Choice

T.O.P. Office . Founder's Choice . Luc Deleu, a book that presents a body of work that is as versatile and elusive as it is coherent. T.O.P. Office . Founder's Choice . Luc Deleu, compiled by architect Luc Deleu (b. 1944), is the first comprehensive, richly illustrated, and large-scale overview of the activities of T.O.P. office, founded in 1970. In ten thematically and chronologically structured chapters, the book presents a body of work that is as versatile and elusive as it is coherent. From completed buildings to competition proposals, from small-scale interventions to global concepts - this book invites the reader to reflect on humanity's spatial presence on Earth and to discover meaning and direction in it through art and architecture. Together with T.O.P. office, Luc Deleu spent over half a century building an architectural and artistic oeuvre across a variety of media. At the same time, he critically reflected on his own practice as well as on the role of architecture and urban planning in general. As both reader and writer, he searched for the words to clarify and substantiate his position, resulting in a unique body of texts. Luc Deleu: A Reader brings together his most important texts, lectures, and articles for the first time - from the Orbanist Manifesto (1980) to Darling Springs: A Call for Beauty (2024). The book opens with a conversation between Hans Ulrich Obrist, Nico Dockx, and Luc Deleu. This monumental overview is a must-have for academics, students, architects, governmental institutions and urban planners. AUTHOR: Luc Deleu (b. 1944, Duffel, Belgium) is an architect and urban planner internationally recognised for his pioneering vision that redefines the ethical and global dimensions of architecture. In 1970, he founded T.O.P. office (Turn On Planning), a collective practice operating at the crossroads of architecture, art, and social critique. Deleu's projects - ranging from the conceptual Orban Space to speculative large-scale infrastructures - challenge conventional notions of functionality, authorship, and urban scale. His work has been exhibited widely, including at M HKA (Antwerp), Bozar (Brussels), and CIVA (Brussels), and is held in major public collections. Deleu continues to influence generations of architects and thinkers through his teaching, writings, and his ongoing inquiry into the balance between the built environment and planetary responsibility. Two-volume hardcover edition in slipcase. 686 colour, 221 b/w illustrations