irma boom: best designed book at stedelijk museum

installation view of ‘best designed books of 2009’ exhibited at the stedelijk museum, amsterdam
image © designboom

each year, the dutch best designed books foundation presents the best-designed books from the past year. 30 books were selected from all those published in the netherlands in 2009, all of which are currently on view at the stedelijk museum (part of the program called the temporary stedelijk) until january 9th, 2011.

‘song through 21st century eyes: yaozhou and qingbai ceramics’ by rose kerr
design by irma boom, image courtesy of meijering art books, dreumel

internationally renowned dutch graphic designer irma boom, who has executed the creative development of more than 250 books, has three books in this year’s competition — ‘bladeren door het amerikaanse landschap: een index van boeken en beelden’ by fonds bkvb, amsterdam; ‘darfur and the crisis of governance in sudan: a critical reader’ by salah m. hassan and carina e. ray and her design for rose kerr’s ‘song through 21st century eyes: yaozhou and qingbai ceramics’ which has won first prize.

the more than 450 page book looks at two distinct ceramic types that were greatly admired in china during their time of manufacture. the design of the publication employs an abundant use of color, marking a new departure point for books on chinese ceramics. the outer sleeve is finished in a red brocade fabric which speaks of the chinese culture, while two small horn-shaped buttons are used to close the book’s protective shell.

a spread from ‘song through 21st century eyes: yaozhou and qingbai ceramics’ by rose kerr
image courtesy of meijering art books, dreumel

left: ‘bladeren door het amerikaanse landschap: een index van boeken en beelden’ by fonds bkvb, amsterdam
right: ‘darfur and the crisis of governance in sudan: a critical reader’ by salah m. hassan and carina e. ray
images courtesy of the font shop

image © designboom

each year, the stedelijk hosts this exhibition, celebrating book design in the netherlands in which visitors are allowed to view the selected books first hand. the exhibition was first held at the museum on paulus potterstraat in 1932. this year, thirty titles were selected from 415 submissions. members of the jury included designers volken beck and ben laloua, publisher nina post (post editions, rotterdam), printer paul van mameren (drukkerij lecturis, eindhoven) and design publicist frederike huygen.

installation view up close
image © designboom

‘the best dutch book designs 2009’
image © designboom

a spread from ‘the best dutch book designs 2009’
image © designboom

detail of the display made from plywood which forms slots for storing the books
image © designboom

enjoying the books on show
image © designboom