Barreneche, a writer on contemporary architecture and design, surveys 27 museums in 13 countries, generally from the post-Guggenheim Bilbao era. In an eight-page introduction (printed in an unbroken body of almost unreadable sans serif type), he argues not only that museums have become more populist but also that they are now primarily about the architecture only-build it and they will come, regardless of the content. He adds nothing, however, to the discourse about museums, their nature, or their purpose in society. The profiled museums, which include the Van Abbemuseum in the Netherlands and the Schaulager in Switzerland, get a one-page project description and six to 12 color illustrations with minimal commentary. There is no attempt at synthesis, no real analysis of success or failure for individual projects, and not a lot of hard information to support the illustrations. (Though a few illustrations show the buildings to be in use, most are unpopulated.) Planning on building a museum and looking for a hot architect? Try this architectural brochure; otherwise, of marginal interest.-Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
