This hefty ring-bound book presents a document that is more than a studio monograph: in both form and content, it invites us to explore the approach and method of the research and design lab at the LUMA arts and culture centre in Arles: Atelier LUMA. This is an investigation of how natural, renewable resources can be used in design and architecture on a (bio)regional scale.
The decision to print virtually the entire work in two PMS colours – PMS 293 (blue) and PMS 1730 (carriage red) – and black, anchors the book in the approach and methods of the studio: the blue and red chosen are taken from a colour palette developed by Atelier LUMA based on local materials from the Arles region. The result is a rather classic colour scheme reminiscent of the red and blue used for differentiation in Medieval handwritten texts. This two-tone approach is put to effective use by allocating the blue to the French information flow and the red to the English. The colours come together, with black, in the ‘full colour’ images, allowing the book to make deep, clear impression. The yellow on the back of the single-sided laminated pictorial pages complements the colour choice and gives a contemporary look.
The divider tabs suit the ring-binder form and act as extremely functional markers, allowing us to easily move between sections, while at the same time forming the table of contents for the section concerned. The format is perhaps on the small side, but ensures that the book has the required solidity and that it is able to act as the workbook it is intended to be.