BEYOND ARCHITECTURE: Marion Mahony and Walter Burley Griffin--America, Australia, India

by Anne Watson

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 1999

Reviews

[Janet Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m fascinated by this unique partnership. Unique for various reasons but not least because they both survived Frank Lloyd Wright. Which is quite something. To have started out in his studio, broken free of his intoxicating spell and gone on to design Australia’s Capital city … well, hat’s off to them both.

Which is, I think is what this book’s all about. It’s a celebration of their remarkable ability for inspiring and nurturing each other’s talent; Walter Burley Griffin’s extraordinary vision and design; Marion Mahony’s superb ability and delicate touch in translating her husband’s architecture into breathtaking visualizations. Hand in hand they are exquisite.

The book is an exhibition catalogue to accompany a 1998 retrospective of their work at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and is presented as a series of essays from some eminent (and eminently readable) art historians. The full color large-scale illustrations are to die-for!

[Liam Coussens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thorough review of the lives and work of Marion and Walter, which I think really benefits (in contrast to some other similar books) by actually including large-scale prints of plans, artwork, and completed structures to demonstrate the points of each essay.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony