A new book by the late photographer Mr Keiichi Tahara celebrates fin-de-siècle architecture.

The turn of the 20th century was a time of excitement for what the future might bring, contrasted with a nostalgia for what was being left behind. Across Europe, artists and architects produced work that encapsulated the societal uncertainty of this transitional period, known as the fin de siècle (the end of a century), when traditional craft and ornamentation faced off against industrialisation.

Architecture, in particular, became increasingly influenced by new developments in science, technology and philosophy, with key figures of the fin de siècle seeking to break from past styles while indulging in references to history and fantasy. This was manifested in the flamboyance of Art Nouveau, the dominant style in France and Belgium during a period from about 1890 to 1910, during which significant regional variations emerged in countries including Austria, the UK, Spain, Italy and parts of eastern Europe.

The late Japanese photographer Mr Keiichi Tahara was first exposed to fin-de-siècle architecture during a tour of Europe that began in 1979 and lasted five years. Now, just a few weeks after his death at the age of 65, Taschen has released a three-volume set of Mr Tahara’s photographs documenting the outstanding edifices he encountered on his travels, including buildings by Messrs Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Antoni Gaudí, Victor Horta, Hector Guimard and Otto Wagner.

Mr Tahara’s images capture key characteristics of the period’s architecture, from Mr Wagner’s delicate application of new industrial materials such as aluminium and glass bricks, to Mr Horta’s dramatic, sculptural staircases. His own mastery of light through the medium of photography provides an insightful and artistic representation of fin-de-siècle style across the continent.

“Fin-de-siècle architecture is clearly not a simple, functional architecture,” writes Mr Tahara in the book. “Painting, sculpture, and other art forms are involved in the elaboration of its design. There is a force that proceeds from the hand of each artist that goes beyond simple decoration to create a vital energy. The thrust of this energy can be experienced only through first-hand contact with the works themselves.”

The photographer’s enthusiasm for the period is evident in the way his pictures frame the intricate detailing, the qualities of space, the light shining through stained glass or reflecting off tiled surfaces, and the instances of sculptural whimsy that make fin-de-siècle architecture so aesthetically engaging. In the book, the ornamentation that is the hallmark of Art Nouveau is afforded ample space, with accompanying text in English, German and French explaining the significance of key projects within an international context, as well as their influence on future generations.

At £250 ($325) for a set of three clothbound, hardcover volumes, this is a publication for serious fans of Art Nouveau architecture, or anyone looking to add to their collection of high-brow coffee-table compendiums. It offers a fresh perspective on the eclectic and highly individual output of the fin de siècle, depicted through the lens of an artist with a passion for one of architecture’s most entertaining eras.

Architecture Fin-de-Siècle (Taschen) by Mr Keiichi Tahara is published this month