When Buildings Speak: Architecture as Language in the Habsburg Empire and Its Aftermath, 1867-1933

by Anthony Alofsin

In When Buildings Speak , Anthony Alofsin explores the rich yet often overlooked architecture of the late Austro-Hungarian Empire and its successor states. He shows that several different styles emerged in this milieu during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Moreover, he contends that each of these styles communicates to us in a manner resembling language and its particular means of expression. 
           

Covering a wide range of buildings—from national theaters to crematoria, apartment buildings to warehouses, and sanatoria to postal savings banks—Alofsin proposes a new way of interpreting this language. He calls on viewers to read buildings in two through their formal elements and through their political, social, and cultural contexts.  By looking through Alofsin’s eyes, readers can see how myriad nations sought to express their autonomy by tapping into the limitless possibilities of art and architectural styles. And such architecture can still speak very powerfully to us today about the contradictory issues affecting parts of the former Habsburg Empire.
 
 “The book itself as a production is spectacular.”—David Dunster, Architectural Review

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

326 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when historians include so many pictures, like yes, pop off, show me what you mean

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful for my capstone. the polish slander was insane though

[Monika]

Jeden długi monolog. Charakterystyczne dla serbskich pisarzy kilometrowe zdania. Czyta się poprawnie, ale bez rewelacji. Dobrze jednak wiedzieć, że wydaje się w Polsce bałkańskich pisarzy, i to nie tylko w wydawnictwie Czarne.