Modern Movements in Architecture

by Charles Jencks

Although this is not a new book, it is still one of the best introductions to modern architecture available on the market. Infinitely accessible and informative, Charles Jencks is sensible and bodacious in his far-ranging discussions of the architecture of this century. This small paperback, which includes 236 illustrations, is invaluable in its assessment of the history of modern architecture and its frank criticism of the architects of our time, as well as its speculations, predictions, and guidelines for the future of the discipline. This edition includes a special postscript on Late-Modernism and Post-Modernism.

Genres: Architecture, Art, Art History, Nonfiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Charles Alexander Jencks (born 21 June 1939) is an American architecture theorist and critic, landscape architect and designer. His books on the history and criticism of modernism and postmodernism are widely read in architectural circles. He studied under the influential architectural historians Sigfried Giedion and Reyner Banham. Jencks now lives in Scotland where he designs landscape sculpture.

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a very elitist but nonetheless informed summary of modern architectural movements, Charles Jencks enlightens the reader to a number of very short lived but nonetheless interesting architectural movements. It's probably about as dry as you can get, though, so you have to be really interested in modern architecture.