Elephant Publishers
Elephant Publishers
The Space We Share
Elephant Publishers is an independent publishing house based in Rotterdam; representing a unique range of high-quality books solely dedicated to the concept of space in architecture, cities and landscapes. Elephant Publishers is driven by curiosity, recognizing the fact that space is increasingly becoming a crucial, socio-cultural element for institutions, countries and people.
The purpose of Elephant Publishers is to recognize the fundamental and often unnoticed role of built and unbuilt spaces in society. Its books invite the broader audience to discover, recognize and celebrate the beauty and complexity of the space that surrounds us. Its expertise is to present the confined openness where the spatial experience takes place.
Elephant Publishers presents four series of books that curate spatial forms, perceptions and designs from four different angles: Confessions, Travels, Fascinations and Arts.
Like in the parable “The blind men and the elephant”, the publishers believe that everyone’s perception of space is worth being questioned and shared.
The parable tells the story of a group of blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time. Each man touches a different part of the elephant, such as the side or the tusk, and forms an idea of what the elephant is like based on that one part. Everyone illustrates his definition of an elephant to the others; each is obviously different because each man's knowledge is limited to only a portion of the animal.
The moral highlights the human tendency to assert absolute truth based on individual, subjective experience and the tendency to disregard the possibly equally valid perspectives of others.
Publisher
Henk Hartzema
With a background in architecture and urban planning, Henk Hartzema uses space as matter in all his designs. As a spatial designer, that’s what you do, right? In research and education, he explores and shares the broad range of qualities that can be found in the built environment.
With Elephant Publishers a next dream comes true. That of a platform that brings together professionals and non-professionals with a common interest in the space that surrounds us. When a painting, a sculpture or a building you can enjoy by looking at it, space is way less tangible, but still so relevant. It is there were we meet, move, hide, gather, study, sleep or celebrate. Actually, for everything we do, we need space. How fascinating is that?
So, what is the space that surrounds us? What do we actually see, feel, experience? Who did this, and why? Let’s figure this out. Let’s talk about it, watch it closely and have fun. Space is all that matters!
Editor
Federica Francalancia
As the editor at Elephant Publishers, Federica Francalancia finds herself happily juggling both discipline and creativity. Her mission? To make sure every book in the series—whether it’s Travels, Confessions, Fascinations, or Arts—stays true to the house’s structured brilliance while letting each title’s unique spark shine through.
Federica’s all about balance. The format may be rock solid, but the content? That’s where the magic happens. She’s always on the hunt for those delightful little twists—whether it’s a narrative surprise or a subtle shift in perspective—that turn a project from good to memorable. Her goal is simple: to guide each project from idea to final pages, ensuring it not only fits perfectly into the series but also becomes its own shining story.
Elephant Publishers
The Space We Share
Elephant Publishers is an independent publishing house based in Rotterdam; representing a unique range of high-quality books solely dedicated to the concept of space in architecture, cities and landscapes. Elephant Publishers is driven by curiosity, recognizing the fact that space is increasingly becoming a crucial, socio-cultural element for institutions, countries and people.
The purpose of Elephant Publishers is to recognize the fundamental and often unnoticed role of built and unbuilt spaces in society. Its books invite the broader audience to discover, recognize and celebrate the beauty and complexity of the space that surrounds us. Its expertise is to present the confined openness where the spatial experience takes place.
Elephant Publishers presents four series of books that curate spatial forms, perceptions and designs from four different angles: Confessions, Travels, Fascinations and Arts.
Like in the parable “The blind men and the elephant”, the publishers believe that everyone’s perception of space is worth being questioned and shared.
The parable tells the story of a group of blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time. Each man touches a different part of the elephant, such as the side or the tusk, and forms an idea of what the elephant is like based on that one part. Everyone illustrates his definition of an elephant to the others; each is obviously different because each man's knowledge is limited to only a portion of the animal.
The moral highlights the human tendency to assert absolute truth based on individual, subjective experience and the tendency to disregard the possibly equally valid perspectives of others.
