Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses
In the first book of its kind, architectural critic Michael Webb and Esto photographer Roger Strauss III examine 35 extraordinary modern houses that have been restored, enhanced, or extended by new owners who see them as timeless classics. Built in the heyday of modernism, from the 1930s through the early 1960s, these houses were designed by exceptional architects for themselves or for adventurous clients. A few were lovingly preserved as time capsules, but most endured years of neglect or abuse and might easily have been torn down.
Webb explores how these houses were created--as daring experiments or as creative responses to site and climate--and here are villas that fuse craft and invention, machines for living, and residences that embrace the landscape. Here, too, are houses inspired by the purity of classical temples, and frugal dwellings that have been sensitively enlarged. After a long eclipse, these houses and the enlightened attitudes they embody are being rediscovered by creative individuals searching for distinctive, open, light-filled places to live. Modernism is a way of living, more than a style, and this book celebrates the architects and owners who respect its character and scale.
Also included are nearly 200 photographs taken by Roger Strauss, all of which were specially commissioned for this book.
In the late '90s, publishers began to race to get a book out that would cater to the explosive interest in all things midcentury modern. There was Classic Modern, Naturally Modern, and Modernism Rediscovered, to name just a few of the better ones. With the publication of this volume by regular Architectural Digest contributor Michael Webb, we finally have a book that not only provides a plethora of design ideas we can steal for use in our very own living rooms, but also tells the often-captivating behind-the-scenes stories of each great home it showcases. The focus here is on the saving of these houses, and Webb's text is wonderfully insightful. One of the 35 spectacular homes featured is celebrated architect John Lautner's Harvey House in Los Angeles, the very same once-dilapidated house (the book captures it in its newly restored state) over which actor Leonardo DiCaprio went head to head in a bidding war (and lost) with actress Kelly Lynch and her husband, screenwriter Mitch Glazer. The house is a work in progress, full of difficult judgment calls. The expanded kitchen may be cut back and the original St. Charles cabinets reinstalled. The rotunda will be refined and there is a possibility of recreating the aluminum-framed glass breakfast nook--a kind of high-tech gazebo--originally located under the pergola. Meanwhile the owners and their small daughter adore living here. "At night, we can look all the way through and out at the lights of the city," says Lynch. "I find myself caught up in the spirit of the place, wander about, and forget I'm in the middle of watching a movie!" Newly commissioned photography by Roger Straus, known for his panoramic shots of Frank Lloyd Wright structures, is another highlight. Designed and built in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s by architects such as Richard Neutra, Pierre Koenig, Philip Johnson, Eero Saarinen, John Lautner, H.H. Harris, Gregory Ain, Paul Rudolph, John Black Lee, Allyn E. Morris, and Ulrich Franzen, the 35 homes presented here are some of the most sought after in America. If you're into modern or want to know what all the fuss is about, this is the book you'll want to own. --Richard Olsen
Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses Accessories
 Atomic Ranch
Case Study Houses: 1945-1966: The California Impetus (Taschen Basic Architecture)
Mid-Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details (Conran Octopus Interiors)
Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream
Forgotten Modern
Eichler Homes: Design for Living
Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert
Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s
Mies Van Der Rohe: 1886-1969 (Basic Architecture Series)
Living Modern: Bringing Modernism Home
Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses Reviews
I was looking for mid-century houses that were more in the middle classes, and you do not get that here. These are all high-end, very expansive homes, similar to the type one might come across in Dwell magazine. The book is nicely set up, with thick, distinctive paper used, and the book coming encased in cellophane, implying 'you're getting something very sophisticated and special here.', something I neglected to pick up in reality [but again I was looking for something else]. Always a bad sign. I also did not like the contrived use of marketing (paper and cellophane wrap).
If you want a strong, national (not just LA or Palm Springs) overview of mid-century modern, this is a good bet. Very well produced, beautiful imagery.
