Sigurd Lewerentz Pure Aesthetics

An atmospheric masterpiece of modern religious architecture: Sigurd Lewerentz's Markuskyrkan (St Mark's Church) in Stockholm's Björkhagen district. St Mark's Church in Björkhagen, one of Stockholm's southern districts, is one of Sigurd Lewerentz's (1885-1975) key designs. But unlike Lewerentz's other famous church, St Peter's in Klippan, no book has been published to date that constitutes a fitting tribute to this masterpiece of brick brutalism. This opulent new building monograph now fills this gap. Some two hundred new color photographs and explanatory plans, alongside essays by distinguished authorities on Lewerentz's architecture, turn this book into a visual feast. It demonstrates the exquisitely atmospheric St Mark's Church both as a stand-alone object and in the context of its surrounding urban landscape. Moreover, it picks out many details, such as the floor coverings, furnishings, lamps, banisters, the altar, and other liturgical features. The essays explore aspects of materiality and topics such as the church's special acoustics and atmosphere in an attempt to reveal the secret of Sigurd Lewerentz's church designs.

The definitive monograph on Swedish modernist architect Sigurd Lewerentz. Sigurd Lewerentz (1885-1975) is one of the most highly revered--as well as one of the most heavily mythologized--protagonists of modern European architecture. Arguably Sweden's most distinguished modernist, he is more influential for architects around the world today than he was during his lifetime. Countless architecture lovers from around the world visit his buildings. Stockholm's woodland cemetery Skogskyrkogården, his most significant contribution to landscape design, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This authoritative new monograph on Sigurd Lewerentz is based on extensive research undertaken at ArkDes, Sweden's national center for architecture and design, where his archive and personal library are kept. It features a wealth of drawings and sketches, designs for furniture and interiors, model photographs, and more from his estate, most of which are published here for the first time, alongside new photographs of his realized buildings. Essays by leading experts explore Lewerentz's life and work, his legacy, and lasting significance from a contemporary perspective. This substantial, beautifully designed book offers the most comprehensive survey to date of Lewerentz's achievements in all fields of his multifaceted work.

The publication Lewerentz Fragments introduces new scholarship on the architect’s motivations and compiles new essays from all the major scholars on his work, for the first time in one volume presenting both historical and critical perspectives. Through new essays, recently discovered archival material, photography, and drawings, the publication Lewerentz Fragments explores the architect’s body of work spanning three-quarters of the twentieth century. Comprising writings from all the major scholars on Lewerentz’ work, along with several new voices, this publication offers new insight into the context surrounding this architect’s work. Rather than focusing on a single thesis, the book offers a diversity of insight from multiple cultural and professional perspectives. In addition, previously unpublished translations of interviews and dialogs among the architect and his contemporaries offer a voice to the ‘silent architect’ altering the traditional interpretations of the work and digging past the surface of what might be considered his philosophy of building. Rather than serving as an introduction to the architect’s work, this volume provides detailed fragments as a deep and diverse dive into one of the most mysterious of Scandinavia’s modern masters. Contributors: Johan Celsing, Patrick Doan, Nicola Flora, Jonathan Foote, Matthew Hall, Per Iwansson, Thomas Bo Jensen, Nathan Matteson, Enrico Miglietta, Paolo Giardiello, Hansjörg Göritz, Magnus Gustafsson, Mariana Manner, Anne-Marie Nelson, Gennaro Postiglione, Wilfried Wang, Ola Wedebrunn With Contributions of: Archival reproductions from the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design (ArkDes), The Stockholm stadsarkiv, and The Malmö stadsarkiv. Historical construction photos of St Peter’s Church by Carl-Hugo and Lars Gustafsson Photos of the newly constructed St Peter’s Church by Ole Meyer Previously unpublished archival photographs of Lewerentz’ work Translations of various archival documents and audio interviews with the architect Current photography of the architect’s work from a variety of photographers Funding support: Auburn University College of Architecture, Design & Construction Aarhus School of Architecture DePaul University College of Computing and Digital Media The King Gustaf VI Adolfs fund for Swedish Culture The Peter and Birgitta Celsing Foundation The University of Tennessee College of Architecture & Design

Sigurd Lewerentz (1885-1975) was initially educated as mechanical engineer in Gothenburg. Yet it was his architectural apprenticeship in Munich 1909-10 that set him on his path as an architect, opening his own office in Stockholm in 1911. Although his built work is relatively small, Lewerentz is revered as one of Sweden's most eminent architects. Cemeteries and sacred buildings became a core part of Lewerentz's oeuvre, including Stockholm's South Cemetery (1914-17), Malmo Eastern Cemetery (1916), St. Mark's Church, Bjorkhagen (1956), and Petri Church, Klippan (1963). In association with Gunnar Asplund, he was also the main architect for the Stockholm International Exhibition (1930), and in collaboration with Erik Lallerstedt and David Hellden he created a masterpiece of functionalist architecture, the Malmo City Theatre (1935). Sigurd Lewerentz, Architect is a reprint of the first ever monograph on his work, originally published in English 1987 and long out of print. It tells the story of Lewerentz's life and presents his entire work in text and many photographs, drawings and plans.

Now in its second edition: the trailblazing introduction and textbook on construction includes a new section on translucent materials and an article on the use of glass.

Have you ever wondered how the ideas behind the world’s greatest architectural designs came about? What process does an architect go through to design buildings which become world-renowned for their excellence? This book reveals the secrets behind these buildings. He asks you to ‘read’ the building and understand its starting point by analyzing its final form. Through the gradual revelations made by an understanding of the thinking behind the form, you learn a unique methodology which can be used every time you look at any building.

An introduction to architectural thought, this text is a thorough and accessible discussion in search of the principles of the design process. Documenting the non-verbal processes and decisions that architects and designers make is a difficult task, but one that is important when trying to understand the development of architectural design through the ages. Michael Brawne uses his experience as a practicing architect, academic and educator to provide an overview of the subject. By looking at the practices and buildings of architects past and present he incorporates history and philosophy in the search for a theory of design.

This innovative study of memorial architecture investigates how design can translate memories of human loss into tangible structures, creating spaces for remembering. Using approaches from history, psychology, anthropology and sociology, Sabina Tanović explores purposes behind creating contemporary memorials in a given location, their translation into architectural concepts, their materialisation in the face of social and political challenges, and their influence on the transmission of memory. Covering the period from the First World War to the present, she looks at memorials such as the Holocaust museums in Mechelen and Drancy, as well as memorials for the victims of terrorist attacks, to unravel the private and public role of memorial architecture and the possibilities of architecture as a form of agency in remembering and dealing with a difficult past. The result is a distinctive contribution to the literature on history and memory, and on architecture as a link to the past.