Book Description
Splendid pictorial record of architectural style strongly influenced by Bauhaus movement. Over 300 illustrations show interiors, exteriors. Details on construction, site, cost, more.
Customer Reviews:
A Primer for the Mid Century Enthusiast.......2005-09-29
In 1932, Philip Johnson and Henry Russel Hitchcock held a retrospective of European modern architecture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. They coined the term "International Style" to describe this newly emerging style. This show captured the imagination of many of the United States' best young architects and designers. They soon began to put an American spin on the new "International Style" of architecture.
Eight years after the MOMA show, James and Katherine Ford published, "The Modern House in America". The purpose of the book was to draw attention to this new style of architecture as it was being developed in the United States. This volume was in turn republished by Dover Press in 1989 and retitled, "Classic Modern Homes of the Thirties".
This volume showcases sixty four designs by such noted architects as Neutra, Gropius, Breuer, Shindler and Soriano. These works are shown with 194 photographs and 128 plans and drawings. It is important to note, these images come from a book published in 1940 and therefore lack the precision and design values that you would find in a book published today. This reprint is not a coffee table style of book. Its value is more historical in nature.
What I found most interesting in this book, is to see how some of the best homes of this period start taking on an iconic stature within a few years of being constructed. Homes that are the subject of recently written monographs are shown as newly built homes.
Mid-Century Modern is all the rage at the current time. There is no better volume to give an enthusiast an understanding of what forces came together to form this look. To really know Neutra, Schindler and Soriano, you have to know what they were building in the late 1930's.
A streamline house beautiful........2003-12-06
A really super book for the price. This is a paperback reprint of a book published in America in 1940. Each house has one or more photos, inside and out, plus a plan (some a bit too small) and details about what the owners wanted, site, cost, materials, exterior and interior details etc. The black and white photos are good considering they have been taken from a printed source.
The authors describe the concept of modern architecture in the short introduction and in the back each architect writes about their views on design. I must have looked through this book dozens ot times and I still love these houses. Unfortunately I bet a lot of them are no longer standing, which makes this reprint even more important as a visual record.
If you are interested in this type of streamline building have a look at 'The Modern House Today' by Nick Dawe and Kenneth Powell, this has excellent color photos of sixty-three houses in England that are still standing, unfortunately the book is let down by the minimalist design. Charlotte and Peter Fiell's massive 576 page reference book '30s and 40s Decorative Art' covers Moderne houses (mostly in the US and Europe) with photos of interiors, ceramics, textiles and lighting. All three books are worth owning.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
The innovative and passionate spirit of modern architecture.......2000-11-10
"Classic Modern Homes of the Thirties" is an unabridged reprint of a book first published in 1940, and thus serves as a valuable historic document. But this introduction to the "modern" style of architecture is not just a book for historians: it is visually stunning achievement that will be appreciated by all who have a passion for the art and science of home architecture.
The book introduces the reader to 62 marvelous houses which exemplify the modern style. Architects represented include Gregory Ain, George Howe, Richard J. Neustra, Raphael S. Soriano, and many more. Detailed floor plans, exterior and interior photographs, and details of construction are included. The houses range in size from modest 1- or 2-bedroom homes to expansive, luxurious mansions.
This book is a spectacular introduction to the vocabulary of the modern period in architecture. The photographs and floor plans capture the bold interplay of geometric shapes, the experimentation with glass and other materials, the profusion of balconies and terraces, and above all, the concern with functionality that motivated the masters of the modern.
Co-authors James Ford and Katherine Morrow Ford have included a interesting introduction. Also included is a collection of brief statements by many of the featured architects.
This is a great book for those interested in American cultural history, interior design, home photography, and other subjects. But at its core this book is an excellent record of and tribute to one of the most remarkable movements in the history of home architecture.
Excellent insight into the beginnings of modern architecture.......2000-03-21
This is a wonderful book combining insight into "modern" residential home architecture of the 30's with a view into the lives of those who designed and lived in them. Like all Dover books, this title is remarkable well printed which allows the reader to easily see all the floorplans, pictures and other images of these homes. The text tells the reader about the family the house was built for, their lifestyle and needs, the layout and construcion details and decorating details of their home. What is remarkable is how fresh many of these homes look today and how much recent modern architecture owes the pioneers who designed these homes. Very enjoyable... anyone who appreciates architecture and history will love this book.
For history lovers and architects alike........2000-01-28
I am so glad to find a reprint of this book! It has been impossible to return the one I have on loan. Some less known but notable architects like Pietro Belluschi are included along with the big names. Details such as floor plans and original cost per square foot are a bonus.
Book Description
One of the most widely read books on modern design, Nikolaus Pevsner’s landmark work today remains as stimulating as it was when first published in 1936. This expanded edition of Pioneers of Modern Design provides Pevsner’s original text along with significant new and updated information, enhancing Pevsner’s illuminating account of the roots of Modernism. The book now offers many beautiful color illustrations; biographies and bibliographies of all major figures; illustrated short essays on key themes, movements, and individuals; a critique of Pevsner’s analysis from today’s perspective; examples of works after 1914 (where the original study ended); a biography detailing Pevsner’s life and achievements; and much more.
