The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings

by Gottfried Semper , Translated by Harry Francis Mallgrave , Wolfgang Herrmann , Introduction by Harry Francis Mallgrave

• ISBN13: 9780521180863
• ISBN10: 0521180864
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-02-17
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Gottfied Semper was the most important German theorist of the nineteenth century. From his first published essay on Greek polychromy in 1834 to his final lecture on the origin of architectural styles in 1869, Semper persistently endeavoured to fashion a comprehensive architectural theory explaining the meaning and transformational nature of architectural form. The breadth and richness of his ideas, both applauded and opposed at the turn of the twentieth century, proved enormously influential in the development of modern theory. Originally published in 1989, this book provides an English translation of a number of Semper's published writings. The introduction seeks to trace the course of Semper's theoretical development over thirty-five years. Semper's ideas, like those of his contemporaries, John Ruskin and Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, had enormous influence on the genesis of modern architectural theory and will appeal to both architectural historians and architects.

Table of Contents

Gottfried Semper: architect and historian

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Preliminary Remarks on Polychrome Architecture and Sculpture in Antiquity

The Four Elements of Architecture

Science, Industry and Art

Prospectus: Comparative Theory of Building

Prospectus: Style in the Technical and Tectonic Arts or Practical Aesthetics

Style in the Technical and Tectonic Arts or Practical Aesthetics

Prolegomenon

The Textile Art (Excerpt):

B. 'On the manner in Which Style is Conditioned by the Treatment of the Material'

C. 'On the Manner in Which Style Becomes Specialized and Developed in the Dressing (Bekleidung) in Different Nations Throughout the Course of Cultural History

On Architectural Styles

Notes

Name and place index

Subject index

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