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Reviews (4)

design that transcends decades
it is amazing to see how the designs of the mid 1900's seem so contemporary even to the present day. this book captures the designs via beautiful photography and commentary.
even the layman will be amazed to find that many of the buildings have been used in the media for many years. whether in movies or magazines they have been associated with the most contemporary designs of our time.
highlights this architects mastery of a typical material palette of concrete, wood, and steel.

Lautner the master of panoramic windows
This book is really beautiful, the pictures are of great value. If the architecture can be said as to be a little "out of fashion" (I mean architecture of the fifties), it is anyway wonderful and inspiring to see such beautiful house. there is a lot of wonderful pictures of all the major houses build by lautner during his career. the only things that can be missed in this book is that there is no drawings but anyway, I really believe it's a good book.

A F.L. Wright Disciple Gets His Full Measure of Recognition
In the few months since I purchased this beautifully illustrated and impecabbly written monograph, John Lautner seems to have become Hollywood's favorite posthumous architect. This month's Vanity Fair features a screenwriter and his wife showcasing their restored Lautner masterwork while virtually every fashion spread in the same issue has one emaciated model or another posing, pouting and preening against a Lautner structure. This wonderful book travels Lautner's career arc from Wright disciple employing the tools and traits of the Master to the emergence of his own distinctive blend of wood, steel, concrete and location that, ultimately, bears little resemblance to his roots at Taliesin. As the text makes clear, Lautner shared Wright's prickly self-absorption and relentless self-philosophizing. However, as the book wanders from one beautifully executed commission to the next, you end up endorsing his sense of self. Like the best of Wright, each structure seems to organically emerge from its site to envelop the owners in a beautifully scaled and very human dwelling. A worthy tribute to John Lautner's artistry and vision.

Lautner Illuminated
This picture book of Lautner's work provides a new perspective to the innovative work of the architect. Although many of the buildings are captured in other publications, the images are different than anything out there. Reproduction quality is excellent, as well as composition.

Only way to improve this one is with a virtual tour. It would also be nice if the industry acknowledged this superior architecture - this is art, not just structure, and its truly American architecture. Current architectural trends are decidedly un-American; from Mediterranean, Spanish revivalism to Victorian - its all big time popular, but pure facade when compared to directly to American, European, and Asian modernism.

... ... Read more

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A point of artistic intersection between Historicism and Modernism. ... Read more

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Amazon.com

Despite the contemporary fascination with all things classical that has fueled the recent antimodern movement, this is the first book in more than half a century to explore the career of John Russell Pope (1873-1937).And it is worth the wait as it luxuriously presents the work of the architect of the National Gallery of Art, the Jefferson Memorial, the National Archives, and dozens of other buildings that are now intrinsic to the constructed environment of the U.S. capital. Pope was an architect of such harmony, balance, and effortless grandeur that he might well be ignored by current American neoclassicists, whose ill-conceived gewgaws are put to shame by Pope's stately homes, serene monuments, authoritative collegiate buildings, and regal museums.

Architect and historian Steven McLeod Bedford began his solitary, comprehensive, and difficult research for this book during the 1980s, when proponents of the high-minded cultural imperatives of the late 19th century, including the Hudson River School painters, were in vogue. Bedford admirably analyses the strengths and weaknesses of an architect whose most famous buildings "expressed the grandiloquent aspirations of private and public patrons." He also puts Pope's contributions in historical perspective, noting that a 1961 history of American architecture published by the A.I.A. found "no merit in Pope's work." Bedford himself writes with careful objectivity that "Pope seemed to adhere to the precept that a certain set of classical forms and plans existed whose inherent beauty was immutable."

Bedford writes warmly but dispassionately about buildings that many people love, and some--such as those who listened to Martin Luther King Jr. speak on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, or visited the soaring, softly sky-lit rooms of the National Gallery--have special attachments to. Beauty of this exalted type may no longer be of interest to the architectural cognoscenti, but there is a quality of calm endurance to Pope's buildings that has lasting appeal. In spite of the author's reserve, this is an inspiring, elucidating book, filled with plans, drawings, and color photographs that do some belated justice to Pope's career. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great archtitect, long overdue book, writing a little dry.
This wonderful architect deserves study. his work is represented well but society context, office practice, growth in style are a little lacking and could have beenbetter . Still a great addtion to any library!

