The Oral History of Modern Architecture: Interviews With the Greatest Architects of the Twentieth Century/Book and Cd - Hardcover

Peter, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810936690 ISBN 13: 9780810936690

Publisher: Harry N Abrams Inc, 1994

Synopsis

This unprecedented book and accompanying compact disc tell the story of modern architecture in the words of the people who created it. Based on interviews conducted over the course of 40 years with more than 60 of the world's most prominent architects and engineers, the volume is both an invaluable oral history and a broadly appealing look at the development of the modern style, animated by the architects' own observations, opinions, anecdotes, and humor.
The architects' words and the author's brief comments are accompanied by 200 black-and-white photographs of the landmarks of modern architecture, including plans, sketches, and models. Each has a brief explanatory caption that augments information in the text. Large, original candid portraits of the architects - taken at the time of the interview - add to the personal and conversational nature of the book.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Featuring conversations with some 70 architects, taped mostly between 1953 and 1966, this handsome volume lives up to its title as a comprehensive oral history. Extended interviews with Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Philip Johnson, Eero Saarinen, Oscar Niemeyer, Louis Kahn, Jose Luis Sert and I.M. Pei are prefaced by a medley of voices of 60 architects from around the world. Their articulate talks reflect the international scope of modern architecture and the extent to which many architects were influenced by modernist painting and sculpture. Accompanied by photographs of the architects and their works, these interviews mirror early modernism's social conscience, its conviction that city planning and simplified design could improve the collective well-being. The CD accompanying the volume includes excerpts from interviews with the 10 architects as well as Marcel Breuer, Alvar Aalto, Pier Luigi Nervi, Kenzo Tange, J.J.P. Oud and Richard Neutra. Peter's previous books include Masters of Modern Architecture. Architect's and Designer's Book Service main selection; McGraw-Hill Architect's Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal:

Peter has spent a career interviewing the world's most prominent modern architects and engineers; this handsome volume and accompanying compact disc is the culmination of his extraordinary oral history project. The book opens with an introduction to the modern movement, followed by discussions of technology, social concerns, and the impact of art on modern architecture. Individual chapters are devoted to interviews with Wright, Le Corbusier, van der Rohe, Kahn, Johnson, Saarinen, Sert, Pei, and others. In the closing chapter, architects reflect on the future of modern architecture. The compact disc includes interviews with 16 architects and is an important complement to the written text. Highly recommended for anyone interested in modern architecture.
H. Ward Jandl, National Park Srvc., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harry N Abrams Inc
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0810936690
• ISBN 13: 9780810936690
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320