AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers
The Barrack, 1572–1914 is among the winners!
We are delighted to share that our book The Barrack, 1572–1914 is among the winners of this year's 50 Books | 50 Covers competition! We send our congratulations to all who contributed to this outstanding achievement!
The Barrack, 1572–1914 explores the history of a seemingly transient yet structurally persistent building type. The book’s design reflects the barrack’s provisional nature through its material and binding choices. Instead of concealing its construction, the process remains visible: the book block is held together by crepe tape, a material usually hidden beneath a hardcover spine. Here, the crepe is left exposed, mirroring the raw, utilitarian character of the barrack itself.
The cover, made of simple brown cardboard, reinforces the barrack’s functional and makeshift qualities. Stripping away conventional refinements, the design focuses on the book as an object that embodies its subject.
Book design by Bureau Sandra Doeller. The book was written by Robert Jan van Pelt.
The AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers competition recognizes the best of book and book cover design from around the world and represents perhaps the longest-standing legacy in American graphic design. Beginning in 1923, the Fifty Books of the Year competition was a yearly mainstay of AIGA. As dust jackets became more common, covers were added to the competition. Even in an era of digital books, Tik Toks, and Reels, AIGA understands the timeless, magnetic power of design to engage readers and encourage them to turn the page.
To find out more about all awardees, please follow this link.
The Barrack, 1572–1914
Niederdorfstrasse 54
8001 Zurich
Switzerland
+41 (0)44 262 16 62
info@park-books.com