Pope rehabilitated
This carefull reappraisal of Popes work was long overdue. One would hope that it will be followed by books on Cass Gilbert and Paul Cret who with Pope were the last masters of American Classical Architecture.Their work has stood the test of time beter than many more modern buildings.

another great topic in the wrong hands
I love all architecture and I can remember when I could count on titles from Rizzoli to uphold a certain standard, but that was too long ago. J.R.P. was an extrodinatry man for his time and a classic architect whodeserves the same type of fame given to Frank Lloyd Wright. Rizzoli onceagain has failed the topic. GREAT COVER AND NO SUBSTANCE A.K.A. PAPERGARBAGE. ... Read more

Book Description

As Robert Fishman writes of three of urban planning's greatest visionaries, Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, they 'hated the cities of their time with an overwhelming passion. The metropolis was the counter-image of their ideal cities, the hell that inspired their heavens.' ... Read more

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Book Description

11 1/2 x 9 3/8 250 color and75 black-and-white illustrationsUS and Canada Distribution architecture What exactly makes a "good home"? According to the author, it is a house that is poetic, one that stimulates feelings and ideas.In The Good Home, readers will discover, step by step, the picturesque techniques they can use to give their house a sense of soul-a character that arouses emotions and sentiment. Drawing from a full-color portfolio of "soulful" homes, this guide examines such interior and exterior design techniques as focal points, shaped spaces, transparency, and enfilade, as well as, lighting, landscaping, and much more. For anyone considering building a house who likes traditional building styles with a contemporary twist, The Good Home will be an important addition to the library. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

What Is This
I Am an Optimist but I Am also a Realist, some people would give something in the road dead a good review but there are some things nothing good can be said about it.

I bought 2 books "The Good Home" and "The Cabin" The Cabin is a little bit better but both are over priced, $8.00 would be a better price. they are a professional looking books hard cover with high gloss pictures.

The information these books give have little to be desired, sometime these books will tell what materials was used and a little bit about the history of the owenrs but that is about it.

If You are look for a these books to show You how to build it, forget it! these books are more like if they were written by a real-estate agent or something not a Carpenter.

A Great Book About a Rare Talent
This is a gorgeous book. The images are of extraordinary quality, and, like another reviewer commented, make one feel as though you're in the room. The text is, well, charming. And that's a good thing. This isn't a dry, academic tome, and the reader is engaged by the almost poetic descriptions. One really begins to think about what's being conveyed. My hat is off to authors Dennis Wedlick and Philip Langdon.

But foremost is the rare talent of Wedlick. There are many bad architects out there, and the global built fabric has been significantly diminished these past five decades by Bad Modernism (as opposed to the rare Good Modernism). More rare these past five decades are architects conversant with a language of tradition. Even rarer still are architects who work this ancient language with skill, humor, and economy of line. Wedlick, like Sir John Soane, knows how to break the "rules" without ever descending into silliness.

The crisp plans reveal an impressive attention to compact arrangements, and offer a rebuke to the needless Bigger Is Better phenomenon that has swept America. Wedlick is unusually adept at making sense from complicated geometry (notably with his star-shaped house). His ability to work with both a language of tradition AND modernism is remarkable, and it's to his credit that he has deftly maintained a foot in these opposing camps. The built world would be infinitely improved if more architects kept their feet engaged as such!

My only complaints are:
1) The plans are grouped at the end, forcing one to flip back and forth while reading about a house.
2) Some highlighted houses don't have plans!
3) No site plans are included.
4) There's almost no information about Wedlick. One yearns to know more about the man, his practice, and clients.

These concerns do not offset my giving the book five stars.

Most charm for the money
This is an enjoyable book. It consists of photo spreads of several homes by the architect author, with explanatory text. It's much more focused than similar books, but, like them, uses polished professional photography and ghost writing.

The theme is houses with Picturesque charm, or at least as much as can be had with new construction. I feel true charm is always accidental and only accrues over time, but, for those who feel instant charm is better than none at all, there are no better examples. At least for modern homes. Otherwise, Storybook Style: America's Whimsical Homes of the Twenties takes the cake.

