2016 BuBu book

This book is produced by one of the leading book-binderies of the world: BuBu. At the beginning of each year they produce a book which demonstrates a different, unusual and innovative design of book. In previous years, they have produced books using a metal cover, a perspex cover and even a book which is curved. The books are always produced in the characteristic red and white of the swiss flag.

few years ago I was lucky enough to visit Buchbinderei Burkhardt (BuBu) in Mönchaltorf near Zürich. The company is an amazing combination of the commercial bookbinding, hand bookbinding studio and digital book production. BuBu is an amazing business producing quality, long forgotten in some areas of the UK printing industry.

The size of this book is 230x158mm. It is hard to describe and even harder to photograph! I would describe this as a 24pp concertina text mounted onto cover boards which have a 'raw' edge. The concertina text has been duplexed using 4pp sections or red and white which means that both edges have a red/white sandwich effect. The 'real' cover is asymmetric and is made using a red binding cloth over board and is affixed to the outside back cover.

Close up detail of the cloth covered cover:

Some of you maybe able to read the accompanying letter, unfortunately I can't!

Last year, I wrote about the book they produced following a competition at Kingston University: http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/pocket-book-by-jack-beveridge.html

How refreshing that a leading company takes the time and money to produce an item which not only shows their expertise, but which also pushes the boundaries. They produce a quality, long forgotten in some areas of the UK printing industry.

http://www.bubu.ch/

Posted by Justin Hobson 22.01.2016