Labour, Work and Architecture

This anthology of writings by the architectural critic Kenneth Frampton brings together his most influential essays from the last 35 years. The essays focus on twentieth-century architecture, dealing with diverse themes and movements, built works and the architects responsible for these buildings. The writings are presented in clear chronological order within three sections – Theory, History, and Criticism – which together serve to identify modern architecture in its broader cultural and historical context. The compilation assimilates early critical reviews from the 1960s and 70s analysing contemporary buildings, as well as lengthier pieces covering architecture and the ideological circumstances in which buildings are produced. As a collection, Labour, Work and Architecture is an essential document in the historiography of twentieth-century architecture, composed by a highly respected and readable scholar committed to the nuanced understanding and real improvement of our built environment.

About the Author

Kenneth Frampton is an internationally respected architectural critic who holds the Ware Professorship in Architecture at Columbia University, New York. He lectures extensively in the US and Europe, and has also written, edited and contributed to numerous publications on contemporary architecture. He is the author of Modern Architecture: A Critical History, Studies in Tectonic Culture and Alvaro Siza (Phaidon, 2000).