New Classicism : The Rebirth of Traditional Architecture

From Publishers Weekly
Regardless of whether they favor New Classicist architecture themselves, architecture buffs interested in contemporary design will find the trends laid out in this volume quite thought provoking. Dowling presents a wide variety of examples of the style in the book's many oversized photographs, from palatial homes and university buildings to a financial center in Washington, D.C., and a "Georgian Club" in Tokyo. In her introduction, the author celebrates the recent rebirth of Classicism in both the United States and Britain, while unabashedly expressing her distaste for modern design. She sets up a dichotomy between the two styles, tracing the rise of modern architecture in the past century in opposition to the classical tradition, which Dowling feels has suffered from a decline in popularity since the 1930s, "when many professors from the Bauhaus ... immigrated to America to escape persecution in Nazi Germany." Dowling then quickly moves on to mention those designers featured in the book who resisted the dominant modern aesthetic in the past half century, such as Allan Greenberg and John Blatteau. A professor of architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology and author of American Classicist: The Architecture of Phillip Trammell Schutze, Dowling also discusses the recent revival of classicism in the training of design. The bulk of the book is dedicated to profiles of 13 architects who have produced work in the New Classicist style since the late '80s, featuring rich photographs of their extravagant projects. This is a worthwhile read for those who pay attention to contemporary architecture. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
New Classicism provides an in-depth look at a form of design that appeared lost forever with the rise of modernism in architecture. But now, with an intense revival of interest in classical design, and with the demise in popularity of the subsequent postmodernism, new vigor has infused traditional forms and motifs. Focusing on approximately thirty projects by the best classically oriented firms in the United States and Britain, New Classicism examines this burgeoning new vogue for the many varieties of traditional classical design.
The result is a dazzling array of highly disciplined and high-profile classical designs, ranging from the exquisite work of John Blateau and Alan Greenberg's eighteenth-century-inspired reconfiguration of the interiors of the U.S. State Department to the Nashville public library designed by Robert A. M. Stern and projects from the classical-design program at the University of Notre Dame.


About the Author
Elizabeth Meredith Dowling is a registered architect and associate professor of architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology, and author of American Classicist: The Architecture of Philip Trammell Shutze, published by Rizzoli.



Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

For those interested in contemporary permutations of neo-classical architecture, this volume offers a photo essay of the work of 14 architectural firms. Among them are Robert Adam Architects Ltd, Norman Davenport Askins, John Blatteau Associates, Fairfax & Sammons, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Michael G. Imber, and Porphyrios Associates. The buildings include the Royal Crest House (Takasaki, Japan); Gore Hall and Dupont Hall at the U. of Delaware; Palacio ￯﾿ﾽeca (Fort Worth, Texas); and the Fort Worth Central Library, as well as several residences. Informative captions and ground plans accompany the photos. Oversized: 9.4x12.5". Not indexed. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices