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Form, Modernism, and
History: Essays in Honor of Eduard F. Sekler
Alexander von Hoffman, editor
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After Walter Gropius took over the chair of the Department of Architecture
at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD), so the story
goes, he ordered the school's librarian to throw out all the history
books.
Although apocryphal, the tale is plausible enough for members of the
GSD community to keep it circulating decades after Gropius's departure.
After all, the former master of the Bauhaus school of art made no secret
of his
discomfort about the place of history in architectural education and,
for that matter, architectural practice. Nor was it surprising that
a leading exponent of the modern movement in Germany and the United
States would follow
the anti-historical tendencies of the movement.
Perhaps one day young Harvard architects will also circulate a story
that when Eduard F. Sekler arrived at the GSD, he retrieved the history
books from the garbage bin and restored them to the library shelves.
For unlike Gropius, Sekler always embraced both modernism and history.
With a confidence that history has an essential role to play in the
education of the
young architect and the practice of the mature professional, Sekler
has devoted his professional career to securing a place for history
in contemporary architectural thinking.
Sekler never conceived of history's place in architecture narrowly;
indeed he has not even defined it precisely. Rather, Sekler has pointed
to the rich potential of history to inspire the architect. In his teaching
and scholarly research, he has explored aspects of the history of architecture
that differ widely in space, time, and style. Similarly, the authors
presented in this
volume, many of them practitioners themselves, here display both an
enthusiasm for the history of architecture and a wide variety of approaches
to its pursuit.
As these essays make clear, history has returned to architectural
thinking, and it appears at this time that it is here to stay. Many
factors have contributed to the resurgence of history in architecture.
But among them must be counted the patient and persistent commitment
of Eduard F. Sekler to the idea that history in all its complexity can
serve as a wellspring for
contemporary and future designers. This volume then, is a testament
not merely to Sekler's accomplishments as a thinker and teacher, but
also to his vision.
Alexander von Hoffman from "Seeking a Place for History, an Introduction"
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Alexander Von Hoffman
Seeking a Place for History, an Introduction
ARCHITECTURE IN THE DISTANT MIRROR
Robin Evans
Hawksmoor's Imposing Churches, An Interpretation
Rafael Moneo
Juan de Herrera and the "Discourse of the Cubic Figure," the
Lonja of Seville as Cubic
Element
Damjan Prelovsek
Semper's "Bekleidungstheorie" in Plecnik's University Library
of Ljubljana
Jorge Silvetti
Interactive Realms: The Bridge of San Francesco and Palazzo Sant'Elia
in Caltagirone
EPISODES OF MODERNISM
Mark Angelil
The Concepts of Truth and Utility at the Outset of the Modern Movement
Frederich Achleitner
A Building as a Statement, the Loosliaus
Wilfried Wang
Orthodoxy and Immanent Criticism, On Josef Frank's Contribution to the
Stuttgart
Weissenhofsiedlung, 1926-1927
Werner Seligmann
Le Corbusier, the Four Compositions
Caroline Constant
Eileen Gray, Architecture and the Politics of Leisure
Jerzy Soltan
A Letter to Eduard F. Sekler, Reminiscences of Post-war Modernism at
CIAM and the
GSD
William Le Messurier and Daniel L. Shodek
Structural Reminiscences, the Inside Story of the Carpenter Center at
Harvard
Ranjit Sabikhi
The Collapse of Planning, a Case Study of Delhi
LANDSCAPES AND CITYSCAPES
Laurie Olin
William Kent, the Vigna Madama, and Landscape Parks
Alex Krieger
Between the Crusader's Jerusalem and Piranesi's Rome, Conflicting Ideals
for the City
Peter Rowe and Alexander Von Hoffman
Woodbourne, an Early Garden City Experiment in Affordable Living
Brian Brace Taylor
Inventing a Colonial Landscape, the New Central Market in Phnom Penh
Mirka Benes
Landowning and the Villa in the Social Geography of the Roman Territory,
the Location and
the Landscapes of the Villa Pamphilj 1645-70
THOUGHTS ON DESIGNING FORM
Henry Cobb
Three Remarks, on Architectural Theory and Practice
Kenzo Tange
The New Tokyo City Hall Complex
Ben Weese
What I Learned at Harvard
CONCERNING THE WORK AND INFLUENCE OF EDUARD FRANZ SEKLER
Gerald McCue
The Dedicated Teacher, Conversation: Professor Eduard Sekler and Dean
Gerald McCue
Contributors
Bibliography of Eduard Franz Sekler
Publication Title
Form, Modernism, and History: Essays in Honor of Eduard F. Sekler
Year Published
1996, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Editor(s)/Author(s)
Alexander von Hoffman
Format
240 pages, essays in honor of Eduard F. Sekler
In the Frances Loeb Library:
General Collection:NA680.F67x
Special Collections: Rare NA680.F67x