Pevsner saw Modernism as a synthesis of three main sources: William Morris and his followers, the work of nineteenth-century engineers, and Art Nouveau. The author considers the role of these sources in the work of early Modernists and looks at such masters of the movement as C.F.A. Voysey and Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Britain, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright in America, and Adolf Loos and Otto Wagner in Vienna. The account concludes with a discussion of the radical break with the past represented by the design work of Walter Gropius and his future Bauhaus colleagues.
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Gropius: An Illustrated Biography of the Creator of the Bauhaus
Reginald Isaacs
Manufacturer: Bulfinch Pr
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ASIN: 0821217534 |
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Alma Mahler, ou, L'art d'etre aimee (Elle etait une fois)
Francoise Giroud
Manufacturer: R. Laffont
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Alma Mahler: Muse to Genius: From Fin-de-Siècle Vienna to Hollywood's Heyday
Karen Monson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
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ASIN: 0395322138 |
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- Excellent Introduction and Value
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Walter Gropius: 1883- 1969 the Promoter of a New Form (Taschen Basic Architecture)
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Paul, Dr. Sigel
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ASIN: 3822835315 |
Book Description
Unity of art and technology
Born and educated in Germany, Walter Gropius (1883-1969) belongs to the select group of architects that massively influenced the international development of modern architecture. As the founding director of the Bauhaus, Gropius made inestimable contributions to his field, to the point that knowing his work is crucial to understanding Modernism. His early buildings, such Fagus Boot-Last Factory and the Bauhaus Building in Dessau, with their use of glass and industrial features, are still indispensable points of reference. After his emigration to the United States, he influenced the education of architects there and became, along with Mies van der Rohe, a leading proponent of the International Style.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Introduction and Value.......2005-08-30
The German Publishing Company, Taschen has just introduced a series of paperback monographs highlighting the works of the Twentieth Century's great architects. This series includes books about Le Corbusier, Nuetra, Aalto and Gaudi to name but a few.
The series follows a standard format. They are 96 pages long and they begin with an introductory biographical chapter. The books then move onto very short chapters that focus on the architect's iconic buildings. The writing is concise and the photographs are first class. The quality of publishing is up to the usual Taschen high standards.
Walter Gropius was one of the great architects of the Twentieth Century. Love him or hate him, there can be no question that his influence on world culture was profound. He was a powerful force in architecture and art for nearly 70 years. If you want to be even minimally knowledgable about modern architecture, you have to know about Walter Gropius. This book is a great introduction to the man and his work. Once again, Taschen hits another home run. Highly recommended.
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- Great reading
- A Behemoth Bad Example
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The Pan Am Building and the Shattering of the Modernist Dream
Meredith L. Clausen
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
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ASIN: 0262033240 |
Book Description
The Pan Am Building and the reaction to it signaled the end of an era. Begun when the modernist aesthetic and the architectural star system ruled architectural theory and practice, the completed building became a symbol of modernism's fall from grace. In The Pan Am Building and the Shattering of the Modernist Dream, Meredith Clausen tells the story as both history and cautionary tale -- a case study of how not to plan and execute a large-scale urban project that seems especially relevant in light of the World Trade Center and the ongoing discussions over what should be built in its place.
The Pan Am Building was despised by many as soon as the plans were announced in 1958. The star power of the celebrity architects -- those deans of modernism, Walter Gropius and Pietro Belluschi -- overrode critics' objections. When construction was completed in 1963, it became more than an architectural question; this "mute, massive, overscaled octagonal slab," as Clausen describes it, built over Grand Central Terminal, blocked the view down Park Avenue, created deep shadows where there had been sunlight, and poured 25,000 office workers on the sidewalks each morning and evening. As Clausen tells it, the story of the building -- which was undistinguished architecturally but important because of its location and its moment in history -- encompasses the end of modernism's social idealism, the decline of Gropius's and Belluschi's reputations, the victory of private interests over public good, the revival of architectural criticism in the press (both Ada Louise Huxtable and Jane Jacobs emerged as prominent and influential critics), the birth of the historic preservation movement, and the changing culture and politics of New York City.
Customer Reviews:
Great reading.......2006-01-23
Amazingly researched biography of a (bad) icon of New York's skyline. The only drawback is the overly academic, detached tone which lessens the thesis that the Pan Am assisted in the fall of the modernist regime. In any case, this is a must read simply for the story of how a big building gets built in a complicated urban environment.
A Behemoth Bad Example.......2005-01-19
In 1987, _New York_ magazine ran a poll to determine the buildings that New Yorkers hate the most. The results were plain on a cover of the magazine, which showed a gigantic wrecking ball taking its first swipe at the Pan Am Building. The building is not only on New Yorkers' most hated list; though it has had a few defenders, it has since its inception drawn criticism from a worldwide public, from architects, and from professional architecture critics. How could such an unloved mass ever have been plonked on Park Avenue? There are plenty of reasons for the failure, and plenty of repercussions from it, and all is told in _The Pan Am Building and the Shattering of the Modernist Dream_ (MIT Press) by Meredith L. Clausen. Professor Clausen teaches architectural history, and she has produced a big, well-illustrated, and weighty volume that covers the history of the building and the history of much of twentieth century urban architecture. There are plenty of books devoted to particular building that are considered architectural successes; Clausen shows that one devoted to a failure can be just as interesting, though perhaps not as inspiring.
