Why were the Saab and the Citroën DS the cars of choice for architects? Why does a Ferrari 458 Italia fit in perfectly with La Venaria Reale, a 17th century palace in Turin? How the car became the ultimate muse of Frank Lloyd Wright who owned a Mercedes-Benz 300SL “Gullwing”, perhaps the most beautiful car ever created by many. A combination of great architecture – in the broad sense – and stylish cars. This is exactly what Belgian lifestyle journalist Thijs Demeulemeester has achieved with his book “Carchitecture: Houses With Horsepower”, published by Lannoo and available on Amazon. “Although architecture and cars are theoretically miles apart, the sources of inspiration for their designers are often strikingly similar,” the publisher notes.

Reminiscent of a time when you could recognise an architect by his Saab or Citroën DS, the coffee table book shows that architects and luxury car manufacturers are similar in their appreciation of elegance of design, attention to materials and purity of construction. Chapters include “Classical Gas,” which combines historic homes with powerful cars, “Brutal Power,” “Contemporary Carchitecture” and others that will delight readers.