House envy: Studio KO’s latest monograph is a page turner

Dynamic duo Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty are the brains behind Studio KO – the sought-after architecture practice with offices in Paris, London and Marrakesh. Founded in 2000, the studio swiftly rose to architectural prominence designing considered, tactile compositions in concrete, glass, and local and natural materials, while building a striking clientele list, counting Francis Ford Coppola, André Balazs, Marella Agnelli, Balmain and AESOP in its books.

The title opens with one of the pair’s most recent and most public works, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech. Looking at the building through the lens of Dan Glasser and his meticulous photographic documentation, the reader can zoom in and out of details and surfaces, taking in the textures and the building quality. ‘As soon as I met them several years ago, I was immediately impressed by their uncompromising discourse and the integrity with which they spoke of their profession’, wrote the late Pierre Bergé for the book.

From there, readers are led on an extraordinary journey through Studio KO’s ever-growing collection of beautiful private houses. Exploring materials and playing with light and regional architectural vernacular, the architects create spaces perfect for respite and contemplation – referencing the language of modernism and drawing inspiration from the landscape. Prompting some serious house envy, there’s a concrete villa in the countryside of Bordeaux, a Moroccan retreat near the desert, and a timber clad modern cottage in the south of France.

Featuring Glasser’s captivating photography, a preface by Bergé (who commissioned the Yves Saint Laurent Museum) and words by Tom Delavan and Julien Guieu, Studio KO is a tome to read, keep and cherish.