ERIC OWEN MOSS <i> (Rizzoli: $50, cloth; $35, paper; 224 pp.)</i>

One of a group of “young” (now middle-aged) Los Angeles architects who have won international recognition for the boldness and verve of their designs, Moss is a true original. Strongly influenced by Frank Gehry, he has developed a mannerism of his own that has become increasingly sophisticated since he first startled the local scene with the eccentric 1982 Petal House in Rancho Park. In recent years, Moss’ hig hly personal idiom has hit full stride in several commercial projects situated in Culver City. “Pay attention to the exceptions,” Moss insists, and such exceptions can include a sewer pipe transformed into a slanted column, twisted roofs and leaning walls. What makes all this work is a fine eye, a tough mind and a relish for the trashy energy of Angeleno street architecture. These qualities prevent Moss’ mannerism from degrading into cleverness, and ensure that he will be one of the few “Gehry Kids” whose work will outlast the vagaries of fashion.