Forma of Practice - German-Swiss Architecture 1980-2000 (Paperback)

During the 1980s and 1990s, German-Swiss architecture gained worldwide acclaim on account of its constructional and aesthetic coherence. The production purported an ethical orientation, seeking a sense of stability in reaction to postmodern relativism. Irina Davidovici discusses the cultural and theoretical conditions of this architecture as facets of one artistic and cultural phenomenon, illustrating the main themes with in-depth case studies and topical essays. She offers an external point of view, drawing from a multi-cultural background to demonstrate the production's international relevance. This book attempts to reveal the implicit conflicts between shared values and individual expression, artistic integrity and economic interest.