Master Architect's Debut Work: Genealogy of Figures and Space

Author: Christian Bony
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This book presents a series of distinctive debut works by renowned architectural masters, these designs created by a group of famous Harvard graduates after the 1930s—many of which have never been published before. It includes several highly influential figures, such as Edward Larraby Barnes, Ulrich Franzen, John Johansen, Philip Johnson, I.M. Pei, and Paul Rudolph. This research not only showcases what these later-famous American architects learned from their émigré Bauhaus teachers—Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer—but also demonstrates the development of their personal artistic imagination. Each building introduced in the book is accompanied by detailed background information about its design and construction. Additionally, works by American painters such as Calder, Pollock, Motherwell, and Kline are included, their works symbolizing the era and serving as sources of design inspiration. Furthermore, the book explores furniture designed for many of these buildings, featuring both the well-known works of the Eames and the forgotten Lamont wire chairs.
The book also revisits several key figures involved in the publication of these modern homes: photographer Ezra Stoller, writer Peter Blake, and historian Vincent Scully. They too attempted to put their own home designs into practice, each owning a "residence" of their own design. The research in this book is extensive and in-depth, not only including previously unpublished works but also featuring unique, emotionally charged stories that vividly recreate these designers and their time.
The book examines and analyzes the early residential works of some later-famous Harvard architecture students during the period of 1930–1950.