Member Reviews
Andrea j, Reviewer
For the general public, architect Pierre Koenig became famous for an image rather than his homes (the iconic photo of a mid century modern living room overlooking a brightly lit Los Angeles nightline in the 1950s). But for those passionate about architecture, he is best known for his steel construction homes. In this retrospective of his work, author Neil Jackson is given full access to the Getty Museum's archives (to which Koenig donated all his drawings/drafts/notes upon his death) from which we have this beautifully realized and informative book. The tone is conversational and respectful without being slavish or worshipful - a fitting look at one of Los Angeles' great architects.
The book is intelligently presented, with an emphasis on chronological order to best showcase Koenig's development over the years but also with sub categories within those decades. It starts with a brief background/beginnings/education and then proceeds to the architect's first project: his own home in a northern hillside ravine in Glendale, California. From there, his early career/office-home location in Santa Monica and San Vicente is covered before the next chapter on the career defining case-house studies. Steel pavilions, hillside houses, the rarer timber houses, and then mid career steel houses headline the next chapters. After that, attempts at production houses (most notably for a Native American tribe in Lake Havasu), a focus on production houses (near to his heart), and then the later years where he taught at USC while often doing commissions to upgrade/renovate/make additions/restore his original designs. Finally, the revival of mid century modern in the late 1980s and a short perspective on his work and influence. A chunk of the book is a section of plates of his drawings for various projects and this is a nice chronological list of his works as well, with info on all of them.
The first question I think most readers will have: "Is the book only for architects or architecture purists?" The answer is a very surprising, "Not at all!" The tone is conversational, the author doesn't go deep diving into architectural theory, and I especially appreciated that he discussed the strengths and shortcomings of the buildings in terms that were easy to follow and made sense to a layman. The writing is not dry or boring, doesn't meander, and creates a very nicely realized picture of the architect as a person rather than an icon. What non-architectural readers will find of interest is that Koenig designed steel homes, not wood (which had been the hallmark of California architecture to that time). The iconic rectangular or L-shaped 'open floor plan' glass box (often cantilevered on a hillside) became his hallmark in the 1960s.
The heart of Koenig's work is likely the Case Study houses - part of a series of commissions to major architects by Art and Architecture Magazine. The houses received some accolade at the time that led to Koenig getting more work. But it wasn't until a 1989 mid century modern architecture retrospective by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles that he experienced a renewed interest in his (and other) era architects. He achieved fame twice in his life from those Case Houses.
Perhaps the one accession to the architect by the author is that the iconic image by photographer Shulman of Case Study House 22 was not included anywhere in the book. Rather, there are some interesting quotes from Koenig on how photographers and homeowners made so much money out of rights to his design but he received only recognition. It's an interesting thought considering the pervasive rights issues now affecting so many businesses in the modern digital age.
In all, this book is a great read - informative, interesting, intriguing, and visually appealing. It's also a great snapshot of Los Angeles when the City went through a huge growth period after World War II. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
