Deconstructivist Architecture

Johnson, Philip; Wigley, Mark

ISBN 10: 087070298X / ISBN 13: 9780870702983

Published by Little, Brown ; Distributed by New York Graphic Society Books, Boston, 1988

About this Item

The exhibit "Deconstructivist Architecture" created quite a stir well before it opened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on June 23, 1988. After all, it was curated by Philip Johnson, the grand old man of Modern architecture and the founding director of MOMA s Department of Architecture and Design, as well as Mark Wigley, at 31 years old a man of a younger generation but already teaching at Princeton s School of Architecture. Pre-opening, the consensus in the media seemed to be that the exhibit would mark a great turning point in architectural trends. Once the exhibit was underway, however, opinion was mixed. Critics and working architects were divided as to just what Johnson and Wigley were getting at, and just what "Deconstructivism" meant in terms of architecture. The exhibit was relatively small, and started out by drawing upon MOMA s collection of items from the Russian avant-garde i.e., the "Constructivists" of the early 20th century before moving on to projects by seven architectural stars of 1988 who, in many minds, didn t seem to have much in common with each other, let alone with those early Constructivists. However, the debate that the exhibit kicked off about what exactly architecture is, not just Deconstructivism within architecture, and what are its limits, still continues. So in a sense, the exhibit, as well as its publicity and publications, continue to be important, including this catalog of the exhibition. It is loaded with black-and-white photographs, some full-page, others half-page, and a few spanning two pages, of projects at various stages of development by architects Frank O. Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Rem Koolhaus, Peter Eisenhman, Zaha M. Hadid, Coop Himelblau, and Bernard Tschumi. Others, within a preface by Johnson and an essay by Wigley, are smaller. We are listing our copy as "Fine;" the boards still have that stiffness on opening that new books have, but there are a couple of minor flaws that keep it from being called "As New." There is a small chip at the top of the back of the spine and a bit of wear along the top of the back of the cover, but otherwise the cover is in excellent condition. The binding is still tight and square and the pages are bright and clean, with no marks or any other flaws. See our photos for details.

Seller Inventory # 519

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Deconstructivist Architecture
• Publisher: Little, Brown ; Distributed by New York Graphic Society Books, Boston
• Publication Date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 087070298X
• ISBN 13: 9780870702983
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: First.
• Condition: Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art and Architecture

About this title

Synopsis

Rear cover notes: "This book presents a radical architecture, exemplified by the recent work of seven architects. Illustrated are projects for Santa Monica, Berlin, Rotterdam, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Paris, Hamburg, and Vienna, by Frank O. Gehry, Daniel Libeskind, Rem Koolhaas, Peter Eisenman, Zaha M. Hadid, Bernard Tschumi, and the firm of Coop Himmelblau. 104 pages, 153 illustrations."

About the Author

Mark Wigley is a Professor of Architecture and Dean Emeritus of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He is a historian and theorist who explores the intersection of architecture, art, philosophy, culture, and technology.