ACTAR

ACTAR is a publishing house founded in Barcelona in 1993 (some sources say 1994) with the aim of publishing titles that represent the most influential practice and theory of established and emerging architects, designers, and thinkers of contemporary culture. Its publishing program has become internationally known for disseminating innovative and risky works in architecture, landscape architecture, and urbanism. In 2006, ACTAR opened an office in New York to distribute its books in North America under the name ACTAR D. In addition to its own titles, ACTAR D distributes publications from other publishers, universities, and cultural institutions. In 2010, ACTAR acquired the Swiss publisher Birkhäuser Verlag, becoming the most important company for architecture content under the new name ActarBirkhäuser. However, in 2012 Birkhäuser Verlag was sold to De Gruyter due to structural changes in the publishing sector, the effects of the growing crisis in the construction sector, and the surge of free content on the Internet. From 2012, ACTAR was in turn acquired by the North American company ACTAR D, becoming ACTAR PUBLISHERS. Its catalog focuses mainly on architecture, but it has not abandoned its founding mission: to capture the most daring architectural production, based on research into other ways of projecting and building in a changing society. ACTAR PUBLISHERS has entered a new phase more permeable to content that establishes more mature, open, and inclusive debates, attracting external perspectives to architecture. To this end, ACTAR launched a new digital multiplatform called urbanNext, from which to rethink cities and expand architecture. This new digital tool allows global dissemination to produce and energize new debates about urban environments. In 2015, ACTAR founded and launched URBANNEXT.NET, a digital platform that allows for the creation and diffusion of architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and related technologies linked to the urbanized environment. URBANNEXT uses digital media tools such as audiovisuals, hypertext, animations, and interactive platforms, enlarging its audience globally. The URBANNEXT project arises as the logical evolution of the classical publishing business accomplished to date by the company ACTAR D, Inc. — a publishing house and distributor of architecture and design books in New York and Barcelona. Besides the website urbanNext.net, part of URBANNEXT’s business consists of the organization of public events such as cycles of conferences, congresses, expositions, documentaries, and the edition of printed and digital publications. With the objective of invigorating the international debate on the immediate future of urbanized environments, the group ACTAR PUBLISHERS has offices in New York (440 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10016, USA) and Barcelona (Roca i Batlle 2-4, 08023 Barcelona, Spain). ACTAR has received numerous awards, including the Premio Ciudad de Barcelona 2007 for International Projection, the National Design Award from the Generalitat de Catalunya in 2005, the Daniel Gil Editorial Design Award for Editorial Trajectory in 2004, the ADG-FAD Medal for editorial trajectory in 2003, and Laus Awards from FAD, having been awarded for 6 consecutive years in the graphic design category between 1995 and 2000. Notable publications include Mutations (2000), edited by Actar, a classic of urbanism that has sold over 33,000 copies in Spanish, French, and English editions, and FOOD for thought THOUGHT for food (El Bulli i Ferran Adrià), 2009.

