For more than five decades, from the 1910s to the early 1960s, the Viennese architect Josef Frank was one of the leading advocates of the new modern aesthetic and one of its most strident and vocal critics. In his many essays and his book, Architektur als Symbol, Frank sought to expose the meanings, and the failures, of modernism, to lay bare its underlying assumptions and what were, in his view, its sometimes misdirected applications. Above all, he sought to reclaim for modern design some of the freedom it had lost as it was codified.
This two-volume work reprints all of Frank’s published writings, making the great majority of them available in English for the first time. The original, mostly German-language texts are also presented here, as are many of the illustrations that accompanied them.
Josef Frank was one of the most important Austrian architects of the interwar period. Viennese modernism, which was crucially supported by him, became an established term in international professional circles. Before his emigration to Sweden in 1933, he was decisively responsible for the construction of the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung in 1932. Frank’s critical, polemic texts, which accompanied the development of architecture in Austria’s interwar period, as well as in the post--‐war years, encompass the topic areas of architecture, modern living and urban planning. Also included is his dissertation on Leon Battista Alberti, submitted in 1910, as is his only book published during his lifetime, Architektur als Symbol. Frank sought to expose the meanings—and the failures—of modernism, to lay bare its underlying assumptions and what were, in his view, its sometimes misdirected applications. Above all, he sought to reclaim for modern design some of the freedom it had lost as it was codified.
Josef Frank. Schriften/Writings
Volume 1: Published Writings 1910–1030
Volume 2: Published Writings 1931–1965
Edited by Tano Bojankin, Christopher Long and Iris Meder for the Institut für Posttayloristische Studien IPTS, Vienna.
With an essay by Denise Scott-Brown:
German and English, 888 pages in total, 250 illustrations
Hardcover with book jacket, 17 x 25,5 cm, € 98,–
Book design Peter Duniecki
www.metroverlag.at
This two-volume work reprints all of Frank’s published writings, making the great majority of them available in English for the first time. The original, mostly German-language texts are also presented here, as are many of the illustrations that accompanied them.
Josef Frank was one of the most important Austrian architects of the interwar period. Viennese modernism, which was crucially supported by him, became an established term in international professional circles. Before his emigration to Sweden in 1933, he was decisively responsible for the construction of the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung in 1932. Frank’s critical, polemic texts, which accompanied the development of architecture in Austria’s interwar period, as well as in the post--‐war years, encompass the topic areas of architecture, modern living and urban planning. Also included is his dissertation on Leon Battista Alberti, submitted in 1910, as is his only book published during his lifetime, Architektur als Symbol. Frank sought to expose the meanings—and the failures—of modernism, to lay bare its underlying assumptions and what were, in his view, its sometimes misdirected applications. Above all, he sought to reclaim for modern design some of the freedom it had lost as it was codified.
Josef Frank. Schriften/Writings
Volume 1: Published Writings 1910–1030
Volume 2: Published Writings 1931–1965
Edited by Tano Bojankin, Christopher Long and Iris Meder for the Institut für Posttayloristische Studien IPTS, Vienna.
With an essay by Denise Scott-Brown:
German and English, 888 pages in total, 250 illustrations
Hardcover with book jacket, 17 x 25,5 cm, € 98,–
Book design Peter Duniecki
www.metroverlag.at
Presentation of the Publication
Tuesday, 27.11.20127.30 p.m.
MAK Reading Room
Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna
