Customer Reviews

Building Up and Tearing Down: Reflections on the Age of Architecture

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This book is a collection of articles written by Paul Goldberger and published in the New Yorker and Metropolis magazines between 1997 and 2009. This makes for very short, eminently readable chapters. They are not grouped chronologically but thematically : People and Places, Museums, Buildings that Matter, etc.

Though not groundbreaking, this provides an enthralling critical overview of architectural production, exhibitions and books over that period, not only in New York City but throughout America and around the world.

The author is very respectful of his sources and generally soft-spoken, though far from colourless. On certain subjects, such as the Westin Hotel on 42nd Street, he is actually quite vehement.

True to the New Yorker tradition, illustrations are not this book's strongpoint and, regrettably, at most one black and white photograph is provided for each chapter.

Overall, this book is strongly recommended to architecture and urban aficionados. For more detailed information on New York City's development in recent decades, one may wish to refer to the massive «New York 2000», where Mr. Goldberger is deservedly much quoted.

This is a collection of Paul Goldberger's "New Yorker" and "Metropoilis" writings.

The essays cover a wide range of architectural and urban issuess.
Current publication is organized in thematic sections:

1. Buildings that Matter
2. Places and People
3. New York
4. Present and Past
5. Museums
6. Ways of Living

Over 50 essays, he wrote about NY, architecture, architects, museums, cities, and design.
Some writings are on new buildings by star architects, some on passed architects (Eames & Kahn),
some on luxury apartment in NY.

He zooms in for us to acknowledge what kind of strokes architect
used in his details to achieve particular effect. He zooms out for us to see the setting
and it's impact on the public. His microscopic and telescopic analysis skills also extends
to invisible state of architectural imagination and creativity.

Anyone can experience a building and like it.
But, good writings can double the experience, Goldberger's writings are like that.

His writings on Kahn can be sublimely profound, his writings on luxury condos can be sarcastically
witty. His writings on Robert Moses of NY and Burnham of Chicago explains why Paul is Paul.
History is resuscitated with present glamour. His thoughts on "white brick (glass)" overflows with
insights.

I was touring west coast -SF, LA, Seattle- when I read this book (I bought my copy in Borders,
4th Avenue, near Seattle Center). I couldn't agree more of his writings on De Young, Getty Villa,
Disney, Moneo's Church, and Rem's library. Each architects' strengths are well organized and
balanced.

Painstaking work of Herzog Demeuron on materials and light, Machado Silvetti's innovation
on renovation, Gehry's another splendor in form and hearing experience, Moneo's
Corbusier & Scarpa-like church, and Rem's site & program-suited ingenuity are all mentioned in his book.
His eyes are keenly fine and his hands are glowingly divine, just like great architects he mentions
in the book.

Good portion of the book is dedicated to NY and its architecture. His earlier "Up from Zero"
on 911 is a good companion if the reader wants read further on NY.
His recent publication "Why architecture matters" is another good companion if the reader wants
to probe deeper into Goldberger's architectural themes and values.