Urban Center Books has
posted some wonderful videos related to Jo Steffens’s Unpacking My Library: Architects and Their Books. A co-publication of the Municipal Art Society of New York and Yale University Press, the book and its accompanying exhibit delve into the personal libraries of twelve of the world’s leading architects, revealing the written works that inspired, challenged, and influenced these artists most.

As the hands-on video demonstrates, the book features an innovative mixture of photography and interviews, giving readers unparalleled insights into the lives, minds, and living spaces of these important figures. By no means have these architects limited their selections to works from other thinkers in their field. As this interview with Peter Eisenman proves, their influences are just as often literary, philosophical, or international as they are practical.

For more on Unpacking My Library, visit unpackingmylibrary.org and check out Urban Center Books’s YouTube channel.