24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent place to start, February 19, 2003
This review is from: Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture:: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 - 1995 (Paperback)
I have always been interested in architectural theory, but never knew where to start. The number of theory books is simply daunting. The key, I have discovered, is to find a book of texts edited by a clear, intelligent editor who can help ease you into the topics. That is exactly what we have here.
Because it's an anthology, there is nothing new here. What IS here is a good selection of readings from the major figures of the last 40 years, sorted by topic. Each reading is accompanied by a short introduction by the editor, explaining the context in which the article first appeared, and some background information on the author. There is also a very thorough (and highly recommended) introduction by the editor which gives background information on each of the topics covered. By the end of the book, you will, at the very least, be familiar with the philosophical underpinnings of architecture from Postmodernism on.
Granted, there's no guarantee that you'll understand what the authors are talking about. Even after reading the chapter on Deconstructionism twice, Derrida remains a complete enigma to me. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Vidler, Rowe and Frampton. As a result of reading this book, I was able to pursue further the authors and topics which most interested me (and, more importantly, skip the ones that didn't). This seems to me to be the mark of a good anthology.
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17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Architectural Theory text, November 20, 2004
This review is from: Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture:: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 - 1995 (Paperback)
Architectural Theory from 1965-1995 is complex, nuanced, and somewhat pretentious. Part of the problem is that contemporary Architectural Theory (and I would call this "Postmodern" theory) is connected to Continental Philosophy, which is also quite pretentious and often inaccessible to the vast majority of readers. Quite frankly, a lot of postmodern theory is, in my opinion, meaningless, but very hip, drivel.
That being said, if one is able to separate out the drivel, there is also a great deal to gain from reading postmodern theory. They key is to learn how to separate the good from the bad. This book won't teach you that, so you may often wonder, after reading a text, whether you just don't get it, or if there is really anything to get at all. All of the authors whose essays are contained in this text are very important in contemporary architecture, and any student or enthusiast of contemporary architectural trends needs to understand these figures, such as Koolhaas, Eisenman, and Tschumi (also, all major figures at architecture schools in the US). I would say every one of the authors here has some good points, although some of them write in far more verbose and pretentious language than others. But, this book is simply presenting the important figures in architectural theory, so I won't fault the book for the flaws of the texts contained within. It would be irresponsible NOT to include all of these texts. Judge them for yourself, and remember that each of theorists in these pages has critisized the work of other theorists in the textbook. They aren't all equal, and nobody has claimed they are.
The only problem with this book is that it doesn't contain any illustrations. Now I know this isn't meant to be a coffee-table book with pretty buildings, but it's very problematic to have architecture texts without illustrations. I highly recommened looking up some of the work of each of the architects in here. For example, if you don't understand what Eisenman is talking about, take a look at some pictures of his buildings and it may become clear. Also, remember that most of the texts in this book, when first published, DID contain pictures accompanying them, so something is lost in their removal. Some of the texts need pictures more than others. I think Rem Koolhaas, more than most of the rest, relies quite heavily on images to get his point across in his fantastic books (especially S,M,L,XL and Delirious New York), and republishing his work without these images takes a good deal of the meaning away, and also makes the texts much more dry.
I recommend this book, but probably just as a reference or a jumping-off point from which to explore certain trends and theorists further. The organization of this book is quite nice, outlining each theoretical trend (such as deconstructivism, phenomenology, or critical regionalism), and making clear the overlap (many theorists have essays in several sections). Again, this book is probably not for the casual architecture fan, and reading it is not as fun as opening up a Koolhaas book or other beautifully-made visual book, but if you really want (or need) to understand the most important trends and theorists in contemporary architecture, this book is a great buy.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A complete, useful, review of postmodern theory, May 1, 1998
I bought this book as a complement to other anthologies of theory that I have, and this one seems to be the most complete of all, not only for the quantity of articles, but for the wide scope of tendencies it covers.
It's a 'must' for students and architects interested in theory and opinion.
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