Gunnar Birkerts--Metaphoric Modernist [Hardcover]

Martin Schwartz (Author), Sven Birkerts (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 3936681260 | ISBN-13: 978-3936681260 | Publication Date: September 16, 2009 | Edition: 1 Ill

Latvian-born architect Gunnar Birkerts belongs to the second wave of modernists who arrived in the United States from abroad, a group that includes Kevin Roche and Cesar Pelli among others. Educated at the Technische Hochschule in Stuttgart, Birkerts worked first with Eero Saarinen in his now-legendary office in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and later was chief designer for Minoru Yamasaki. At that time both Saarinen and Yamasaki were developing their distinctive architectural signatures and building their international renown. Subsequently Birkerts established his own practice, evolving a design process and a philosophy with its own original profile. Birkerts' designs, from the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis to the Corning Museum of Glass to the Houston Arts Museum and recently the Latvian National Library, shows him exploring with ever greater resource and inventiveness the expressive possibilities of symbol and metaphor.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This monograph proves Gertrude Stein's assertion that no artist is ahead of his or her time. There are simply many people behind theirs." Norman Weinstein, October 2009

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Axel Menges; 1 Ill edition (September 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3936681260
• ISBN-13: 978-3936681260
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,254,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended as a core addition to professional and academic library 20th Century Architectural Studies collections, October 12, 2009

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gunnar Birkerts--Metaphoric Modernist (Hardcover)

Born in Latvia, educated at the Technische Hochschule in Stuttgart, Germany, Gunnar Birkerts made his way to American and became part of a group of influential architects that were known as 'modernists' and included such luminaries as Kevin Roche and Cesar Pelli. "Gunnar Birkerts: Metaphoric Modernist" is beautifully and profusely illustrated compendium showcasing the architect's work, his evolving design process and philosophy, and his iconic work ranging from the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis to the Corning Museum of Glass, to the Houst Arts Museum, to the Latvian National Library. A master of architectural symbolism and metaphor, Gunnar Birkerts' readily identifiable architectural signature is clearly defined and illuminated by the informed and informative text of Sven Birkerts. An impressive introduction and showcasing of a major architectural talent, "Gunnar Birkerts: Metaphoric Modernist" is highly recommended as a core addition to professional and academic library 20th Century Architectural Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.