Hans Ibelings

Rob Krier

Softcover edition of the popular book on tradition-oriented town planning. Drawing on firsthand experience and examples from the work of the firm Krier Kohl, the book offers a detailed account of the path that leads from morphological conception through the various phases of the town-planning design process all the way to execution.

Contemporary Interpretations in Traditional Urbanism

Town Spaces

Rob Krier hat als Architekt, Stadtplaner und Bildhauer ein facettenreiches Gesamtwerk geschaffen: es wird hier erstmals umfassend dargestellt. Nach dem Studium war Krier bei O. M. Ungers und Frei Otto tätig, er führte ein eigenes Büro in Wien und Berlin und lehrte er von 1976 - 1998 an der TU Wien sowie 1986 als Gastprofessor an der Yale University. Anknüpfend an eine Fülle historischer Vorbilder und archetypischer Grundmuster, entwickelte er als Architekt und Stadtplaner Typologien von Straßen- und Platzräumen und war für zahlreiche städtebauliche Projekte in ganz Europa verantwortlich, u.a. im Zuge der IBA in Berlin die Blockrandbebauungen an der Ritterstraße, den Wohnkomplex in der Breitenfurter Straße in Wien, den Stadtteil Kirchsteigfeld in Potsdam sowie eine Vielzahl von Projekten in den Niederlanden.

Architecture, Urban Design, Drawings, and Sculptures

The Work

Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies

Deborah Berke

Kenneth Frampton

Urban Projects, 1968-1982

Elements of Architecture

Rob Krier is a unique voice in today's architectural discourse through his commitment to developing a relevant and pragmatic theory of architecture based on his own experience and observations of architectural practice and opposed to the easy, abstract theorising so common in contemporary architectural writing. Together with his brother Leon, he has perfected a form of presentation in which the potency of his thinking finds its perfect counterpoint in detailed drawings and sketches which argue his case visually through the power of example. Following the success of his widely acclaimed "Urban Space", a work which looked at the problems of our cities from a historical, theoretical and practical standpoint, Krier now applies his particular, highly influential mode of didactic criticism to contemporary architecture in continuing search for fundamental architectural truths. Architectural Composition is both a theoretical and visual analysis which clearly illustrates the creative process which informs Krier's vision and praxis. The culmination of a lifetime's thought and experience by one of Europe's most important architectural theorists, it is without doubt a major achievement and is a standard work of reference for both students and practising architects. The book, published for the first time in 1988 by Academy Editions in London, has been supported by funds from the Fond zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung der Republik Österreich, and it was carried out at Krier's former Institut für Gestaltungslehre at the Technische Universität in Vienna.

Architectural Composition

Friedrich Achleitner

Rob Krier on Architecture

Stadtraum Urban space

How does one become a recognized architect? Where does the inspiration come from and how is it transformed into buildings, streets and cities? With his Architectural Journal Rob Krier takes the readers on a fascinating journey, guiding one through pivotal moments of early stages of his career as an architect. With a sense of humour, empathy and charm Krier tells a story of his professional path, starting with holidays spent with his grandparents, images, colors and smells that shaped his future choices. He talks about his triumphs and stumbles, giving an intimate insight into the architectural profession, deprived of any pretence to eternal greatness and heroic narrative. The journal encompasses 15 formative years of Krier’s career, starting from architectural studies in Munich, through trips and temporary settlements in Luxemburg, Stuttgart and Lausanne. Krier’s memories are accompanied by theoretical texts. Here he touches upon architect’s responsibilities, importance of historical legacy and exhorts to boycott ugliness in the name of beauty. Striving for something else than pure functionality in architecture, Krier calls for poetical approach, so characteristic for his work, stating: Poetry is in the breath of the building, the aroma that exudes from all its nooks”. Rob Krier is one of the most influential architects and urban planners of the second half of the 20th century. His theoretical writings deal with the idea of town planning informed by traditional notions of harmony, civic space and community.

Architectural Journal 1960-1975

Urban Space

Rob Krier

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