The Architecture of Gunnar Birkerts [Paperback]

Kay Kaiser (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Aia Pr (March 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558350527
• ISBN-13: 978-1558350526
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,470,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars "An Innovative and Responsive Modernism", January 4, 2010

By 

Steve Wyzard (Lomita, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Architecture of Gunnar Birkerts (Paperback)

To begin, I must confess to the potential purchaser that this book, originally published in 1989, has now been superseded by a new 2009 monograph, entitled "Gunnar Birkerts: Metaphoric Modernist". I have not yet seen or reviewed that volume, and it no doubt features many of the works and projects that are catalogued in the present volume. Birkerts, still active in his mid-80s, has never become a household name or a media darling. Although emphatically marching to the beat of his own drummer, the renewed interest in modernism has brought his oeuvre back to the periphery of public discussion and it was high time for an up-to-date monograph. "The Architecture of Gunnar Birkerts" can now be thought of as a fascinating introduction to his early (1957-89) works.

Author Kay Kaiser tells us that the Latvian-American Birkerts is "returning excitement to architecture through structure rather than with the party hats post-modern towers sometimes wear". This book accurately demonstrates just how Birkerts has introduced dynamic forms, used light as a building material, and has found an individually formulated solution for each project where the client's needs determine the form. Heavily influenced by Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen, and Minoru Yamasaki, his work is a definite reaction to post-modernism, which he considers a "contorted, concocted architecture that did not advance our culture or our lives" and has ultimately "shortchanged today". His most famous building, the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis (now known as Marquette Plaza) receives much discussion and is a perfect example of a building once seen, never forgotten. With its supporting catenary arch, the outer skin communicates the structure of this iconic "gateway to the north". Much space is devoted to Birkerts' sketchwork and his unbuilt projects, giving the reader an inside look into his working process. One sees the great part intuition plays in bringing an idea from what looks like mindless scribbles, to a working model, to a completed functioning building. He disappoints critics who are looking for a recognizable consistent style, and page after page of this book introduces surprise after surprise. We're shown among many others Ann Arbor's University Reformed Church (very Aalto-influenced), Houston's Contemporary Arts Museum (minimalist sculpture), and Detroit's Calvary Baptist Church (quirky for its own sake). His Corning, NY Museum of Glass has become a tourist stop, and his amazing addition to the University of Michigan's Law School brings natural light to three underground floors beneath an existing faux-Gothic library. Columbus, Indiana's St.Peter's Lutheran Church looks for all the world like a rocket ship is about to launch out from within.

Kay Kaiser, for many years the architecture critic of the San Diego Union Tribune, gives the reader a lucid introduction to Birkerts and his work, championing the cause without deifying the subject. She best sums up this excellent book when she writes, "His objective is to give a building personality with an expressive outer form generated by the organic functioning of the interior. The emphasis is still on interior daylight, the exploration of materials, and physical and emotional comfort." (page 15) Lavishly illustrated, my only complaint would be regarding the photography (taken by many contributors). Far too many trees appear between the camera and Birkerts' buildings, including the cover shot of the University of Iowa's College of Law. This is not acceptable, as it would seem the point of the illustrations is to allow the prospective viewer to see as much of the buildings as possible, regardless of the landscaping and the local environment. Thankfully, this problem does not spoil the book entirely.