Homes for people who aren't afraid to live !!!!
Dennis is one of the most talented young architects in America. Anyone who has come into contact with his work, whether its been a real built home or an exhibit such as the ones put up in the Winter Garden at the WFC, Grand Central Station or the Mall of the Americas will walk away saying "that's really neat...I wish I could live like that for a day". Rarely has someone so gifted focused on designing and sharing those concepts with everyday people on budgets. Most architects with a quarter the talent are the ones that design impractical spaces for Wall Street budgets. Refer to the LIFE magazine house of the year series. Dennis' design is by far the most popular one built, in spite of trophy talent like Graves, and Stern sharing the winners circle. To the reader who said he was disappointed...think about this. The mere fact that Dennis' floor plans are in the book is invaluable....try buying a better floor plan for $50. That reader should stick to buying stock house plan magazines at the checkout counter.

reply to disappointed
The person who wrote that the houses seem impractical to live in does not know what they are talking about. I live in one of Dennis Wedlick's magical houses and I can attest to the fact that I find the space thoroughly livable and practical in addition to being inspiring. Every day in this house is a life-enriching joy and everyone who visits here comments on what a magnificent house it is. People leave here changed by the experience of the place. It is annoying when people write reviews about things they have no experience of whatsoever. ... Read more

Book Description

Shigeru Ban may be best known for his evocative Curtain Wall House in Tokyo-a highlight of the Museum of Modern Art's 1999 Un-Private House exhibit-but few know the range of this Japanese architect's work. In this first English-language monograph on Ban, 30 built projects reveal his inventiveness and humanitarianism.Ban's primary objectives in his work are the use of low cost materials and the dissolution of the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. His paper tube designs, which he first created as emergency housing for victims of Rwanda's civil war, were later reconfigured for earthquake victims in Kobe and are currently incorporated in Ban's Japanese Pavilion at Hannover Expo 2000.Influenced by the Japanese tradition of linking the home with the surrounding environment, Ban has created buildings such as Hanegi Forest and Walls-less House that invite nature to coexist with design. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Keeping it simple works!
If you are into architecture in any way, try this book. Although there is not a lot of usefull information in this book it is still a good read. It features simple and effective descriptions of some of his famous buildings which are illustrated by great photographs and small diagrams. And that is the power of this book: keeping it simple.

Shigeru Ban
A must-have monograph that is as lucid, intelligent, and unpretentious as its subject-and at a bargain price. Ban combines a respect for the Japanese architectural tradition of simple, open, lightweight structures with the theoretical rigor he absorbed from John Hejduc, his teacher at Cooper Union. His signature element is the cardboard tube (first used as an economy in his installation of an Aalto exhibition) and since employed as the structural support for houses, a post-earthquake church in Kobe, a graceful canopy over the MoMA garden, and the Japanese Pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hanover. Ban's oeuvre includes provocative private houses and temporary shelters for disaster victims. ... Read more

Taschen

John Lautner learned architecture through hands-on-working experience rather than through classic academic training. He wanted ongoing change and passionate devotion. In 1933 he joined Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West. Later, with his own office in Los Angeles, he became the only one of Wright's pupils who not only adopted the master's ideas but developed them further. For 50 years Lautner experimented with new methods of construction and with inventive formal departures, and of his 188 designs no fewer than 113 were built, most of them private houses. The sheer daring of these designs stunned his contemporaries, and remains stunning now. Many of his buildings, such as the celebrated Chemosphere, a home positioned atop a single concrete column built above Los Angeles in 1960, came to be seen as the symbols of a new architecture of limitless possibilities. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Curvaceous Concrete Castles!
I would have given this book 4 stars except that it is written in more than one language which makes the book a bit harder to follow. But there are lots of nice photos of Lautner's homes, except for 2 of them which look like they where done with a cheap digital camera and printed on a xerox machine! I cannot complain about the price though.

John Lautner-The Big Series
The large color photo's in this book are wonderful, but unfortunately, there is not as much information on the architect and the individual projects he worked on, that there are in the other 2 Lautner books I have Purchased ("John Lautner- Architect", and "The Architecture of John Lautner". Also this book is written in three languages and therefore the layout is a little confusing. If you are a huge Lautner fan like I am, you will still enjoy the book, and considering the cost is less than 1/2 the price of the other 2 I mentioned (unless you purchase the softcover edition) I consider it a great coffee table bargain. ... Read more

Book Description

Lebbeus Woods is widely regarded as the most exciting and original architectural visionary today. His body of theoretical work and extraordinary drawings have served as inspiration for architects, artists, and legions of students.

