Hardback book 14 x 19.5 cm 584 pages "Small Architecture" - Taschen

At a time when budgets and spaces are often limited, small yet perfectly arranged buildings represent a major architectural challenge. From big names such as Toyo Ito and Zaha Hadid to the very best of the new international talents, architects the world over are presenting creative proposals tailored to tight volumes.

Big ideas for small places

Over the years, talented architects have enthusiastically taken up the challenge of designing small yet perfectly arranged buildings. Today, as budgets and available spaces tend to shrink, many architects are adopting an approach centred on creating places which, though modest in size, are resolutely ambitious, innovative and trend-setting in form. Whether set within Japanese cities, where large spaces are scarce, or on the boundary between art and architecture, small buildings offer many advantages and push designers to do more with less.

A doll's house for Calvin Klein in New York, a children's theatre in Trondheim, holiday cabins and housing for the victims of natural disasters: all bear witness to this new desire among architects to think big for small spaces. Winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2013, Toyo Ito, is one of them, as are emerging architects in Portugal, Chile, England and New Zealand. With world-renowned names and brand-new talents alike, discover architectural creation on a new, small scale.