Modern Architecture: A Critical History (Fifth)

World of Art

by Kenneth Frampton

An extensively revised and updated edition of a bestselling classic on modern architecture and its origins by Kenneth Frampton.

Kenneth Frampton’s highly acclaimed survey of modern architecture and its origins has been a classic since it first appeared in 1980. Starting with the cultural developments since 1750 that drove the modern movement, moving through the creation of modern architecture, and exploring the effects of globalization and the phenomenon of international celebrity architects, this book is the definitive history of modern architecture.

For this extensively revised and updated fifth edition of Modern Architecture, Frampton added new chapters exploring the ongoing modernist tradition in architecture while also examining the varied responses to the urgent need to build more sustainably and create structures that will withstand changing climates. This new edition features completely redesigned interiors and an updated and expanded bibliography, making this volume more indispensable than ever.

Genres: Architecture, History, Nonfiction, Art, Design, Art History, Reference

1599 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Kenneth Frampton is a British architect, critic, historian and the Ware Professor of Architecture at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University, New York.

Frampton studied architecture at Guildford School of Art and the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London. Subsequently he worked in Israel, with Middlesex County Council and Douglas Stephen and Partners (1961–66), during which time he was also a visiting tutor at the Royal College of Art (1961–64), tutor at the Architectural Association (1961–63) and Technical Editor of the journal Architectural Design (AD) (1962–65).
Frampton has also taught at Princeton University (1966–71) and the Bartlett School of Architecture, London, (1980). He has been a member of the faculty at Columbia University since 1972, and that same year he became a fellow of the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York -- (whose members also included Peter Eisenman, Manfredo Tafuri and Rem Koolhaas) -- and a co-founding editor of its magazine Oppositions.
Frampton is a permanent resident of the USA.
Frampton is well known for his writing on twentieth-century architecture. His books include Modern Architecture: A Critical History (1980; revised 1985, 1992 and 2007) and Studies in Tectonic Culture (1995). Frampton achieved great prominence (and influence) in architectural education with his essay "Towards a Critical Regionalism" (1983) — though the term had already been coined by Alexander Tzonis and Liliane Lefaivre. Also, Frampton's essay was included in a book The Anti-Aesthetic. Essays on Postmodern Culture, edited by Hal Foster, though Frampton is critical of postmodernism. Frampton's own position attempts to defend a version of modernism that looks to either critical regionalism or a 'momentary' understanding of the autonomy of architectural practice in terms of its own concerns with form and tectonics which cannot be reduced to economics (whilst conversely retaining a Leftist viewpoint regarding the social responsibility of architecture).
In 2002 a collection of Frampton's writings over a period of 35 years was collated and published under the title Labour, Work and Architecture.

Reviews

[India M. Clamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did Frampton disrespect Frank Lloyd Wright? Was Bauhaus a style or band? Could Zunkunftskathedrale have something to do with a cathedral and zoo? Absolute requirement--- touch, read and tote---for those students pursuing knowledge, beauty coupled with criticism.

All elevated or lowly undertakings (some would argue) start with curiosity, the questions present like a hungry belly grumbling with a question of why, how or more appropriately “how idiotic, why?” Three chapters into “Modern Architecture,” you encounter an author who does not give much concern for Frank Lloyd Wright— he is presented in brief. Thus if pages where love, then it's denied to Frank Lloyd Wright and maybe it is given to another in chapter thirteen.

This chapter is long, tedious and a most seductive rant on The Glass Chain: European Architectural Expressionism 1910-25.Some phrases that linger are---inscribed on the glass dome by Scheerbart--- “Light wants crystal, glass brings a new era and building in brick only does us harm” is literary silver on the page (Frampton 116) and inspirational to the reader. This chapter delineates the reverence for the delta from darkness to light in Modern Architecture.

Chapters are rampant and this text is the equivalent of the student bible in Art, Design and Architecture (though birthed in 1980) it still has sway, gives lengthy consideration to globalization and remains a testament to Modern Architecture. This book is a stupendous read and survived many clandestine sessions in my black Tony Burch tote, I strongly recommended this book.

