Alison and Peter Smithson - A Critical Anthology

Striving to adapt the progressive ideas of pre-war modern movement to the specific human needs of post-war reconstruction, Alison (1928-1993) and Peter Smithson (1923-2003) were among the most influential and controversial architects of the latter half of the 20th century. As younger members of CIAM (Congres Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne), and as foundling member of Team 10, they were at the heart of the debate on the future course of Modern Architecture. The uncompromising...
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Striving to adapt the progressive ideas of pre-war modern movement to the specific human needs of post-war reconstruction, Alison (1928-1993) and Peter Smithson (1923-2003) were among the most influential and controversial architects of the latter half of the 20th century. As younger members of CIAM (Congres Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne), and as foundling member of Team 10, they were at the heart of the debate on the future course of Modern Architecture. The uncompromising modernity of their Hunstanton Secondary Modern School (1949-1954) heralded the Smithsons' role as the leading exponents of the New Brutalism and the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. In this book Risselada has collected together the most important published essays about the career of this partnership of British architects, from old contributions by Rayner Banham, Philip Johnson, Kenneth Frampton and Peter Cook, to more recent texts by Peter Eisenmann, Christine Boyer, Beatriz Colomina and Luisa Hutton. REVIEWS: "I know it is not a new title but I would like just to remark that it is a very interesting and topical publication, and there are not similar books about these British architects." Clara Renau ILLUSTRATIONS 224 illustrations