dDAB gave a positive review to the newest book on Paul Rudolph (whose cover is shown above): it’s a collection of Rudolph’s sketches and drawings, which also includes other interesting materials. The full review can be read HERE
THE BOOK REVIEWER YOU WILL WANT TO READ
A Daily Dose of Architecture Books (dDAB) is John Hill’s ongoing series of reviews of books on architecture, design, and urbanism. Coming out several times-a-week, their timeliness is an indicator of what’s happening in the world of architectural publishing—creating a cumulative barometer of architectural culture.
POSITIVE REVIEW OF NEW BOOK ON RUDOLPH
Paul Rudolph: Inspiration and Process in Architecture is the most recently published book on Rudolph’s work. Inspiration and Process in Architecture is the title of a collaboration between Moleskine and Princeton Architectural Press: a set of books which foreground the sketches & drawings of current and well-known architects (James Stirling, Kuma, Hadid, Grafton, Perrault….) The drawings are supplemented by additional materials: clear introductions, interviews, timelines, etc…. Each is a compact volume—much like the sketchbooks for which Moleskine is well-known—and the format fits well with the exploratory nature of the many sketches that are shown.
The publisher describes their Rudolph edition:
Many of the dynamic drawings included in this collection--selected from the architect's archive . . . . --illustrate his highly emotive hand and deft drafting skill. They include his designs for Tuskegee University Chapel, Interama, Lower Manhattan Expressway, his analysis of Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion, and his own inventive penthouse on Beekman Place in New York City. A lively Rudolph interview, conducted in 1986, and a newly commissioned introductory essay provide context for the drawings.
Mr. Hill has focused on Paul Rudolph’s work before and his dDAB recently had a review of the book.
Some excerpts from his review:
“Paul Rudolph's drawings are legendary. In the world of books, the out-of-print ‘Paul Rudolph: Architectural Drawings’ goes for $200 and up. The hefty prices are evidence of the coveted nature of Rudolph's drawings . . . .
“Those needing a fix for Rudolph's drawings should consider the pair of slim exhibition catalogs put out last year by the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation, as well as this new sketchbook-sized book with dozens of the architect's drawings, ranging from his Florida projects in the 1950s to his Asian skyscrapers in the 1980s.”
“The project with the most drawings is the zigurrat-like dwellings that might have capped the expressway in Lower Manhattan if that piece of infrastructure was ever built. This project. . . .exists only on paper, and here it's presented through all sorts of drawings, from rough sketches and blocky diagrams to polished perspectives. These and other drawings come after two pieces of text that clearly put Rudolph's drawings into context: an introduction by John Morris Dixon and an excerpt from a 1980s interview between Rudolph and Robert Bruegmann as part of the Chicago Architects Oral History Project.”
AVAILABILITY
Paul Rudolph: Inspiration and Process in Architecture is available through a variety of sellers—But most easily through the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation’s SHOP page.
BOOK DATA
Title: Paul Rudolph: Inspiration and Process in Architecture
Series: Inspiration and Process in Architecture
Page Size: 5” × 8.25”
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 144
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Imprint: Moleskine Books
Official publication date: 11/05/2019
ISBN: 9781616898656
Available at: our SHOP page
On the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation’s SHOP page are shown a range of books and objects relating to the creative designs and career of Paul Rudolph (including the work of his contemporaries, and those influenced by him)—as well as books by speakers who have appeared in our Salon lecture series.