Peter Behrens and a New Architecture for the Twentieth Century [Paperback]

Stanford Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2002

Most histories of twentieth-century architecture cite Peter Behrens' influence on three of his protégés--Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier--and mention the turbine factory and arc lamp he designed for the German electrical firm AEG. Now Behrens' full contribution to the history of twentieth-century architecture is finally told, in Stanford Anderson's indispensable guide to one of the great designers of our century.The author was first attracted to Behrens as one of the emblematic figures in the development of architectural modernism. Over the years, he has reflected critically on the growing body of Behrens scholarship that has appeared on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as on the views of such tastemakers as Philip Johnson, who rejected Behrens' AEG Turbine Factory, the signature icon of his early experiments in modernism, in favor of his later conservatively classical work. Anderson now assimilates decades of research into a definitive work that considers Behrens from the most nuanced perspective yet and that clarifies many problematic issues such as Behrens' endorsement of historical determinism and his work on Hitler's proposed monumental axis in Berlin.The book looks at the cultural and architectural context in which Behrens worked, his early career, and the relation of his own house in Darmstadt to his ideal of a society where life is formed as art. It also looks at his directorship of the School of Arts and Crafts in Düsseldorf, where he drew on the work of such brilliant historiographers of art and architecture as Alois Riegl and August Schmarsow. In his conclusion, Anderson considers Behrens' melancholy in the face of modern industrial society and his avoidance of a direct address of life, despite, or rather because of, his professed commitment to express life as art.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A first-rate study, unlikely to be surpassed." Choice

"Reveals a profound understanding of the social and cultural context in which Behrens operated and of the crucial issues of artistic theory in early twentieth-century Germany." Gabriele Bryant AA Files

"Reveals a profound understanding of...the crucial issues of artistic theory in early twentieth-century Germany." Gabriele Bryant AA Files

"Reveals a profound understanding...of the crucial issues of artistic theory in early twentieth-century Germany." Gabriele Bryant AA Files

"This clear and critical book... is a welcome addition to the still rather small literature on Behrens in English." E. Mumford

About the Author

Stanford Anderson is Head of the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 443 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (September 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262511304
• ISBN-13: 978-0262511308
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Scholarship on Modernism's Lost Master, October 25, 2000

By 

Van. (Salt Lake City, Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peter Behrens and a New Architecture for the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

Professor Anderson's tightly researched history will stand on its own as the first rigorous history of Behrens. It is beautifully supported by the illustrations and book design (which I hereby, arms waving, nominate for a Graphic Design Award). More than a history of Behrens it is an example to architecture and art historians whatever their subjects; a model of historiography and academic care. Architecture history in particular needs the kind of attention Professor Anderson has here applied to it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important Designer and Mentor, July 14, 2000

By 

Simulacrum - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peter Behrens and a New Architecture for the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

This is a lengthy, superbly written book about the life, work and cultural milieu of one of the most interesting architectural, industrial and graphic designers of the 20th century, better known for having influenced three famous protégés (Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius) than for his own contributions as designer of his innovative Art Nouveau home in the Darmstadt Artists' Colony; as director of the Kunstgewerbeschule at Düsseldorf; as a founding member of the Deutscher Werkbund; and as corporate designer for AEG, the still extant German electrical firm. Before his death in 1940, he played a brief and minor role in Albert Speer's plans for redesigning Berlin. The text is unrelenting in its attempt to identify Behrens' own influences and trace the sequence of his thoughts. It is assuredly richer because of the accompanying 250 illustrations, and, especially, the thoughtful and fitting design by Yasuyo Iguchi. (Review copyright © 2000 by Roy R. Behrens from Ballast Quarterly Review 15, No. 4, Summer.)

5.0 out of 5 stars good source, October 6, 2011

By 

Carlos A. Barbosa - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Peter Behrens and a New Architecture for the Twentieth Century (Paperback)

Very good source of information about one of the most important person to 20th century architecture and design. The book is well documented and written in a captivating style.