Publisher
Henk Hartzema
As an architect and urban planner Henk Hartzema uses space as matter in all his designs. As a spatial designer, that’s what you do, right? In research and education he explores and shares the broad range of qualities that can be found in the built environment.
With Elephant Publishers a next dream comes true. That of a platform that brings together professionals and non-professionals with a common interest in the space that surrounds us. When a painting, a sculpture or a building you can enjoy by looking at it, space is way less tangible, but still so relevant. It is there were we meet, move, hide, gather, study, sleep or celebrate. Actually, for everything we do, we need space. How fascinating is that?
So, what is the space that surrounds us? What do we actually see, feel, experience? Who did this, and why? Let’s figure this out. Let’s talk about it, watch it closely and have fun.
Space is all that matters!
Editor
Federica Francalancia
As the editor at Elephant Publishers, Federica Francalancia finds herself happily juggling both discipline and creativity. Her mission? To make sure every book in the series—whether it’s Travels, Confessions, Fascinations, or Arts—stays true to the house’s structured brilliance while letting each title’s unique spark shine through.
Federica’s all about balance. The format may be rock solid, but the content? That’s where the magic happens. She’s always on the hunt for those delightful little twists—whether it’s a narrative surprise or a subtle shift in perspective—that turn a project from good to memorable. Her goal is simple: to guide each project from idea to final pages, ensuring it not only fits perfectly into the series but also becomes its own shining story.
Elephant Publishers
The Space We Share
Elephant Publishers is an independent publishing house based in Rotterdam; representing a unique range of high-quality books solely dedicated to the concept of space in architecture, cities and landscapes. Elephant Publishers is driven by curiosity, recognizing the fact that space is increasingly becoming a crucial, socio-cultural element for institutions, countries and people.
The purpose of Elephant Publishers is to recognize the fundamental and often unnoticed role of built and unbuilt spaces in society. Its books invite the broader audience to discover, recognize and celebrate the beauty and complexity of the space that surrounds us. Its expertise is to present the confined openness where the spatial experience takes place.
Elephant Publishers presents four series of books that curate spatial forms, perceptions and designs from four different angles: Confessions, Travels, Fascinations and Arts.
Like in the parable “The blind men and the elephant”, the publishers believe that everyone’s perception of space is worth being questioned and shared.
The parable tells the story of a group of blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time. Each man touches a different part of the elephant, such as the side or the tusk, and forms an idea of what the elephant is like based on that one part. Everyone illustrates his definition of an elephant to the others; each is obviously different because each man's knowledge is limited to only a portion of the animal.
The moral highlights the human tendency to assert absolute truth based on individual, subjective experience and the tendency to disregard the possibly equally valid perspectives of others.
Publisher
Henk Hartzema
With a background in architecture and urban planning, Henk Hartzema uses space as matter in all his designs. As a spatial designer, that’s what you do, right? In research and education, he explores and shares the broad range of qualities that can be found in the built environment.
With Elephant Publishers a next dream comes true. That of a platform that brings together professionals and non-professionals with a common interest in the space that surrounds us. When a painting, a sculpture or a building you can enjoy by looking at it, space is way less tangible, but still so relevant. It is there were we meet, move, hide, gather, study, sleep or celebrate. Actually, for everything we do, we need space. How fascinating is that?
So, what is the space that surrounds us? What do we actually see, feel, experience? Who did this, and why? Let’s figure this out. Let’s talk about it, watch it closely and have fun. Space is all that matters!
Editor
Federica Francalancia
As the editor at Elephant Publishers, Federica Francalancia finds herself happily juggling both discipline and creativity. Her mission? To make sure every book in the series—whether it’s Travels, Confessions, Fascinations, or Arts—stays true to the house’s structured brilliance while letting each title’s unique spark shine through.
Federica’s all about balance. The format may be rock solid, but the content? That’s where the magic happens. She’s always on the hunt for those delightful little twists—whether it’s a narrative surprise or a subtle shift in perspective—that turn a project from good to memorable. Her goal is simple: to guide each project from idea to final pages, ensuring it not only fits perfectly into the series but also becomes its own shining story.