Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400
With 'Architecture Since 1400' another volume has been added to the list of authoritative surveys of architectural history published in recent years. With 30 bit-like chapters and some 300 illustrations, this book is an ambitious attempt to write a global history of architecture that focus...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Open Library of Humanities
2014-10-01
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| Series: | Architectural Histories |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.eahn.org/articles/160 |
| _version_ | 1818228693155184640 |
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| author | Rixt Hoekstra |
| author_facet | Rixt Hoekstra |
| author_sort | Rixt Hoekstra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With 'Architecture Since 1400' another volume has been added to the list of authoritative surveys of architectural history published in recent years. With 30 bit-like chapters and some 300 illustrations, this book is an ambitious attempt to write a global history of architecture that focuses on the arrival of modernity. The central idea of this survey is the shift away from the Weberian approach that views modernization as emanating from the West. Instead, in this book modern architecture is rewritten according to a global approach that allows for multiple perspectives in a multipolar world. This decentring approach is also pivotal for other parts of the book. For example, there is the much-needed effort to include women in the canon. In addition, the author exchanges a stylistic history for a social history and combines this with a narrative that maps the agents of the built environment, thus complementing the narrative of the genius-architect with that of the role played by clients, patrons and critics. In this way, Lina Bo Bardi or Zaha Hadid not only take their place next to Le Corbusier or Brunelleschi, but in addition Eleanor of Toledo is mentioned as an influential sixteenth-century ruler next to her husband Cosimo I, and Hardwick Hall in England is now considered the outcome of the cooperation between the architect Robert Smythson and the landowner Bess of Hardwick. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:06:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa0ca74a7c554528b41b58c719b78456 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-5833 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:06:45Z |
| publishDate | 2014-10-01 |
| publisher | Open Library of Humanities |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Architectural Histories |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa0ca74a7c554528b41b58c719b784562022-12-22T00:27:53ZengOpen Library of HumanitiesArchitectural Histories2050-58332014-10-012110.5334/ah.ca62Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400Rixt Hoekstra0Goethe University Frankfurt am MainWith 'Architecture Since 1400' another volume has been added to the list of authoritative surveys of architectural history published in recent years. With 30 bit-like chapters and some 300 illustrations, this book is an ambitious attempt to write a global history of architecture that focuses on the arrival of modernity. The central idea of this survey is the shift away from the Weberian approach that views modernization as emanating from the West. Instead, in this book modern architecture is rewritten according to a global approach that allows for multiple perspectives in a multipolar world. This decentring approach is also pivotal for other parts of the book. For example, there is the much-needed effort to include women in the canon. In addition, the author exchanges a stylistic history for a social history and combines this with a narrative that maps the agents of the built environment, thus complementing the narrative of the genius-architect with that of the role played by clients, patrons and critics. In this way, Lina Bo Bardi or Zaha Hadid not only take their place next to Le Corbusier or Brunelleschi, but in addition Eleanor of Toledo is mentioned as an influential sixteenth-century ruler next to her husband Cosimo I, and Hardwick Hall in England is now considered the outcome of the cooperation between the architect Robert Smythson and the landowner Bess of Hardwick.http://journal.eahn.org/articles/160review of survey |
| spellingShingle | Rixt Hoekstra Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400 Architectural Histories review of survey |
| title | Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400 |
| title_full | Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400 |
| title_fullStr | Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400 |
| title_short | Modernity Beyond the West: A Review of Kathleen James-Chakraborty’s Architecture Since 1400 |
| title_sort | modernity beyond the west a review of kathleen james chakraborty s architecture since 1400 |
| topic | review of survey |
| url | http://journal.eahn.org/articles/160 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rixthoekstra modernitybeyondthewestareviewofkathleenjameschakrabortysarchitecturesince1400 |