As much as I appreciate the design of architecture books, I've never paid too close attention to who's responsible for the actual design of them. But recently I noticed that a number of the books in my library were designed by Massimo Vignelli, who died in 2014 at the age of 83. With his wife Lella and their New York firm Vignelli Associates, he was one of the most popular and versatile graphic designers, responsible for the design of books and magazines, but also interiors, packaging, branding, architectural graphic, furniture, and product design. Here I highlight some of the architecture books in my library that he designed.

Richard Meier, Architect:

Vignelli designed a series of books with Meier and this was the first one, coming out in 1984. The design, per the Vignelli Associates website, "reflects the character of his buildings: structured, subjective and, above all, not trendy." The cover sets everything up, both for the book's contents and Vignelli's approach to book design in general: three words, two in black and one in red; clear, simple and heavily reliant upon typography for form and effect. Inside, the text has a clear hierarchy that, like the cover, embraces some abundant and carefully positioned white space. The simple and straightforward layout and typography work especially well with Meier's consistent black-and-white drawings.
Louis I. Kahn: In the Realm of Architecture:

Vignelli's strong use of text is found clearly on the cover...