The author provides a good overview of the history and restoration of 35 architecturally significant houses. These wonderful houses deserved a larger page size,. of the 1930's through mid-century. The only thing keeping it from getting a 5 star rating is it's small format,.
resulting in smallish pictures and smaller floor plans. a lot of information between the covers. say 12" x 12", to show them to the best advantage.
Still, given it's relatively modest price, this book provides.
In fact, the author makes their histories seem inseparable, as if house and owner are joined in partnership against philistine taste, obnoxious neighbors, natural (and unnatural) disasters, and metal fatigue. Reading MODERNISM REBORN makes one wonder how the home of 1950 will inform and inspire the home of 2050, the mid-century home of tomorrow. This is not a scholarly study, but Webb assumes a certain level of cultural awareness and familiarity with architectural terms in his reader. It is a fine book with a fresh look at a perhaps overly familiar subject, and is well worth owning for the photos alone. Schindleras well as iconic modernist structures such as Pierre Koenig's Case Study House #21, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House, and Charles and Ray Eames' own home-studio. Don't read too much into the Modernist rejection of consumerism, however, because these designer homes were status symbols in their day, and to furnish a home with "Modern classics" like Le Corbusier's Petit Confort sofa, the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, and a pair of Mies Barcelona chairs will set you back several grand. Nearly all of the 20th Century architectural greats are represented hereFrank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Philip Johnson and R.M.
In his book MODERNISM REBORN: Mid-Century American Houses, architectural critic Michael Webb demonstrates that there is a growing appreciation for cutting-edge American residential architecture of the 1930s through the 1960s, and in it he highlights the intrepid homeowners who've assumed stewardship of 35 of these "Contemporary" domiciles of long, long ago. Modern don't come cheap.
Most real estate agents will confide that "Modern doesn't sell," and those modernist homes that are sold are usually fodder for the bulldozer; razed and discarded to make way for another McMansion. We are in danger of losing our mid-century domestic architectural heritage.
Webb presents homes that embody various modernist impulses in thematic chapters that prove that there was no one right way (or Wright way) to be "modern.". Webb's survey argues a case for Modernism as a mode (or ideal) of living, rather than a mere style (or styles). Yesterday's flat-roof, ultra-modern "home of tomorrow" is often perceived as the cramped and impractical "teardown" of today.
Sometimes it seems that the only folks who have any fondness for "Home, Sleek Home" are advertising directors (who love to feature hip mid-century homes in TV commercials and print ads), and subscribers to Dwell Magazine (and subscribers to the Dwell Magazine lifestyle). Indeed, these light-filled, open plan, spartanly furnished "homes of the brave" imply an enlightened lifestyle of Zen-like purity somewhat at odds with the ever more acquisitive and materialistic American way of life. Ultimately, the stories that Webb weaves about the people that commissioned, designed, built, restored and live in these homes are every bit as enlightening and memorable as the homes themselves.
Tersely written, illustrated with floor plans, and enlivened by nearly 200 color photos by noted architectural photographer Roger Strauss III, MODERNISM REBORN explores the unique histories of these homes, and chronicles the research, labor, and expense that the adventurous owners have lavished on their preservation, restoration and sometimes, expansion.
Many of them were featured in the architectural press years ago when they were first built and these are the photos you usually see in books. The fact that these thirty-five houses have all been restored in some way gives the book extra interest. I bought this interesting book because I wanted something that would cover, visually, the best of mid-century American architecture. Some of them were neglected but fortunately the current owners thought restoration worthwhile and this is how Roger Straus photographed them. As another reviewer has said, don't expect a full technical account of the background to these beautiful houses but if you want excellent exterior and interior photos in a well designed and printed book, 'Modernism reborn' is the one to get. ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover. If only I could afford to live in one. An interesting companion book to 'Modernism reborn' is Classic Modern: Midcentury Modern At Home by Deborah K Dietsch, not directly concerned with the architecture but more to do with the furniture, fabrics, lighting and style that made these houses such wonderful homes.
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