Walter Gropius, 1883-1969: The Promoter of a New Form (Taschen Basic Architecture) [Paperback]

Gilbert Lupfer (Author), Paul Sigel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 3822835315 | ISBN-13: 978-3822835319 | Publication Date: January 10, 2005

Born and educated in Germany, Walter Gropius (1883-1969) belongs to the select group of architects that massively influenced the international development of modern architecture. As the founding director of the Bauhaus, Gropius made inestimable contributions to his field, to the point that knowing his work is crucial to understanding Modernism. His early buildings, such Fagus Boot-Last Factory and the Bauhaus Building in Dessau, with their use of glass and industrial features, are still indispensable points of reference. After his emigration to the United States, he influenced the education of architects there and became, along with Mies van der Rohe, a leading proponent of the International Style.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A Compact Overview of the World's Greatest Architects TASCHEN's Basic Architecture Series

Basic Architecture features:
• Each title contains approximately 120 images, including photographs, sketches, drawings, and floor plans
• Introductory essays explore the architect’s life and work, touching on family and background as well as collaborations with other architects
• The body presents the most important works in chronological order, with descriptions of client and/or architect wishes, construction problems (why some projects were never executed), and resolutions
• The appendix includes a list of complete or selected works, biography, bibliography and a map indicating the locations of the architect’s most famous buildings

About the Author

Gilbert Lupfer and Paul Sigel have published on the history of art and architecture of the 20th century. Lupfer currently teaches at the Technische Universitat Dresden, Germany and Siegel is scientific assistant at the Institut fur Kunst und Musikwissenschaft of the same university.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (January 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822835315
• ISBN-13: 978-3822835319
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #491,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction and Value, August 29, 2005

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This review is from: Walter Gropius, 1883-1969: The Promoter of a New Form (Taschen Basic Architecture) (Paperback)

The German Publishing Company, Taschen has just introduced a series of paperback monographs highlighting the works of the Twentieth Century's great architects. This series includes books about Le Corbusier, Nuetra, Aalto and Gaudi to name but a few.

The series follows a standard format. They are 96 pages long and they begin with an introductory biographical chapter. The books then move onto very short chapters that focus on the architect's iconic buildings. The writing is concise and the photographs are first class. The quality of publishing is up to the usual Taschen high standards.

Walter Gropius was one of the great architects of the Twentieth Century. Love him or hate him, there can be no question that his influence on world culture was profound. He was a powerful force in architecture and art for nearly 70 years. If you want to be even minimally knowledgable about modern architecture, you have to know about Walter Gropius. This book is a great introduction to the man and his work. Once again, Taschen hits another home run. Highly recommended.