Synopses & Reviews
The potential of electric light as a new building and#8220;materialand#8221; was recognized in the 1920s and became a useful design tool by the mid-century. Skillful lighting allowed for theatricality, narrative, and a new emphasis on structure and space.
The Structure of Light tells the story of the career of Richard Kelly, the fieldand#8217;s most influential figure.
Six historians, architects, and practitioners explore Kellyand#8217;s unparalleled influence on modern architecture and his lighting designs for some of the 20th centuryand#8217;s most iconic buildings: Philip Johnsonand#8217;s Glass House; Louis Kahnand#8217;s Kimbell Art Museum; Eero Saarinenand#8217;s GM Technical Center; and Mies van der Roheand#8217;s Seagram Building, among many others. This beautifully illustrated history demonstrates the range of applications, building types, and artistic solutions he employed to achieve a and#8220;nocturnal modernityand#8221; that would render buildings evocatively different at night. The survival of Kellyand#8217;s rich correspondence and extensive diaries allows an in-depth look at the triumphs and uncertainties of a young profession in the making.
The first book to focus on the contributions of a master in the field ofand#160;architectural lighting, this fascinating volume celebrates the practiceand#8217;s significance in modern design.
Review
"This book will delight historians of modern architecture and design before the advent of postmodernism."and#8212;Library Journal
About the Author
Dietrich Neumann is Royce Family Professor for the History of Modern Architecture and Urban Studies at Brown University.and#160;Robert A.M. Stern is dean of the Yale School of Architecture.