The first blog “new Style ” is dedicated to arguably the most influential book designer from the last 3 decades from the Netherlands.
Irma Boom started designing books right after she had left the AKI; yet, her definitive refinement occurred during a half-decade tenure navigating the bureaucratic currents of the Dutch government’s printing house. In 1991, she birthed Irma Boom Office—a boutique studio that functions much like an alchemist’s workshop, distilling complex cultural narratives into physical form for a global clientele spanning from the hallowed galleries of the Rijksmuseum to the industrial aesthetic of Ferrari and the structural philosophy of OMA/Rem Koolhaas.
Her magnum opus remains the SHV Think Book 1896–1996, a gargantuan, 2,136-page odyssey that redefined the boundaries of editorial synthesis. This commission was not merely a volume; it was a monolith of information design. Recognition followed in waves, culminating in her distinction as the youngest recipient to ever claim the revered Gutenberg prize, a testament to an oeuvre that transcends traditional binding.
Today, her legacy sits securely within the vault of the University of Amsterdam’s archive, while the Museum of Modern Art enshrines her practice within its permanent walls. Beyond the studio, her intellect illuminates the academic sphere at Yale, where she has mentored emerging talents since 1992, serving as a senior critic who guides apprentices through the mercurial currents of modern graphic discourse.
www.ftn-books.com has a career long fascination with the design by Irma Boom and gathered over the years many imposdtnat publications from which the book on Han Bennink is the latest.