Radical Reconstruction, now available in paperback for the first time, contains projects that address the relationships between architecture and war, political revolution/reaction, and natural disasters. These projects define new approaches to the reconstruction of buildings and urban fabric damaged by unpredictable and largely uncontrollable forces of both human and natural origin. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Nice to have, but save your money.
One of the first architectural books I bought, because it was different. I didn't know who he was at first or if he was an architect. I thought comic would be a great branch into architecture. This books show many of this theoretical project that is base of a post-apocalypse society. This book displays his great hand work skills. He used mediums of color-pencil, ink sketches and some very powerful chip-board models. 85% of the book is artworks. There are some texts on this philosophy for his reasoning if you would believe it or not. I went to his lecture at SciArt and his new stuff is just as similar in style to his older works in his book. I no longer regard Wood as much of an architect or nor a artist. This book was good in time of my interest in the subject, but now it has no resourceful information.

Not his best, but still good
Lebbeus Woods is perhaps unequalled, and definitely the most imitated renderer in the architectural world. With that said, this book is just a shadow of his masterpiece, "Anarchitecture: Architecture as a Political Act"

I recommend this for thos who already know Woods and can't get enough of him, but as an introduction, definitely read Anarchitecture.

woods bites
lebbeus woods bites. Get real.

woods is brilliant
lebbeus woods' visions cross the border between real and apocalyptic. his highly evocative renderings are rooted in his surrounding environment, but they move us to the realm of fantasmic architecture. brilliant. ... Read more

Book Description

The Burton Barr Central Library (Phoenix Central Library) has quickly become a point in the community’s pride while serving as an exciting background to the region’s library and information needs. It is a regular tour stop for visitors as well as architects and scholars from around the world. This architectural masterpiece works with the beautiful desert setting, and is designed to display the natural beauty of the West. The top of the library has a great public reading room, reminiscent of older libraries, with the entire non-fiction collection. The design is a mix of futuristic aspects combined with a respect for historical detail. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Craftmanship of 90's
I was not a big fan of log homes until I saw this book. I enjoyed seeing the depth of detail through the house, very similar to the work of James Cutler. A very fine book to add to the architectural libray. ... Read more

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Architecture for the People
Hundertwasser Architecture: For a More Human Architecture in Harmony With Nature Is an amazing look at Hundertwasser's structures and ideas about structure.For builders, designers, architects who believe in building structures which flow with both their environment and their function, this book is nothing short of inspirational.Many ideas for not only building and designing from the raw ground but also for retrofitting and improving existing structures. Hundertwasser's ideas that the buildings should "belong" to the users: trees, people's interactions with the space, allowing those who inhabit thebuilding to have a bit of control of the building so they are committed to the structure and not just passing through are all expressed here.Designers ofstucco boxes could benefit from his ideas.

Why Can't We All Live in Places Like This?
I spent much of the 60s and 70s with posters of Hundertwasser's paintings on my walls. It was always clear that he was an architect, but one without any commissions. So when I came across this book, I was ecstatic.He'sactually building! He is freeing us from the tyranny of straight lines, 90degree angles, and an architecture divorced from nature. Some of hisbuildings are like something out of Willa Wonka and the ChocolateFactory!

I'd love to live in a city filled with Hundertwassers ratherthan the neo-prison building that passes for architecture these days. Andso would others -- rents at Hundertwasser buildings in Vienna fetch a hugepremium.And he is regreening cities at the same time. I can't wait to govisit!

This book is also wonderful for preteens -- it will stretch theirminds about what is possible -- and give new reason to study the math andphysics necessary to realize the cities of our dreams.

This book was myChristmas present to myself (I also gave it to others), and it was the bestpresent I got! Every time I open it, I want to sing!

Filled with innovative solutions to sustainability problems.
The ideas in this book expolore the relationship of manmade structures to nature. Hundertwasser displays many of his creative solutions to keeping green spaces while still making spaces for people to live. He addresses thehuman side of sustainability by forming spaces that "make the wholeperson vibrate" with life.

