Description
Book Synopsis'Without any doubt, London is one of the best cities in the world for modern architecture. But it is also one of the biggest cities in the world, and it does not make a display of its best things. A visitor looking for new buildings in the City and the West End might well be justified in turning away with a shudder. Yet delightful things may be waiting for him in Lewisham or St. Albans.' Ian Nairn, from the 'Foreword' to Modern Buildings in London.
As one of the few architectural critics to eschew purely aesthetic modes of analysis, Ian Nairn's timeless books on modern urban cities have been hailed as some of the most significant writing about contemporary Britain, while also being praised as alternative 'guidebooks' for curious travellers. First published in 1964, Modern Buildings in London celebrates the character of buildings that were immediately recognisable as 'modern' in 1964, many of which were not the part of the well-known landscape of London but instead were gems that Nairn stumbled across.
Written 'by a layman for laymen', Nairn's take on modern design includes classic buildings such as the Barbican, the former BBC Television Centre and the Penguin Pool at Regent's Park Zoo as well as schools, old timber yards, ambulance stations, car parks and even care homes.
Trade Review‘Like many Oldie readers, I have an in-built prejudice against modern architecture . . . Now I've read the [Modern Buildings in London], my cycle routes around London town have been greatly enriched. I now notice modern buildings and realise that some are great.’
-- Tom Hodgkinson * Oldie *
'A timely reminder of both the changing nature of aesthetics, how buildings shape a neighbourhood while also being a reflection of the wants and needs and vision of the future purveyed at the time.’
* Camden New Journal *
‘[An] utterly joyful book... Nairn’s descriptive writing is delicious and at times hilarious... Suffice it to say that after an extraordinary 60 years, Nairn’s passion for modern buildings in London has barely aged, and is a totally charming and informative narrative that entices you back to enjoy, all over again, your favourite MoMobuildings in London.'
* Building Design *
‘This book is something of a ‘ghost gazetteer’, but it’s not only a period curiosity, and manages to speak more broadly to the art of criticism itself as well as displaying Nairn’s idiosyncratic knack of recognizing sheep and goats in London’s post 1930s re-fit.’
* Times Literary Supplement *
