Richard Neutra: Complete Works

by Barbara Lamprecht, Julius Shulman, Peter Gössel (Editor)

All of Richard Neutra's works gathered together in one volume. Originally from Vienna, Richard Neutra came to America early in his career, settling in California. His influence on post-war architecture is undisputed, the sunny climate and rich landscape being particularly suited to his cool, sleek modern style. Neutra had a keen appreciation for the relationship between people and nature; his trademark plate glass walls and ceilings which turn into deep overhangs have the effect of connecting the indoors with the outdoors. Neutra's ability to incorporate technology, aesthetic, science, and nature into his designs brought him to the forefront of Modernist architecture. For the first time, all of Neutra's works (nearly 300 private homes, schools, and public buildings) are gathered together in one volume, illustrated by over 1000 photographs, including those of Julius Shulman and other prominent photographers.

Trilingually presented in English, French, and German

Genres: Architecture, Design

360 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2000

Reviews

[Topaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: this is for the XL version, which is about 13" x 18" and weighs about 12lbs. If you can find the larger out-of-print version I highly recommend it.

What's nice about this book is it covers all of Neutra's works and the photography is beautiful. The downside is each project gets 1-2 pages with very few photos, sometimes only one. There isn't very much text written about each project either. The more famous projects get more space as expected. Some projects show the floorplan as well which is nice.

These critiques are not entirely unexpected however. As with any architecture book, it is impossible to have a complete monograph on an architect, showing photos of all the projects, while also going into great detail on each one. It is necessary to get at least 2 (or more) books to go into depth on any one architect. This is a good visual compendium/coffee table book. There are many more books written about Neutra which should be considered as an accompaniment to this book.

The Neutra website is also an amazing resource with many more photos if one wants to see more photos of each project.

[Stuart Myerburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive but not particularly engaging. I also wish there had been more color photos.