New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial

by Robert A.M. Stern, David Fishman, Thomas Mellins

The post-World War II era witnessed New York's reign as the unofficial but undisputed economic and artistic capital of the world. By the mid-1970s, the city had experienced a profound reversal, and both its economy and its reputation were at a historic nadir. This is the third volume (and the fourth chronologically) in architect and historian Robert A. M. Stern's monumental series of documentary studies of New York City architecture and urbanism. New York 1880, New York 1900, and New York 1930 have comprehensively covered the architects and urban planners who defined New York from the end of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century. The post-World War II era witnessed New York's reign as the unofficial but undisputed economic and artistic capital of the world. By the mid-1970s, the city had experienced a profound reversal, and both its economy and its reputation were at a historic nadir. The architectural history of the period offered an exceptionally abundant and varied mix of building styles and types, from the faltering traditionalism of the 1940s through the heyday of International Style modernism in the 1950s and 1960s to the incipient postmodernism of the 1970s. Organized geographically, New York 1960 provides an encyclopedic survey of the city's postwar architecture as well as relating a coherent story about each of its diverse neighborhoods. Primary sources are emphasized, including the commentaries of the preeminent architecture critics of the day; the text is illustrated exclusively with a rich collection of period photographs.

Genres: Architecture, New York, Nonfiction, Cities, History

1376 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Robert Arthur Morton Stern, usually credited as Robert A. M. Stern, was an American architect.

Stern's work is generally classified as postmodern, though a more useful classification would be a particular emphasis on context and the continuity of traditions. He may have been the first architect to use the term "postmodernism", but more recently he has used the phrase "modern traditionalist" to describe his work.

Credit: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Mike Hetteix · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother asked for this series for his birthday. He took new York 1880 and left this and New York 2000 behind, so I'm pouring through these as fast as I can before he comes back for them. Its an amazing series, and I'm learning all sorts of amazing, wonky things about the landscape in which I live. I always liked astronomy, and felt a little cheated that because I live in New York, a dome of neon fuzz and smog blocks out all but a measly half-dozen stars. But if New Yorker's can't point out the constelations, they should at least be able to name the buildings that spangle their sky-line -- 1 Financial Plaza, the Soclow, Chase Manhattan, The G.E. Building, the AT&T Chippendale, PanAm, etc. etc. That's what ive been setting myself to do lately.

[Andreas Za · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this in the nineties in a warehouse in Stuttgart. It was for sale there for a whopping 10.- Deutschmarks, ca.USD7.-! Boy that was a bargain of a life time. I still remember how I was carring the heavy bag through crouds of people in Königstrasse (the main shopping area in Stuttgart).
Contains a *wealth* of information, hundreds of photos, history, details.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly the best in this series (AM Stern's NYC series) and an incrdible trove of info and pictures for anyone interested in Architecture, mid-century modern design, urban planning/ renewal, and New York.