Customer Reviews

Interpreting the Renaissance: Princes, Cities, Architects (Harvard University Graduate School of Design)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The last reviewer had no place rating this work as he had; no doubt this isn't a coffee-table book. But to judge it according to such standards is a bit ridiculous.

The late Manfredo Tafuri is perhaps the most innovative architectural historians in the past several decades, not only for his unconventional methodology and insights but also for his breadth; Tafuri's incisive and architectural histories span the Renaissance, to the Enlightement and into the twentieth centuries. He is also among the first Western architectural historians to have dealt with modern Japanese architecture. Tafuri's theorization on what he terms the "Historical Project," an at once empircist history and immanent critique in the vein of the Frankfurt school, is among the most passionate and well-developed philosophies of architectural criticism--one which begs increasing attention especially in the context of what contemporary critics have paradoxically termed the era of "post-criticality".

Finally, I would like to applaud Dr. Sherer's fantastic translation. Tafuri's complex ideas are notoriously difficult to translate, especially because his language borrows so frequently from the jargon of continental philosophy, necessitating a translator with a command of several scholarly languages at once. Many current translations of Tafuri into English are largely incomprehensible because of this. Sherer's translation (not to mention his introduction), which took nearly a decade to complete, is remarkably lucid, and the volume is no doubt an impressive contribution to both study of a monumental period in Western architectural history, as well as a monumental figure in contemporary thought.

I give 3 stars to this book is not because that it does not have the top quality. instead, i'm sure it is a solid piece inside-out.

The reason for it is because this book is not for every reader. It has gone too far for most of readers who mainly focus on architectural practice, and just want get to know renaissance or have some knowledge to show off. This topic will be too boring to attract your GF/BF.

The author, Tafuri, stood between architects and politicians as a history detective, track down the behind scene plot of renaissance history, introduce both an in-depth history research methodology and a new way to interpret the clues. The work bounds architecture with politics tightly, and it helps to understand even contemporary architecture trend. However, it requires a huge amount of Italian architecture, zoning and history background. I cannot recommend this book for the students as a start reading. It is an ocean for kids to learn swimming.