Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph

Book excerpt: Architect Paul Rudolph (1918–1997) was known for his iconic modern houses and exemplary Brutalist buildings in exposed concrete. Rudolph’s popularity peaked during the 1950s and 1960s, when he served as the chair of Yale University’s Department of Architecture, but his work fell from favor with the advent of postmodernism in the 1970s. This compact volume provides an introduction to and long-overdue reassessment of the architect’s trailblazing career, from his modernist Florida houses to his public and institutional buildings, unrealized megastructures, experimental interiors, and later mixed use developments in Asia. Abraham Thomas examines how Rudolph explored concepts such as functionalism, urbanism, and modular construction across decades and continents. Richly illustrated with photographs of the structures and Rudolph’s own drawings as well as models, furniture, and period press clippings, this book sheds light on the architect’s process and takes up themes as important in his time as in our own, such as civic design, housing development, and experimental materials and methods.