The Pan Am Building was conceived in 1958. It was to be part of the complex of the Beaux Arts masterpiece, the Grand Central Station, which had been completed in 1913. The economic force behind the construction was Erwin Wolfson, a highly respected and successful real estate developer who had a quiet manner, broad interests, and remarkable erudition. Wolfson was unable to accept the proposal of Richard Roth, whose firm was prolifically designing efficient and economic buildings for businesses, and wanted a well known architect with a name, one that would provide the building with prestige and enable it more readily to be rented to moneyed clients. He didn't get one architect with a name, but two. Walter Gropius had an established worldwide reputation as an architect and an academic spokesman for the Modern Movement, the glass and steel functionalism produced by the famous Bauhaus school. He was joined by Pietro Belluschi, who had previously worked with him, an architect who had experience as a design consultant and architect for corporations, and who had previously designed tall office buildings, as Gropius had not. The resulting design was released to the public in February 1959. It was the largest office tower in the world, 59 stories tall, of faceted glass and concrete exterior, in a shape of a broad octagonal prism. It spanned the full width of Park Avenue, looming over the Grand Central Terminal. Where the terminal had above it the less soaring but more delicate New York General Building and then simply sky, the new building would block any vista and would dwarf adjacent buildings due to its immensity. Observers found the building a betrayal of the civic principles that Gropius and Belluschi had espoused. Just as the public could not stop the construction, it could not stop Pan Am's installation of a heliport on the roof, for express trips to and from the surrounding airports. It was too noisy and too dangerous, people said, and they were eventually proved right; the heliport was closed after a fatal crash in 1977, and one of the five fatalities was a pedestrian on the street below.
The accident sullied the reputation of Pan American Airways, which was under financial difficulties and went bankrupt in 1979. The building now bears a MetLife sign, but has had no change in the professional and amateur dislike directed toward it. Paris's Eiffel Tower was disliked when it was built, and is now beloved; nothing like that is going to happen to the Pan Am Building. The debacle has had its upside. The next development of the area was to have been a huge rectangular block constructed over the station, but the preposterous addition was so vilified that the Landmarks Preservation Commission's refusal to allow it was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Pan Am Building had disillusioned architectural professionals and the public, and served best in the capacity of a bad example, something the city should never allow again. Clausen's wonderful, detailed look at the failure is also a cautionary tale on hubris and the risks of letting money do just what it wants to make more of itself.
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Walter Gropius With Adolf Meyer: Haus Auerbach
MartIn Fischer , and
Barbara Happe
Manufacturer: Wasmuth
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ASIN: 380300635X
Release Date: 2004-03-02 |
Book Description
Description: Haus Auerbach tells the story of an almost forgotten building: the private residence designed for Jewish scientist Felix Auerbach and his wife Anna. Built in 1924, the Auerbach House is one of only six private homes that Walter Gropius ever constructed. Here Gropius realized for the first time his famous "Baukastenprinzip," which combines the highest level standardization with the greatest possibilities for variation. The Auerbach House is thus one of the most important examples of early era "Neues Bauen." Furthermore, it is the only Gropius building with an original colored interior: all of the inside walls and windows were colored based on the ideas of Alfred Arndt, also a member of the Bauhaus. The house, which has always been well conserved, was recently restored to better match its original appearance.
Book Description
One of the most important books on the modern movement in architecture, The New Architecture and the Bauhaus poses some of the fundamental problems presented by the relations of art and industry and considers their possible, practical solution. Gropius traces the rise of the New Architecture and the work of the now famous Bauhaus and, with splendid clarity, calls for a new artist and architect educated to new materials and techniques and directly confronting the requirements of the age.
Customer Reviews:
A must read for anyone into design.......2002-06-11
In one of my graphic design classes, we studied Bauhaus design. I was fascinated by Walter Gropius' designs and decided to do a report on him (if you can ever visit his house in MA, you will be awed to see his theories put into practice!). When I found and read this book in my college library I knew I had to buy it. It was out of print when I ordered it, but worth the wait. This book is a must read for all architecture/art history/graphic design students.
Just knowing that everything in this book came directly from Gropius hand is fascinating. It's a look into an aspect of design/architecture that biographies and history books just can't give you.
Great Substance.......2001-06-21
I've found great substance with your book, "The New Architecture and the Bauhaus". It was brilliant and very informative. I was fascinated by the analysis of 20th Century Modern architecture and the history of its development. I recommend this book highly for anyone interested in modern design, or the courage of the indomitable human spirit. Gropius fought against mediocrity, mindless repetition and the numbing Status Quo. This book deserves to be read.
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