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    Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume II

    From Le Corbusier to Rem Koolhaas

    Author Martin Filler
    Hardcover
    $29.95 US
    New York Review Books
    On sale Aug 20, 2013 | 336 Pages | 9781590176887
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    In the first volume of Makers of Modern Architecture (2007), Martin Filler examined the emergence of that revolutionary new form of building and explored its aesthetic, social, and spiritual aspirations through illuminating studies of some of its most important practitioners, from Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright to, in our own time, Renzo Piano and Santiago Calatrava.

    Now, in Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume II, Filler continues his investigations into the building art, beginning with the historical eclecticism of McKim, Mead, and White, best remembered today for New York City’s demolished Pennsylvania Station. He surveys the seemingly inexhaustible flow of new books about Wright and Le Corbusier, and continues his commentaries on Piano's museum buildings with an essay focused on the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum in Los Angeles.

    Filler remains, in these nineteen essays, a shrewd observer of the pressures on architects and their projects—money, politics, social expectations, even the weight of their own reputations. But his focus is always on the buildings themselves, on their sincerity and directness, on their form and their function, on their capacity to bring delight to the human landscape.

    Praise for Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume II:

    "This work is a wonderful introduction to 20th-century architecture.... The result is magnificent from start to finish. Filler writes elegant prose that captures the feeling of these buildings in a way that makes illustrations almost unnecessary. He also discusses architecture in a way that will be satisfying both to specialists or practitioners and accessible to nonspecialists. No matter the level of previous experience with architecture, anyone with an interest in the subject will find Filler’s work rewarding."—Publishers Weekly
    Martin Filler was the longtime architecture critic of House & Garden until it ceased publication in 2007. He is the co-author, with Olivier Boissière, of The Vitra Design Museum: Frank Gehry, Architect, and the author of Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume I, based on essays from The New York Review of Books. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
    Martin Filler View titles by Martin Filler
    "In this superb follow-up to his first volume of essays on modern building’s pioneers and major designers, architecture critic Filler brings his expertise to bear on architects who have been neglected (Carlo Scarpa), those who have fallen out of critical favor (Edward Durell Stone), and others whose standing has been debated (Eero Saarinen), while deftly evaluating the work of contemporaries such as Bernard Tschumi and Snøhetta…. A highlight of the collection is Filler’s deeply moving essay in support of Michael Arad’s National September 11 Memorial—an unforgettable piece of writing that cuts through the media babel that surrounded the memorial’s unveiling….his contribution to both architecture criticism and general readers’ understanding is invaluable." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

    “Filler writes amazing descriptions of buildings with an ability to maneuver through space with words like a very good perspective drawing: clear, articulate, and very often inspired…Filler’s discussions on the method and orchestration of buildings are superb, as is his ability to cite sources and the derivation of architects’ work….This brand of criticism is elegant and worldly….” —Oculus, The Center for Architecture

    Praise for Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume I:
     
      “Filler’s assessments in The New York Review stand apart, eschewing fashion and offering polished, carefully edited and backed-up, though highly personal, assertions.... Filler’s razor-sharp mind and sharper tongue set him apart. We gobble up what he thinks, as well as how he serves it up.” —Robert Ivy, Architectural Record
     
    “Martin Filler’s book is liberating.... For those seeking a brilliant if potted guide to modern architecture, Filler fits the bill. His book bristles with bracing insights, incisive judgments, and wicked lines.” —Robert Zaretsky, Houston Chronicle
     
    “Martin Filler’s writing demonstrates his lucidity and independence of mind.... Filler is an elegant writer, clearly committed to thinking about his subjects, and working hard to engage his audience. He seeks to place architecture in a wider cultural context rather than leave it trapped in the self-regarding discourse of criticism. He is not afraid to express his opinions.” —Deyan Sudjic, The Architect’s Newspaper

    About

    In the first volume of Makers of Modern Architecture (2007), Martin Filler examined the emergence of that revolutionary new form of building and explored its aesthetic, social, and spiritual aspirations through illuminating studies of some of its most important practitioners, from Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright to, in our own time, Renzo Piano and Santiago Calatrava.

    Now, in Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume II, Filler continues his investigations into the building art, beginning with the historical eclecticism of McKim, Mead, and White, best remembered today for New York City’s demolished Pennsylvania Station. He surveys the seemingly inexhaustible flow of new books about Wright and Le Corbusier, and continues his commentaries on Piano's museum buildings with an essay focused on the new Broad Contemporary Art Museum in Los Angeles.

    Filler remains, in these nineteen essays, a shrewd observer of the pressures on architects and their projects—money, politics, social expectations, even the weight of their own reputations. But his focus is always on the buildings themselves, on their sincerity and directness, on their form and their function, on their capacity to bring delight to the human landscape.

    Praise for Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume II:

    "This work is a wonderful introduction to 20th-century architecture.... The result is magnificent from start to finish. Filler writes elegant prose that captures the feeling of these buildings in a way that makes illustrations almost unnecessary. He also discusses architecture in a way that will be satisfying both to specialists or practitioners and accessible to nonspecialists. No matter the level of previous experience with architecture, anyone with an interest in the subject will find Filler’s work rewarding."—Publishers Weekly

    Author

    Martin Filler was the longtime architecture critic of House & Garden until it ceased publication in 2007. He is the co-author, with Olivier Boissière, of The Vitra Design Museum: Frank Gehry, Architect, and the author of Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume I, based on essays from The New York Review of Books. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
    Martin Filler View titles by Martin Filler

    Praise

    "In this superb follow-up to his first volume of essays on modern building’s pioneers and major designers, architecture critic Filler brings his expertise to bear on architects who have been neglected (Carlo Scarpa), those who have fallen out of critical favor (Edward Durell Stone), and others whose standing has been debated (Eero Saarinen), while deftly evaluating the work of contemporaries such as Bernard Tschumi and Snøhetta…. A highlight of the collection is Filler’s deeply moving essay in support of Michael Arad’s National September 11 Memorial—an unforgettable piece of writing that cuts through the media babel that surrounded the memorial’s unveiling….his contribution to both architecture criticism and general readers’ understanding is invaluable." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

    “Filler writes amazing descriptions of buildings with an ability to maneuver through space with words like a very good perspective drawing: clear, articulate, and very often inspired…Filler’s discussions on the method and orchestration of buildings are superb, as is his ability to cite sources and the derivation of architects’ work….This brand of criticism is elegant and worldly….” —Oculus, The Center for Architecture

    Praise for Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume I:
     
      “Filler’s assessments in The New York Review stand apart, eschewing fashion and offering polished, carefully edited and backed-up, though highly personal, assertions.... Filler’s razor-sharp mind and sharper tongue set him apart. We gobble up what he thinks, as well as how he serves it up.” —Robert Ivy, Architectural Record
     
    “Martin Filler’s book is liberating.... For those seeking a brilliant if potted guide to modern architecture, Filler fits the bill. His book bristles with bracing insights, incisive judgments, and wicked lines.” —Robert Zaretsky, Houston Chronicle
     
    “Martin Filler’s writing demonstrates his lucidity and independence of mind.... Filler is an elegant writer, clearly committed to thinking about his subjects, and working hard to engage his audience. He seeks to place architecture in a wider cultural context rather than leave it trapped in the self-regarding discourse of criticism. He is not afraid to express his opinions.” —Deyan Sudjic, The Architect’s Newspaper

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