Very Interesting!
This book about this extravagant architect is a very nice edition,including beautiful images and clearly explained background information. Iregret not having bought this book from Amazon, though; I purchased it inBelgium, at a much, much higher price, and still I think it was worth it.Certainly a great addition to your personal art library. Buy it and enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"If you seek his monument, look around," commands Adrian Tinniswood in his scholarly but elegantly entertaining biography of Christopher Wren (1632-1723). "As an architect, he changed the face of England and the course of architectural history." Tinniswood describes with appreciation and discernment Wren's greatest buildings: "the bubble of unexampled lightness that is St. Stephen Walbrook" church, the additions to Hampton Court, and of course London's majestic St. Paul's Cathedral, a symbol of British faith and courage throughout the centuries. These structures were political as well as architectural achievements, and Tinniswood nicely captures the discretion, ruthlessness, and carefully cultivated connections that enabled Wren to survive the Civil War, get himself named Royal Surveyor, hang on to the job under five monarchs, and get designs approved and money wheedled out of a reluctant parliament. Tinniswood pays equally intelligent attention to Wren's early career as an esteemed Oxford astronomy professor and charter member of the Royal Society (and its president from 1681-3). He writes wittily about the quirks of Wren and such peers as Newton and Bernini, capturing the intensely personal nature of 17th-century public culture, and he (sparingly) offers his opinions in a way that enhances our understanding of the period. "I want my heroes to be people, not ideas," Tinniswood writes, after describing a squabble at the Royal Society. This sparkling biography reveals Wren as a human being without detracting from the heroic nature of his accomplishments. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (3)

By his deeds shall a man be known
Sir Christopher Wren has earned his reputation as a man of great learning and marvelous architectural works. He is therefore entitled to another book devoted to his lifework and HIS INVENTION SO FERTILE is just that. Adrian Tinniswood's "A Life of Christopher Wren" offers a well researched and finely detailed picture of the architectural legacy of Wren and his equally impressive, but lesser known work as an inventor, astronomer, and scientist. As a straight biography of the man - his thoughts and ideas and his family life - the book is a little sketchy. Unlike his friend John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys, Wren was no diarist. He in fact had very little to say about himself, his family, or the times in which he lived. When a biographer says that this is "a man you would give a great deal to know" you get a clear sense of the frustration Tinniswood faced in unearthing biographical details on Wren.

There is still of course quite a story to tell. Wren was born in 1632 and since his father was King's Chaplain at Windsor Castle one of little Christopher's playmates was the young Prince Charles (later Charles II). By the time Wren was 17 he had invented a pneumatic engine and a machine that wrote in the dark. His early interest was in astronomy and he made sundials and created a model of the Solar System. Wren tested the effectiveness of opium as an anaesthetic for prolonged surgery. This is where Tinniswood begins his book and I'd recommend skimming through the unpleasant description of experiments on a dog. A point that Tinniswood brings across, with Wren as a classic example, is that this was a time of knowledge as something whole. Learning was enlightenment in many subjects. Wren distinguished himself in mathematics, physics, medicine, and astronomy. In 1661, Wren not yet 30, was made professor of Astronomy at Oxford. Tinniswood highlights another interesting point about the general historical setting. How is it that this "fertile" period of great scientific discovery and expanding intellectual horizons coexisted with a time of civil war and massive political upheaval? The 1640's in England was a time of parliamentary revolt, a King (Charles I) losing his head - literally, and the rise of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell represented a significant threat to Royalists such as Wren and his family. When the Restoration of the monarchy was achieved and Charles II took the throne, Wren was in a perfect position to benefit from the application of his "formidable intellect" in the service of his friend the King. Shortly after Wren and others formed a society for the study of science Charles II gave it a Royal Charter in 1661, and thus the Royal Society of London was created.

The main substance of the book and the work for which we best know Wren - his architecture - we now see as simply just another career for Wren. The first building he designed was the chapel for Pembroke College, Cambridge but the work that was to stand him in good stead a few years later was his dome for the Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford. For this he studied Michelangelo's drawings for the dome of St Peter's in Rome, and Wren went to Paris in 1665 to look at Lemercier's Baroque style dome at the church of the Sorbonne. Wren was again fortuitously placed to benefit when following the Great Fire of London in 1666, thousands of houses, over 50 churches, and a significant landmark were destroyed. John Evelyn said it best in his diary "I was infinitely concerned to find that goodly church, St Paul's, a sad ruin..." Because Wren was so quick on the draw with a post-fire plan for a redesigned St Paul's, there has always been a rumour that Wren himself may have started the fire. Tinniswood does not fan the flame of that falsehood at all.

After the task of surveying the fire damage was completed Wren submitted a plan for the redesign of not just St Paul's but of great sections of London. The Rebuilding act of 1667 set some things in place such as wider streets but only a few elements of the city plan were accepted. Even with St Paul's, Wren had to submit many designs. Tinniswood goes into detail on the "First Model", the "Great Model" and the finally accepted "Warrant Design" which incorporated a Latin Cross layout with a large dome. Any architect reading these descriptions will be on familiar ground. Some aspects of the profession such as constantly modifying plans, negotiating and compromise, all have a very old history.

