The Architecture Of Paul Rudolph

By (author) Rohan Timothy M.
Short description/annotation
The first major study of one of the most important architects of the postwar era
Description
The first major study of one of the most important architects of the postwar era

Equally admired and maligned for his remarkable Brutalist buildings, Paul Rudolph (1918–1997) shaped both late modernist architecture and a generation of architects while chairing Yale’s department of architecture from 1958 to 1965. Based on extensive archival research and unpublished materials, The ArchitectureofPaul Rudolph is the first in-depth study of the architect, neglected since his postwar zenith.
 
Author Timothy M. Rohan unearths the ideas that informed Rudolph’s architecture, from his Florida beach houses of the 1940s to his concrete buildings of the 1960s to his lesser-known East Asian skyscrapers of the 1990s. Situating Rudolph within the architectural discourse of his day, Rohan shows how Rudolph countered the perceived monotony of mid-century modernism with a dramatically expressive architecture for postwar America, exemplified by his Yale Art and Architecture Building of 1963, famously clad in corrugated concrete. The fascinating story of Rudolph’s spectacular rise and fall considerably deepens longstanding conceptions about postwar architecture: Rudolph emerges as a pivotal figure who anticipated new directions for architecture, ranging from postmodernism to sustainability. 
Review quote
‘The architectural monograph can be pedestrian, albeit dusted with a light icing of glamour. Not this one. Timothy M Rohan gives a brilliant account of the apocalyptic arc of Paul Rudolph’s career. . . Rohan’s book, frank, fair and intuitive, sets the record straight.’—Gillian Darley, Icon Magazine
Review quote
“Excellent. . . The first substantial account of Rudolph’s entire career based on original research, offering a detailed account of his life and work.”—Eric Mumford, Washington University in St. Louis
Review quote
“A well-researched, critical study of an architect who is in urgent need of re-evaluation.” —Michael Webb, Form
Review quote
“Paul Rudolph, a fascinating architect whose work has suffered from a broad spate of demolition, is receiving a handsome tribute in a forthcoming Yale University Press volume, Timothy Rohan’s The Architecture of Paul Rudolph…” —Anthony Paletta, The Awl
Review quote
“A comprehensive look at one of the leading figures of post-war American architecture, from his early work in Florida to late work in Asia. It contextualizes the work as well as the man, who played a key role as the dean of Yale at a pivotal time in architectural history. Reading this book is like re-remembering who Rudolph really was.” —Matt Shaw, Architizer
Review quote
“Well-argued, well-illustrated, well-edited.”—Alexandra Lange, Architect Magazine
Review quote
"A landmark study of one of the most powerful but also enigmatic architects that America has produced."—Robert Bruegmann, University of Illinois, Chicago
Review quote
“In his excellent new monograph on this complex and sometimes confounding figure, Timothy M. Rohan . . . emerges as today’s foremost advocate of Rudolph’s works.”?Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books
Biographical note
Timothy M. Rohan is associate professor of art history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.