Bernard Maybeck at Principia College

by Craig, Robert M.

• ISBN13: 9781586854560
• ISBN10: 1586854569
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-11-18
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Summary

Relying on an extensive archive at Principia College, which was recently recognized as a National Landmark, Bernard Maybeck at Principia College brings focus to Maybeck's late career and provides a re-evaluation of his design approach. It documents Maybeck's unexecuted projects, built architecture and his last commission. New assessments are gained through Maybeck's correspondence with his client Frederic Morgan.

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

The Architect

The Client

The Commission

General Plan and Preliminary Designs for Loch Lin

The Grand Tour

The Loch Lin Designs

Crisis 1

The Mistake House

Construction, Phase 1

Crisis 2

Construction, Phase 2

Landscape and Scenographic Architecture

The Elsah Designs

Maybeck's Unexecuted Buildings

The Architect-Client Relationship: "Mr. Freddie" and "His Nibbs, H. B. H."

Evaluation and Conclusion

Endnotes

Bibliography

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Chapter 12: Landscape and Scenographic Architecture When Maybeck first observed the Elsah grounds that Principia had purchased for the college campus, he told Frederic Morgan his major challenge would be to create a general plan and designs that would not disturb the beauty already inherent in the site. The problem presented by the new location for both architectural design and landscape architecture was distinguished from circumstances on the Loch Lin grounds. At Elsah, "the buildings cannot compete with the beauty of the location but should fit into it without effort, whereas in the previous location, beautiful though it was, the surrounding environment made it necessary for the buildings to enhance the beauty of the property." Mr. Morgan explained the difference: on the first site, "the buildings had to be handsome in themselves,--in the present location they must be beautiful, but must play second fiddle to what is already there."