Readers who enjoy history, science, and of course architecture will thoroughly enjoy this book. Given that it's a biography it's surprising that those are the fans who'll probably be disappointed. There's nothing new here about Wren the man and what we already know is not much. Look to his work instead; it says a lot that words alone can't express.

An Architect, and More
In London, within St. Paul's Cathedral, one can find possibly the most famous epitaph in the world. In Latin, it says, "Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you." Within the crypt is the architect of St. Paul's, and what a monument he has, and how fitting. But it is not hard, even oceans away from England, to look around and find something that Wren affected. One of the great lessons of the fascinating _His Invention So Fertile: A Life of Christopher Wren_ (Oxford University Press) by Adrian Tinniswood is that Wren is not St. Paul's, although the cathedral may be regarded as the centerpiece of his life. He was not even merely an architect. Wren's astonishingly comprehensive genius reached into many fields, and he was an advocate to encourage the way we do science in the modern world.

It was obvious when Wren entered Wadham College at Oxford as a seventeen year old in 1649 that he had a mind directed toward inquiry and practicality - his favorite activity was designing sundials. The two impulses would continue throughout his long life. The "new science" of Francis Bacon was showing that experimentation was better than Aristotle at showing how the universe worked, and as a scientist, not as a builder, Wren initially found fame. He made discoveries in astronomy and anatomy, and showed practical insights into lens grinding, water pumps, weaving, and submarine navigation. He was a founding member of the Royal Society which propelled science forward in England in the ensuing centuries. It is not surprising that this many-sided man would take an interest in architecture. When London burned in 1666, he was the first with a plan to rebuild the city (nine days after the fire), and although the plan was too ambitious, its centerpiece, the new St. Paul's, became his to work on for over three decades. He had one chapel finished in Cambridge at the time, and a theater under construction in Oxford; before he was appointed architect of St. Paul's, this was his entire architectural portfolio.

Tinniswood has given us a big, thorough biography of an imposing intellect. The facts of Wren's endeavors must remain as the only real illumination to his personality, because much of his personal life is hidden. He died at age 91, and had many fights with lesser minds in order to bring his vision of St. Paul's into being. He succeeded, but it might have been that the battles made him look back with regret as death approached. He concluded that by being appointed Surveyor General he had been condemned "to spend all his time in Rubbish." He mean such rubbish as the Royal Hospitals at Greenwich and Chelsea, the Trinity College library, or the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. At the end he lamented that he had eventually let architecture sap his time from being a professional scientist. Wren did leave behind a scientific legacy, and one cannot second guess history, but read this fine biography and know that he made the right choice.

Extremely readable account of England's most famous architec
Tinniswood's new book is the first of a string of new biographies of Wren due out over the next few years. Tinniswood is a writer first and a historian second and he was succeeded in producing a book that is undoubtedly highly readable. The tone is as a colleague described, positively conspiratorial and the reader is seduced into turning each of the 463 pages to find out what happens next. This is thoroughly admirable and there is no doubt that Tinniswood has succeeded in his aim of producing the most readable account of Wren's life to date. He is also extremely good at setting the scene, quoting from a wide range of sources from the period, rumour as well as fact. In view of all this it thus seems almost carping to comment on the scholarship but as people will inevitably use such a good book as a source for Wren I think it is justified. Tinniswood himself says in the foreword that he relies heavily on the Wren Society, yet this is now out of date. His facts are unreliable and students should beware. Moreover the truth is often sacrificed at the altar of readability so that in those places where there is considerable doubt, such as Christopher's son's mental handicap, the arguments for and against are not mentioned, one side being presented as gospel. All this said if asked to recommend a single volume introduction to Wren, I would cite this one. There are few writers that have managed to capture the excitement of Wren and none are likely to be as accessible to the modern reader. ... Read more

Book Description

Fallingwater Rising is a biography not of a person but of the most famous house of the twentieth century. Scholars and the public have long extolled the house that Frank Lloyd Wright perched over a Pennsylvania waterfall in 1937, but the full story has never been told.

