Hadighi coedits new book on fashion label building he codesigned

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Mehrdad Hadighi, Stuckeman Chair of Integrative Design and head of the Department of Architecture at Penn State, has coedited a new book that explores the architecture of the 11-story Lafayette 148 New York clothing factory in China, which he designed in collaboration with Tsz Yan Ng, an assistant professor of architecture in Taubman College at the University of Michigan.

The Lafayette 148 New York label is described as “clothing designed for the modern, sophisticated woman made from the most luxurious fabrics.”

Twisted, which was recently published by Actar Publishers, features detailed documentation of the building and explores the architectural, socio-cultural, artistic and historical contexts of the building in Shantou, China. The factory is organized around the flow of production – from the design of a garment to the shipment of the final product.

Hadighi (who is on sabbatical this year) and his coeditors – Ng and Marc J. Neveu, head of the architecture program in The Design School at Arizona State University – break down the design process of the Lafayette 148 New York building while weaving in essays about the complex socioeconomic and structural challenges such a project presents.

The publication, which is geared to those with a strong interest in architecture, touches on some of the larger issues that go into the design of a building, including the ecological footprint, social concerns regarding labor and construction and the historical context of the area, among others.

More information on Twisted can be found on the Actar website.

Cover photography: But-Sou Lai Photography