The appeal and beauty of simple elegance in architecture has been a consistent theme during the twentieth century; from Adolf Loos declaring in 1908 that the cultural evolution is equivalent to the removal of ornament from articles of everyday use to Le Corbusier who was quick to confirm these social and cultural implications. Now at the end of the second millennium the original intention of stripping interiors to create a universally accessible utilitarian ethic has been subsumed by an expensive fashionable ideal. Minimalist design today is essentially a reductivist architecture. A sophisticated and rigorous level and quality of finishing and detailing is complemented by extremely well-planned storage systems, enabling the inhabitants to free themselves from the everyday clutter of life and relax in a calm haven of elegant simplicity devoid of fuss, soothed by the tranquillity and restfulness of unencumbered space. Aspects of Minimal Architecture II includes the proceedings of an international forum held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London where part of the debate dwelt on the definitions of "the minimal." The beautifully illustrated projects found within the book reveal the most incredible pieces of architecture with an attention to detail and finish executed in a manner without unnecessary ornament. Examples include: Claudio Silvestrin's work for many fashion houses and indeed accommodation for clothes designers themselves, sets a fascinating juxtaposition between the permanence of his chosen materials and the ephemeral nature of dress design; Herzog and de Meuron have taken Minimalism to a new monumental scale with their intricate, although apparently simple, design for the Bankside Tate Gallery in London; Richard Gluckerman has transformed a new boutique in SoHo, New York into the closest approximation of an art galley possible in a fashion retail space. If the maxim is true that freedom of mind is created within the strictest regimes, then the principles of a minimalist way of life are an indication of true cerebral and practical liberation.