Ingenious, brave, impressive and absolutely unique. It’s terms like these that are often used when the work of graphic designer Joost Grootens is discussed. His books about art, architecture and urban spaces all share an analytical, sober approach to the subject matter.

With his Metropolitan World Atlas, he won a gold medal at the 2006 Most beautiful books of the world competition in Leipzig, Germany.

Grootens designs his own printing colors to avoid standard grids, and carefully chooses his paper. For him, the physical experience of handling a book is part of the message.