Architectural models come in an extravagant variety of forms, from miniaturizations of reality mesmerizing in their exactness to wildly energetic sculptural representations. Modeling Messages explores the way architects use models to project their ideas and shows how changes in the materials and processes of model making contribute to a model's capacity for expression. The volume focuses on models. American and international, from the second half of the twentieth century within a context of the history of architectural models. Among the illustrations are inventive designs by architects Peter Eisenman, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and Cesar Pelli. Author Karen Moon discusses the meaning of the model for the architect, the relationship between model and building, and the impact of scale. She also explores how architects use models for presentation and the creation of a public image. In addition, she focuses on the practice of model making: the relationship between the architect and the maker; the materials and new technologies that are transforming model making.