the modernist magazine issue #32 INVISIBLE
Although much of the seductiveness of modernism relates to its aesthetic qualities, this issue looks beyond the immediately evident (to the frustration of our picture editors) in celebration of aspects which are undocumented, obscured, lost, overlooked and ephemeral. Although this might sound an obscure perspective to take, their role in architectural history is no less important or intriguing. So often these jostle up side-by-side with modernism’s more familiar facets, but as a result of our deference to debates about style, star characters, iconic buildings, and in architecture’s anonymous collaboration, these other aspects disappear. If we can expand our field of vision to look for a moment at what these might be, we might consider what we have already lost, and what we also stand to lose.
This issue is dedicated to the memory of Martin Pearce, a tutor and lecturer in history and theory at the University of Portsmouth School of Architecture since 1989, whose pursuit of ideas beyond the immediately obvious managed to make even the most obscure facets of the profession truly enthralling. Martin died suddenly during the compilation of this issue, and is deeply missed by all who were lucky enough to have been taught by – and with – him.
The legacy of his editorial insight is ever-present. Although much of the seductiveness of modernism relates to its aesthetic qualities, this issue looks beyond the immediately evident (to the frustration of our picture editors) in celebration of aspects which are undocumented, obscured, lost, overlooked and ephemeral. Although this might sound an obscure perspective to take, their role in architectural history is no less important or intriguing. So often these jostle up side-by-side with modernism’s more familiar facets, but as a result of our deference to debates about style, star characters, iconic buildings, and in architecture’s anonymous collaboration, these other aspects disappear. If we can expand our field of vision to look for a moment at what these might be, we might consider what we have already lost, and what we also stand to lose.
This issue is dedicated to the memory of Martin Pearce, a tutor and lecturer in history and theory at the University of Portsmouth School of Architecture since 1989, whose pursuit of ideas beyond the immediately obvious managed to make even the most obscure facets of the profession truly enthralling. Martin died suddenly during the compilation of this issue, and is deeply missed by all who were lucky enough to have been taught by – and with – him. The legacy of his editorial insight is ever-present.
CONTENTS
DUTCH LANDSCAPES Mishka Henner // TOWNSHIP SCULPTURE: THE INVISIBLE THEATRE Alistair Fair // THE GHOSTS OF DOVER STREET Anne Massey // 19 CHURCH ROAD Peter Wyeth // REVOLUTIONARY CUBAN ARCHITECTURE Laura Evans // THE PRINCIPLE OF ANONYMITY Jessica Kelly // THE NATIONAL THEATRE Simon Phipps // PLENUMS, PARTITIONS, PIPES Matthew James Wells // A MOVING IMAGE Akil Scafe-Smith + Vishnu Jayarajan // THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ERRORS Elizabeth Darling
VOICES OF EXPERIENCE Suzanne Ewing + Jude Barber + Nicola McLachlan // THE HOUSE THAT HOPED TO HIDE ITSELF Chris Rainier // REYNER BANHAM LOVES 80 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Daniel Stilwell
(Published October 2019)
135mm(w) x 280mm(h)