Richard Neutra: And The Search for Modern Architecture

by Thomas S. Hines

Richard Neutra's work, his life experience, and his search for modern architecture coincided neatly with the lifespan of the modern movement. He experienced the buoyant struggles of the movement's early years, the heady triumph of its mid-century ascendancy, and the critique it faced in the 1960s and 1970s. His reputation enjoyed a resurgence that was hard to predict when Richard Neutra and the Search for Modern Architecture was first published over twenty years ago. In his seminal critical biography of this modernist master, Thomas S. Hines explores the efforts of Neutra and his modernist contemporaries to find the forms that would be most expressive of the twentieth century. In researching this classic of architectural scholarship, Hines enjoyed unparalleled access to the Neutra archives. Its collection of outstanding black-and-white photography includes a remarkable cache of photographs taken by Julius Shulman-the undisputed master of twentieth-century architectural photography-whose work is beautifully featured here. This revised edition of Richard Neutra includes a new introduction by the author. "This study, part biography, part architectural analysis, is a modern masterpiece of architectural history. The prose is lucid and sometimes elegant-very much like the work of Richard Neutra which it so brilliantly examines." -Peter Gay

Genres: Architecture

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 20, 1982

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Neutra and one of his German associates, (Stihler?), coming fresh from the German Bauhaus and landing in sunny L.A., appear here to be THE pioneers in modern (okay, okay, “mid-century modern”) home design. Their designs are still THE BEST and most original of what has now become known as mid-century modern, and what we think of when we think about … Hollywood movie party scenes set in wealthy homes in the hills of Los Angeles. Or, Detective Colombo murder mysteries. Or William Shatner’s place. Airy, lots of floor to ceiling glass, stonework and clean horizontal lines.

Also, beautiful mostly B&W photos, and many blueprints.

[Topaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a combination personal and architectural biography of Richard Neutra. While it covers his personal life, it gives equal, if not more, attention to his professional work. It doesn't get bogged down in too many personal details but still gives you a feel for what he was like "behind the curtains."

As an architectural book, this book covers the complete career with many photographs throughout. The photos are all archival, black and white, and many are not very high quality. However, many buildings and projects are represented with at least one photo which is something not often found in architecture books. There are a few floor-plans and architectural drawings but they are generally small and hard to read.

The text is very easy to read and is not overly academic. There is some analysis/critique but it is not very deep. The author being an architect is a key point of view as he is more qualified to write about the architecture rather than just a biographer or other writer with no archicecture background.

This is a great book worth reading if you are a fan of Neutra's work, or mid-century modern architecture. It would also make a good reference book for architectural library.

Actual photos of the book at Amazon

[jw468 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me a new appreciation of Neutra’s work.

If you want to know more about Richard Neutra, the context of his output, and pivotal works in his œuvre, this is definitely the book for you. Thomas Hines’s writing is balanced, clearly addressing Neutra’s strengths and shortcomings in his work and conduct; carefully tracing Neutra’s early history, struggle to enter the profession of architecture, rise to acclaim and the later fading of that acclaim. Although this book is primarily biographical in nature, it is heavily illustrated with images of Neutra’s work, several of which aren't in Lamprecht’s, Boesiger’s, or Neutra’s own books.

[Elnaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

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