Establishing domestic spaces in buildings originally constructed for industrial use, the loft phenomenon, has become one of the most significant cultural movements of the late-20th century. Featuring the juxtaposition of contemporary living with the remnants of a building's original shell, even the most simple loft should have the dramatism often lacking in all but the best examples of contemporary design. Written by two young architectural critics and designed by a forward-looking graphics team, this book tells, with the aid of colour photographs, plans and drawings, the story of some of the world's most exciting and challenging loft conversions. Around 30 architect-designed lofts are featured, showing how designers have overcome specific problems generic to lofts.