When he got the commission to design the house, Wright was nearing seventy, his youth and his early fame long gone. It was the Depression, and Wright had no work in sight. Into his orbit stepped Edgar J. Kaufmann, a Pittsburgh department-store mogul–“the smartest retailer in America”–and a philanthropist with the burning ambition to build a world-famous work of architecture. It was an unlikely collaboration: the Jewish merchant who had little concern for modern architecture and the brilliant modernist who was leery of Jews. But the two men collaborated to produce an extraordinary building of lasting architectural significance that brought international fame to them both and confirmed Wright’s position as the greatest architect of the twentieth century.

Fallingwater Rising is also an enthralling family drama, involving Kaufmann, his beautiful cousin/wife, Liliane, and their son, Edgar Jr., whose own role in the creation of Fallingwater and its ongoing reputation is central to the story. Involving such key figures of the l930s as Frida Kahlo, Albert Einstein, Henry R. Luce, William Randolph Hearst, Ayn Rand, and Franklin Roosevelt, Fallingwater Rising shows us how E. J. Kaufmann’s house became not just Wright’s masterpiece but a fundamental icon of American life.

One of the pleasures of the book is its rich evocation of the upper-crust society of Pittsburgh–Carnegie, Frick, the Mellons–a society that was socially reactionary but luxury-loving and baronial in its tastes, hobbies, and sexual attitudes (Kaufmann had so many mistresses that his store issued them distinctive charge plates they could use without paying).

Franklin Toker has been studying Fallingwater for eighteen years. No one but he could have given us this compelling saga of the most famous private house in the world and the dramatic personal story of the fascinating people who made and used it.

A major contribution to both architectural and social history. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Superb & Truly Outstanding
These days, it's a rarity to read an architectural book that is informative and entertaining at the same time.For those that have read materials from Kenneth Frampton, they are probably more cerebral.At times, I also find architectural book either to be shallow (bombarding us with glossy pictures and thus no substance) or too dry for an architectural enthusiast to go all the way.This effort by Franklin Tokler is a reaper, to much my pleasant surprise.He spent almost three years writing this book and the amount of research that he had done is truly outstanding and tangible proofs were all in the book.The book contained facts and relevant photos (both B&W and colour).Franklin digged deeper into the Fallingwater.He investigated the motivation of why Fallingwater gotten built at the first place.He discussed the personalities involved in depth and in length and naturally, we also gotten to read about the other personalities of the time and of their connection to Fallingwater as well.Gosh, there were so many to name but just as a teaser: Diego Riviera, Frida Kahlo, Rockerfeller, Mellon, Richard Neutra, Walter Gropius, Mies van de Rohe, Le Corbusier, disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright, and the list goes on and on.Franklin endeavoured to educate the world that the patron, Kauffman is just as important as Frank Lloyd Wright in the project.That's what I find the most entertaining to read about the uneasy alliance between the patron and the architect.He also disputed the claim by the young sibling of Kauffman that the credit went to him for bring his father and the architect together.Then, there were talk of their collection of arts, their Jews background and how did the American society accept them at that time, and so forth.Then, there were talk about the flawed structural system (particularly the cantilever) and how Fallingwater underwent a quiet suicide, the speculation of the origin of the name of the building itself.The book also went into explaining the rationale of why the house is so endearing to people from all over the world till now and perhaps, there would be another Fallingwater in the making somehow?A book that is written with passion and vigour, paying homage to it with utmost dignity from an author who obviously has been visiting it for hundreds of time (as mentioned).I find Franklin's high spirit contagious and I sincerely recommend this book to all architecture buff.A truly unforgettable experience.

Outstanding Book
At first glance, a book about Fallingwater might appear to be narrowly focused and of little interest to non-architects. In fact, Franklin Toker has written a thoroughly engaging book that weaves together biography, architecture, and cultural history. The story of America's most famous house becomes inextricably tied to the lives of E.J. Kaufmann, his wife, son, and, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright. In this biographical mix Toker explores relevant and fascinating components of American social and cultural history from the 1930s to the present. If you've visited Fallingwater, or are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, this is a must read.Even if you haven't travelled to Bear Run and know little about Wright, this volume is worth reading.Fallingwater Rising is simply a great book.

Fallingwater Rising
Being born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois where Frank Lloyd Wright did much of his early work, I developed an interest in Wright that I explored over the years by reading books on Wright and by visiting his buildings.Clearly this is the finest book I have ever read on Wright and his work.It moves beyond architecture to place Wright, his client, and the great house, Fallingwater, in a comprehensive social and historical context which makes the building both more understandable and more enjoyable.Not at all a book for the specialist. I would have read this book with great pleasure even if I knew nothing about Wright and his architecture.