ACTAR was founded in 1993 in Barcelona (some sources say 1994) by Ramon Prat, with the objective of publishing titles that are a representative demonstration of the most influential practice and theory of established and emerging architects, designers, and thinkers of contemporary culture. Initially, it published books on architecture, graphic design, and contemporary art. In its first stage, the published titles were a representative sample of influential works and figures whose work significantly impacted the most innovative and risky contemporary research and practice. Many publications from that decade reflected on how new technologies, which defined a new information society, were incorporated into architectural practice, both experimentally and with overflowing creativity, despite often naive results. In 2006, ACTAR opened an office in New York to distribute its books in North America under the name ACTAR D. In addition to the publisher's internal titles, ACTAR D distributes publications internationally from other publishers, universities, and cultural institutions. In 2010, ACTAR acquired the Swiss publisher Birkhäuser Verlag, becoming the most important company for architecture content under the new name ActarBirkhäuser. However, in 2012 Birkhäuser Verlag was sold again, this time to De Gruyter, due to structural changes in the publishing sector, the effects of the growing crisis in the construction sector, and the disproportionate surge of free content on the Internet. From 2012, ACTAR was in turn acquired by the North American company ACTAR D, becoming ACTAR PUBLISHERS. Although its catalog focuses mainly on architecture, it has not abandoned its founding mission: to capture the most daring architectural production, based on research into other ways of projecting and building in a changing society. ACTAR PUBLISHERS enters this new phase more permeable to content that establishes much more mature, open, and inclusive debates. These contents bet on attracting other external views to architecture and beyond itself, without abandoning the true interest of this projective discipline. To this end, ACTAR launched a new digital multiplatform called urbanNext, from which to rethink cities and expand architecture. This new digital tool allows global dissemination to produce and energize new debates about urban environments. In 2015, ACTAR founded and launched URBANNEXT.NET, a digital platform that allows for the creation and diffusion of architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism, and related technologies linked to the urbanized environment. For this purpose, URBANNEXT uses digital media tools such as audiovisuals, hypertext, animations, and interactive platforms, enlarging its audience globally. All these tools have enabled URBANNEXT to become a recognized platform accessible to disciplines other than only architecture and building. URBANNEXT thus emerges as the logical evolution of publishers who are committed to the challenges that the urbanized environment needs to address on a global scale. The URBANNEXT project arises as the logical evolution of the classical publishing business accomplished to date by the company ACTAR D, Inc. — a publishing house and distributor of architecture and design books in New York and Barcelona. Besides the website urbanNext.net, part of URBANNEXT’s business consists of the organization of public events such as cycles of conferences, congresses, expositions, documentaries, and the edition of printed and digital publications. With the objective of invigorating the international debate on the immediate future of urbanized environments, the group ACTAR PUBLISHERS has offices in New York and Barcelona. Notable publications include Mutations (2000), edited by Actar, a classic of urbanism that has sold over 33,000 copies in Spanish, French, and English editions, and FOOD for thought THOUGHT for food (El Bulli i Ferran Adrià), 2009. ACTAR has received numerous awards, including the Premio Ciudad de Barcelona 2007 for International Projection, the National Design Award from the Generalitat de Catalunya in 2005, the Daniel Gil Editorial Design Award for Editorial Trajectory in 2004, the ADG-FAD Medal for editorial trajectory in 2003, and Laus Awards from FAD, having been awarded for 6 consecutive years in the graphic design category between 1995 and 2000.

• 2015

  Founded and launched URBANNEXT.NET digital platform.

• 2012

  Birkhäuser Verlag sold to De Gruyter; ACTAR acquired by ACTAR D, becoming ACTAR PUBLISHERS.

• 2010

  Acquired Swiss publisher Birkhäuser Verlag, forming ActarBirkhäuser.

• 2009

  Publication of FOOD for thought THOUGHT for food (El Bulli i Ferran Adrià).

• 2006

  Opened New York office as ACTAR D to distribute books in North America.

• 2000

  Publication of Mutations, a classic of urbanism, selling over 33,000 copies.

• 1994

  Alternative founding year cited by some sources.

• 1993

  ACTAR founded in Barcelona by Ramon Prat.

Publisher of innovative and risky works in architecture, landscape architecture, and urbanism; committed to disseminating influential practice and theory.

• 2000

  Mutations

  A classic of urbanism edited by Actar, with over 33,000 copies sold in Spanish, French, and English.

• 2009

  FOOD for thought THOUGHT for food (El Bulli i Ferran Adrià)

  A book published by Actar Editorial, ISBN 978-84-96954-68-7.

• The Red Book

  By Marcela Aragüez; explores the Red Book, a 1967 research report that imagined Osaka Expo ’70’s main events venue, Festival Plaza.

• The Climate Imaginary

  By Leire Asensio Villoria & David Mah; reflects on a global collection of design works engaged with social, political, and cultural transformations anticipated with climate change.

• Forest First

  By Kiel Moe; explores non-extractive building by prioritizing forests and their dynamics.

• Advanced Architectures 2001-2051 (ENGLISH ED.)

  By Vicente Guallart; brings together 25 years of research and projects articulating relationships between technology, ecology, and society.

• Alternative Nature

  By Jungyoon Kim & Yoonjin Park; first English publication of PARKKIM, a Seoul and Boston based landscape architectural practice founded in 2004.

• Mixed Reality Fabrication

  By Gwyllim Jahn; redefines processes of making by enabling traditional craft, improvised prototyping, and material experimentation within immersive digital environments.

• The ReView: Emergency

  By Patricia Fraile Garrido; examines the evolving relationship between planning and adaptation in an age defined by overlapping crises.

• Architecture's Kinships

  By Ignacio G. Galán; architecture shapes and embodies complex social and environmental articulations.

1. 1Actar Publishersactar.com
2. 2About – Actar Publishersactar.com
3. 3Contact – Actar Publishersactar.com
4. 4ACTARwikidata.org
5. 5Editorial Actares.wikipedia.org