Synopses & Reviews
The preeminent Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898and#150;1976) developed in the postwar years an architectural language all his own, characterized by curved walls, singlepitched roofs, and inventive combinations of wood and brick. He was also engaged in design at all scales, from the planning of cities, including Helsinki, to the design of furniture and glassware. This book provides a brief but comprehensive look at Aaltoand#8217;s life, works, theory, and relevance for the twenty-first century.The first section of the book offers an account of Aaltoand#8217;s life, including his friendships with suchand#160; twentieth-century masters as Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright. The second section looks closely at six of Aaltoand#8217;s most important buildings, among them Baker House in Boston and the concert hall in Helsinki. In the final sections of the book, Nicholas Ray examines several general themes relating to Aaltoand#8217;s work and philosophy. Ray also offers an original and provocative view of Aaltoand#8217;s theory, arguing that the architectand#8217;s position consistently opposed that of his contemporaries and indeed of most architects to this day.
Synopsis
An overview of the career and principal works of one of the twentieth centuryand#8217;s most important architects
Synopsis
A critical look at the life, work, and influence of the important and award-winning Spanish architect Rafael Moneoand#160;
Synopsis
This insightful and generously illustrated volume presents the first critical look at the important and award-winning Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, shedding new light on his life, work, and influence.and#160;
Synopsis
The Spanish architect Rafael Moneo (b. 1937) has won numerous awards (including the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize), yet this publication is the first to offer a critical study of his career as a wholeandmdash;not only his many built works and projects but also his contributions to teaching and his writings. The book begins with a comprehensive biography, covering Moneoandrsquo;s education, teaching appointments, and encounters with historians and architects in Europe and the United States, such as Peter Eisenman, Jandoslash;rn Utzon, and Bruno Zevi. Also included is a discussion of some of the buildings that he has designed, notably the Prado Museum extension and Atocha Station in Madrid. The following section examines in more detail seven key buildings chosen to illustrate crucial developments in Moneoandrsquo;s thinking, from the Bankinter, Madrid, to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles. The last and most extensive section considers his architectural philosophy: his design approach, his idea of the canon, his theory of composition, his notion of form, and his confrontation with realityandmdash;in construction and context.and#160;
About the Author
Francisco Gonzandaacute;lez de Canalesand#160;is unit master and histories and theories tutor at the School of Architecture, the Architectural Association, London, and professor in architectural history, theory, and composition, University of Seville.and#160;Nicholas Ray is reader emeritus in architecture, University of Cambridge, fellow and director of studies in architecture, Jesus College, Cambridge, and visiting professor in architectural theory at the University of Liverpool.