A superbly executed special edition in two volumes, published and sold separately, Visions of the Real surpasses similar histories recently published. It exposes the complex social, technical and artistic problems of house design in the 20th Century — from drawings, to built reality, realized inhabitation, and evolution over time. Original drawings presented together with brand new photographs reveal exactly to what extent the initial vision has endured. Some of the 30 works featured are familiar modern masterpieces, but several have remained relatively unknown until recently. Many are still inhabited as originally designed and all remain visionary, transcending the time of their making.
Interview with Kenneth Frampton. F. L. Wright: Robie House, 1910; Mies van der Rohe: Tugendhat House, 1930; Pierre Chareau: Maison de Verre 1932; Amancio Williams: House over the Brook, 1945; and more. |
