The Socialist Life of Modern Architecture is the first systematic architectural history of Romania under socialism written in English. It examines the mechanisms through which modern architecture was invested with political meaning and, in reverse, how specific architectural solutions came to define the socialist experience. Each of the book’s three parts traces the historical development of one key aspect of Romania’s architectural culture between the years 1949–1964: – the planning and construction of housing districts in Bucharest; – the role of typification of design and standardization of construction in a project of cultural transformation; – the production and management of a…

Sigfried Giedion’s small, but vocal manifesto Befreites Wohnen (1929) is an early manifestation of modernist housing ideology and as such key to the broader understanding of the ambitions of the International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM) and the debate on the industrialisation of construction processes and its impact on public housing at the beginning of the twentieth century. An important step in Giedion’s rise as one of the foremost propagators of modern architecture, this manifesto is based on the argumentative power of visual comparisons, and the only book the art historian both authored and designed. For the first time the book is…

From the publisher: “The Bauhaus movement, founded in Weimar in 1919, influenced the development of modern architecture far beyond the borders of Germany. For almost a decade, photographer Jean Molitor has travelled around the globe to document its influence – be it in Berlin or Casablanca, Stuttgart or Havana, St. Petersburg or Guatemala City, Vienna or Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This book offers an overview of the most important architectural trends in the first half of the 20th Century and features over 130 impressively-staged photos of Classic Modernism master-pieces from all over the world, some of…

Completed in 1957, the Nouvelle Buvette de la Source Cachat – or Pump Room for the Cachat springs – at Évian-les-Bains is ranked as a twentieth century icon. The building was the product of fruitful collaboration by team capable of combining tremendous plastic sensitivity with precise structural rigour: Maurice Novarina, an experienced architect; the “construction genius” Jean Pouvré; and architect-engineer Serge Ketoff. From their collective exploit came technical object of undoubted originality, a daring performance delivered  with gusto – this was much more than just industrial materials made to look good. Precision mechanics rather than Meccano, this masterpiece so cherished by Jean Pouvré is an…

Recently docomomo International informed about the exhibition “The Future as a Project | Doxiadis In Skopje”, supported by docomomo Greece. Docomomo International is now happy to announce the release of the exhibition catalogue “The Future as a Project. Doxiadis in Skopje”. It presents for the first time Doxiadis’ work in Skopje, which includes strategic plans for the city and a new outline for the master plan. In addition, it presents the work of Kenzo Tange for Skopje’s city centre, and showcases a series of modernist buildings authored by leading Yugoslavian architects that still stand in the city today. It finally…