The Arc-en-Rêve Architecture Center in Bordeaux is becoming another important reference point for contemporary architecture. It organizes trips, courses, debates, conferences, and, above all, exhibitions. For the publication of some of its catalogs, the center has turned to co-publishing with the Swiss publisher Artemis.

One of the most celebrated exhibitions at Arc-en-Rêve last year was dedicated to the American architect Steven Holl, and Artemis did an excellent job with its catalog. Holl's case is representative of the trajectory of some architects known as ‘avant-garde’. His career was first built and even consolidated on paper, with small projects, large doses of theory, and exhibitions in museums such as MoMA, and later came the major achievements or committed works that demonstrate his talent and justify his fame.

Holl, who studied architecture in Rome and at the Architectural Association in London and opened his studio in New York in 1976, is seeing his latest works and projects receive either widespread acclaim, such as the Fukuoka housing complex, or passionate controversy, such as his proposal for the Helsinki Museum of Contemporary Art. He also has the support of Kenneth Frampton, author of the introduction to the catalog, and everyone knows that the British critic is almost never wrong.