First Class
I found this an engrossing read; really quite excellent. Toker places the building in a series of contexts - FLW's and Kaufman's personal and career arcs, political, economic, social etc, then leavens incredibly detail with extremely acute insights into motivations and intentions which in sum I found wonderful. Highly recommended for interested novices like me, and I'm sure great value too for open minded cognoscenti. I eagerly await Toker's next epic.

Architecture, History + Personalities -- a great combination
If you have any interest in a well-written story which weaves history, architecture, social and cultural conditions, PLUS unique personalities of wealth and power -- then this book is for YOU.
Read this engaging book, ostensibly about the creation of one of America's most famous private homes known as 'Fallingwater Rising'-- and you'll quickly discover that it is about so much more.
Professor Toker has done a wonderful job of telling this worthwhile tale. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The pavilion designed by Le Corbusier for the Philips Company at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair showcased a spectacle that remains a landmark in multimedia production. The pavilion's nearly two million visitors encountered no typical display of consumer products; instead they witnessed a dazzling demonstration of cutting-edge technology in the service of the arts. This totally automated bombardment of color, voice, sound, and images was broadcast within a space of warped concrete shells, orchestrated by Le Corbusier and his colleagues into a cohesive 480-second program. The talents and efforts that went into this project, and the interaction of the personalities behind it, make for a fascinating tale that bridges architecture, music, and marketing--one that has never been told, perhaps because the building was dismantled after the fair. In this book, Marc Treib looks at both this remarkable collaboration and the significance of the Philips project, which can be viewed as a pioneering quest into the production of postmodern art or even as a prototype of virtual reality.

Achieving for the first time his goal to use electronic media for a synthesis of the arts, Le Corbusier collaborated with the composer/architect Iannis Xenakis, the filmmaker Philippe Agostini, the graphic designer and editor Jean Petit, and the composer Edgard Varèse, whose distinguished piece Poème electronique was composed for this project. Treib explains in vivid detail the idea and development of the building design--based on the geometry of the hyperbolic paraboloid--and how this ambitious vision materialized through an innovative system of precast concrete panels, engineered by H. C. Duyster. Treib also describes the working methods of the collaborators, depicting, for example, Xenakis's frustration with designing under Le Corbusier's shadow and the tensions suffered by the Philips artistic director coordinating his company's business interests with Le Corbusier's and Varèse's artistic aspirations.

This wide-ranging investigation into the Philips project also examines the role of rhythm, cinematic montage, spatialized sound, and the composition of Varèse's music. The result is an engaging exploration of artistic collaboration in the 1950s, set against the political and cultural context of a world exposition, and of the realization of ambitious architectural ideas. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

'Poem Electronique' in detail
This book tells the story of the world's first fully automated multi-media experience. The Phillips pavillion at the 1958 Worlds Fair was unusual in that it didn't merely showcase the company's products---Philips demonstrated the technological feats they were capable of through an eight minute display of light, film, color and sound known as 'Poem Electronique.' Two of the key figures in the story are, of course, the architect Le Corbusier and the composer Edgard Varese; anyone interested in either of these two would enjoy this book. Those familiar with Varese's music from this project would be especially interested to learn the context in which it was originally set. Iannis Xenakis also appears here as Le Corbusier's assistant. Anyone interested in Xenakis would enjoy this book as it is after completion of the 'Poem Electronique' that music becomes his primary focus. The book is well-researched, well-written, and well-presented. There are many many illustrations, which help---through them we get a better idea of what the 'Poem Electronique' experience was like, we get to see how the designs for it progressed on paper, and we get to see the constructions as they were being put together. This book examines a very unique meeting of art and technology, one that can neve again be experienced as originally intended. ... Read more

Book Description

At the age of 44, Sean Godsell (b. 1960) is one of Australia’s leading young architects and is beginning to attract an international following for his spare industrial forms and innovative use of materials. Trained at the University of Melbourne, Godsell travelled through Europe and Asia in the early and mid 1980s and then spent 1986-1988 working in London with Sir Denys Lasdun. He subsequently returned to Melbourne to work for the Hassell Group and then opened his own firm in 1994. Featured in the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary Architecture, Godsell is known primarily for his residential work, which employs economic means to maximum effect. In 2002, *wallpaper magazine listed him as one of the 10 people destined to "change the way we live." This is the first book to provide an overview of this innovative architect’s career. ... Read more