On the occasion of his 70th birthday, leading architect and artist Richard England launched two books – 100 at 70: A Celebratory Album for Richard England, and Richard England: Architect as Artist.

These latest publications celebrate a career that spans 45 years, but by no means do they mark the end of it.

At 70, Prof. England is still active and is currently working on a meditation garden and centre for the M.U.S.E.U.M., as well as projects as far afield as Kazakhstan and Bulgaria.

Architect as Artist is edited by renowned British architect and eminent architectural writer and critic Dennis Sharp, and brings together for the first time a selection of paintings, black and white drawings and photographs, creating a cross between an architect’s sketchbook and an artist’s workbook. Designed by well-known graphic designer Malcolm Frost, it highlights the various facets of Prof. England – who is also a writer, sculptor, photographer and poet.

The celebratory album, 100 at 70, is a surprise labour of love, sparked by his wife Myriam, who gathered a host of major names in the field of international, contemporary architecture, art and culture to celebrate Prof. England. The embryonic idea of the album, also the brainchild of his son Marc, dates back to his 60th birthday, when the two “secretly” collated drawings, notes and accolades from long-standing friends, who are among the world’s leading architectural personalities, as well as family and friends. Eventually, the concept was revisited, expanded and reconstructed into the album, which, as its title suggests, contains over 100 contributions in a variety of media from around the world.

Designed by photographer Daniel Cilia, with a cover portrait by Luciano Micallef and back cover by Maurice Tanti Burlò, it was also steered by architect Conrad Thake and Charles Knevitt, former architecture correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph and The Times of London, and Royal Institute of British Architects Trust director. He was also the author of Prof. England’s first monograph, Connections.

Among the touching and flattering contributions are those of some of the world’s most acclaimed architects, including Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Massimiliano Fuksas, Antoine Predock, Hans Hollein and Cesar Pelli, who designed the Petronas Towers, as well as artist Mary Fedden and tenor Joseph Calleja. International Academy of Architecture President, Georgi Stoilov, also leaves his stamp on the album.

The Academy is currently working on a monograph on Prof. England’s work, while the important European architectural critic, Mario Pisani, another distinguished contributor to the album, is interviewing him on his philosophy of architecture for an upcoming publication.

The books, which are available from leading bookstores, were launched at the Corthinia Palace Hotel. High-profile guests at the event included the top architectural critics Prof. Sharp, Knevitt and Pisani. (First published the photos of the launch in last month’s edition.)