[elliot · Rating 3 out of 5]

anytime i read architectural criticism, i think of george orwell's famous bloodletting of a passage from ecclesiastes, where

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the
strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor
yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet
favor to men of skill; but time and chance
happeneth to them all.

becomes:

Objective consideration of contemporary
phenomena compels the conclusion that
success or failure in competitive activities
exhibits no tendency to be commensurate
with innate capacity, but that a
considerable element of the unpredictable
must inevitably be taken into account.

that said, kenneth's knowledge of architecture is broad indeed.

[Uaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is certainly the best book of Modern Achitecture ever written. It's easy to read and very simple. I just wish the pictures were not in black and white.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is possibly the best survey of modern architecture in print. Short, concise chapters outline the major philosophies and trends that underwrote the buildings of our times. No student of Art, Design and Architecture should be without it!

[lyria soso]

δεν μπορώ να βαθμολογήσω ακόμα αυτό το *πράγμα* -θα επιστρέψω και θα το κάνω όταν τελειώσω η σχολή, χαχα *πόνος*

[Dimitris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο είναι αρτιότατο. Για όποιον ενδιαφέρεται για Αρχιτεκτονική. Οπότε, ιδού και το απαραίτητον διευκρινιστικό σχόλιο στην κριτική μου: ΟΥΣΤ!

[Kristin Kharrat]

for class

[Dyonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1992 my Professors Cava & Cloepfil introduced me to K.Framptons writings and theories. Changed the emphasis of my education & re-focussed how I read the buildings & cities around me.

[Racdin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly cover all you need to know

[kally]

not letting the architecture degree ruin my goodreads reading goal.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fluffy, but Frampton is incredible in his historical writing.

[Sitatunga · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have reviewed this author before, his ‘The Other Modern Movement’. That already smacked of pseudery but this attains a whole new level. As soon as I saw the word ‘tectonic’, I knew I was in trouble. And indeed, such is the density of arcane, unnecessarily abstruse terminology, it’s like wading through treacle. And it gets worse as the book progresses. Valiantly I waded through Part II, the chapters on individual architects and movements. But then, Part III! I finally threw in the towel at Chapter 5, ‘Critical Regionalism’... for by then the treacle had solidified into solid concrete. A towel? I needed a steel cable to pull me out.

The transparent desire simply and only to impress is nothing short of embarrassing. The tiny drawings in place of photographs. The dependence on exorbitantly fulsome quotations from outdated, megalomaniac manifestos. The displacement of well-known names by esoteric, long-forgotten (and quickly-abandoned) philosophical movements. No!

But, fortunately, with a sigh of relief, I realised I did not need all this stuff. I did not need to learn this verbose vocabulary, lexical overload, monstrosity of gibberish. No! I could move on, safe in the arms of Hitchcock, Summerson, Watkins, even humble Pevsner, who, even in the case of the German émigré, speak English and convey what we need to know in clear sentences, free of jargon, free of Corbusian and Miesian diatribe.

A plea to architects. Please! Please do not write! Stick to designing!

[Anny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Penso sia uno dei libri di testo peggiori che si possa mai utilizzare, ci sono sbalzi temporali e spaziali assurdi tutti nello stesso capitolo. Si aprono troppi periodi grammaticali l’uno dentro all’altro senza chiuderne nemmeno uno. Le descrizioni delle architetture o sono prolisse o troppo sintetiche.
Per capire il senso di una frase va letta come minimo venti volte.
Non metto in dubbio l’autore che ha scritto il manuale, ma sicuramente chi ha curato la traduzione non é stato molto efficiente.
Qui un’appello alla mia cara professoressa, che tra l’altro ha anche curato la traduzione del manuale, grazie per avermi fatto buttare 50 euro per un libro che non mi é servito a nulla se non a farti guadagnare e sprecare le mie giornate a fare riassunti che sicuramente non avrai letto. Grazie per avermi fatto sudare i 6 cfu che la tua materia mi offriva, se posso le do un consiglio: si limiti ad insegnare che la traduzione non é il suo forte.

