About this item
In architectural terms, the twentieth century can be largely summed up with two names: Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson. Wright (1867-1959) began it with his romantic prairie style; Johnson (1906-2005) brought down the curtain with his spare postmodernist experiments. Between them, they built some of the most admired and discussed buildings in American history.Differing radically in their views on architecture, Wright and Johnson shared a restless creativity, enormous charisma, and an outspokenness that made each man irresistible to the media. Often publicly at odds, they were the twentieth century's flint and steel; their repeated encounters consistently set off sparks. Yet as acclaimed historian Hugh Howard shows, their rivalry was also a fruitful artistic conversation, one that yielded new directions for both men. It was not despite but rather because of their contentious--and not always admiring--relationship that they were able so powerfully to influence history.In Architecture's Odd Couple, Howard deftly traces the historical threads connecting the two men and offers readers a distinct perspective on the era they so enlivened with their designs. Featuring many of the structures that defined modern space--from Fallingwater to the Guggenheim, from the Glass House to the Seagram Building--this book presents an arresting portrait of modern architecture's odd couple and how they shaped the American landscape by shaping each other.
About the Author
The author of more than twenty much-admired books, Hugh Howard has written about architecture and landscape, presidents and painting. In telling stories of the past, he follows the fault lines where the lives of essential characters intersect. Thus in his newest book, ARCHITECTS OF AN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE (Atlantic, January 2022) , he traces the careers of Henry Hobson Richardson, who, though dead at just forty-seven, is still regarded by many as the nation's most influential architect, and of Frederick Law Olmsted, the man responsible for introducing parks to the American city. A narrative of friendship and collaboration, the book follows the two visionaries as they reimagine the American landscape during the radical changes of the post-Civil War era. The parents of two grown daughters, Hugh and wife Betsy divide their time between homes in the Hudson Valley and New Hampshire's Upper Valley. For more, see hughhoward.com.
