DD 45: Pony Tricks
The book “Pony Tricks” includes CEBRA in the well-established monographic DD Series from the acknowledged publisher DAMDI Publishing, which has, since 2003, been publishing comprehensive books on selected international architects. The CEBRA pony is one of a kind, known for its cheeky, intelligent nature and love of tricks wherever it goes. In this book, the curtain goes up on our studio’s playful universe, presented in a graphically mastered monograph that spotlights some of the main themes running throughout our architecture.
DD (Design Document), a form of Mook magazine, is a monograph of young architects from around the world. Architecture is now a multinational field of study, and this series provides a channel for communication among young architects worldwide who wish to share architectural knowledge. The series presents a list of experimental architectural works that represent the philosophy and know-how of architecture, as well as the brilliant ideas of young architects. The book also gives a general glimpse of recent architectural trends among the world's young architects.
Within this context, “Pony Tricks” positions CEBRA among practices that have developed a distinct architectural voice while remaining open and adaptive. As noted in the preface by David Keuning, editor at Frame Publishers, this development unfolds over time as a “long process”, where recurring threads gradually emerge across projects rather than being defined by a fixed style from the outset.
The title reflects a deliberate stance: not a one trick pony, but a practice working with a repertoire of recurring, adaptable strategies that can be reinterpreted across projects. Each project is approached as a new beginning, shaped by context, programme, and conditions, yet connected through a shared architectural language.
At the centre of the book is this idea of multiple “tricks” – spatial, geometric, and material approaches that reappear in different forms. Elements such as atriums, square-based compositions, overhangs, pitched roofs, and facade systems are explored as flexible principles rather than fixed solutions. Applied across varying contexts – from housing and education to cultural buildings – they demonstrate how a consistent approach can evolve without becoming repetitive.
The monograph is organised around these themes, grouping projects according to shared characteristics rather than chronology. This reveals how similar ideas can be translated into different scales, climates, and programmes, maintaining both versatility and recognisability.
Keuning further points out that these recurring elements are neither purely decorative nor strictly conceptual, but operate in between – shaping both the perception and the performance of the buildings. In this sense, the identified “pony tricks” form a working vocabulary that allows the architecture to remain intuitive, responsive, and grounded in specific conditions.
“Pony Tricks” is developed through close involvement in both concept and layout. This results in a cohesive presentation in which visual material and thematic structure work together to articulate the work's underlying logic.
In this way, “Pony Tricks” becomes both a thematic catalogue and a reflection on authorship – showing how a practice can operate with a broad range of approaches while still retaining a clear and identifiable identity.