[Lucas Cazanatto · Rating 5 out of 5]

partindo de uma concepção marxista da história da arquitetura, Frampton consegue transmitir desde os primórdios das condições materiais do nascimento da arquitetura moderna até as mazelas e os vazios de expressão cultural do capitalismo tardio. livro essencial para todo estudante de arquitetura para criação de entendimento crítico da nossa arquitetura, e para mim conseguiu destruir muitos pré-conceitos com diversos arquitetos, e criar desprezo bem-fundado contra outros.

[Abhishek Kona · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book tries to cover all the material and cultural influences of what got us to Modern architecture. But the style of the book was patronizing, the view too euro centric and the writing atrociously boring.

Some one else needs to write a book with this scope but do it better.

I read each chapter and asked GPT to explain things in the chapter and that got me to a better understanding. Perhaps the book needs to be re written using GPT.

[Andreas Schmidt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Architettura moderna, questa sconosciuta
Traccia a grandi linee la storia dell'architettura moderna dalla fine del Diciottesimo secolo ai giorni nostri. L'autore cerca di fare il punto della situazione, ma quattrocento pagine non sono sufficienti per descrivere la storia dell'architettura dal periodo moderno. Forse non ne basterebbero nemmeno duemila.

[Rania El Ouafi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frampton's Modern Architecture: A Critical History was really helpful for my history of art and architecture course. It introduced me to new ideas and ways of looking at architecture that I hadn't thought about before. Some parts are a bit dense, but overall, it was very rewarding and gave me a deeper appreciation of modern architecture.

[eos.kunszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the third part about critic valuation and extension through present (1925-1991) and it feels a bit empty without the trate ent of other global areas out of the considered first world. Nevertheless, it is still a basic lecture for the knowledge of contemporary architecture.

[Diala · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's view on modernism in the architecture of middle east is absurd and biased to the influence of the "zionist movement" in the middle east.
This Colonial mindset of "bringing civilization to savages" is absurd and cannot be respected.

[Shaima · Rating 5 out of 5]

its good

[Marco Noli · Rating 5 out of 5]

fotocopiato

[Aruna]

Unable to get a copy of this book. Can anyone pls help me in providing the soft copy of this book.

[ana ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

strašno čitljivo, informativno i iznad svega korisno štivo

[Morris Yen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty dense book, lots of information
I would say it's an advanced read

[Hardus Scheepers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive, sent me down many rabbit holes to discover brilliant modernist pioneers and their work. I would say this is an absolute must have if architectural history interests you.

[Felipe Lucena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito bom para pesquisas sobre a arquitetura moderna. Tem tudo sobre e muitas ilustrações - algumas que nao encontramos em outros lugares a não ser com o Frampton.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good intro to modern architecture.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essay format makes for quick goal reading, but the writing is sometimes a bit opaque. additionally, there are a lot of references to projects that are not visually documented within the book, leaving the reader to guess. Inclusion of those would have made the book prohibitively large. Be sure to be around a computer to look up what is referenced.

[Mauricio Farias Junior · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neste livro vem o que há de mais básico sobre a matéria, podendo ser aproveitado de igual forma por pessoas alheias à área, por estudantes e por pesquisadores. Como o próprio autor ressalta em sua introdução, escrever uma história abrangente de forma sintética é um grande desafio, tanto do ponto de vista da seleção do que deve ser incluído, quanto da profundidade e coerência na interpretação dos fatos. Não obstante, a cada leitura que venho fazendo desde fevereiro de 2003, quando comprei a minha cópia, seu conteúdo tem se mostrado sempre útil, e portanto recomendável.

[Saumya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. It is a very truthful book. Even if one doesn't agree with some of the author's views, it is impossible not to be astounded by the amount of work put into this book. I rate it this high because this book has successfully achieved existence. A topic this broad wrapped up effectively in about 300 pages is definitely a feat in itself. Also, this is the first book on architecture that I have read from the first word to the last, and I am glad I did.