by SAXON HENRY
ICFF Book Signing for Four Florida Moderns
Monday, May 17, 2010 @ 3:00 PM
Archivia Books at ICFF
Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York
MIAMI — W.W. Norton & Company has released Four Florida Moderns: The Architecture of Alberto Alfonso, René González, Chad Oppenheim, & Guy W. Peterson. Authored and edited by Saxon Henry, the book includes contributions by Robert McCarter, the late Charles Gwathmey, Richard Meier, Terence Riley & Warren R. Schwartz. “Modern architecture is alive and well and living in Florida,” begins Robert McCarter’s foreword. If there was any question as to modernism’s longevity and influence on today’s generation of architects, the array of architectural styles and statements coming out of Florida from four of its best practitioners puts the matter to rest.
Alberto Alfonso, René González, Chad Oppenheim, and Guy Peterson — The Florida Four — are making a mark for themselves in contemporary architectural circles, infusing modernist traditions with their own flair. Practitioners of modernism in Florida — or, more accurately, tropical modernism — are producing noteworthy works that display their commitment to distinctive regionalism. This book is the first to showcase their rich and varied repertoires.
Toshiko Mori, FAIA, principal of Toshiko Mori Architect, and the former chair of the Department of Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, says of the book: “The architecture of Alfonso, Gonzáles, Oppenheim, and Peterson testifies to the fact that modern architecture is not a style but a way of life. In their work, modernism evolves into a lyrical language. With informality, sensuousness, and relaxed atmospheres, their buildings thrive in the strong light and lush landscape of Florida. The strength of expression and primacy of geometry still exist as heroic gestures, but the possibility of intimacy in modernism as demonstrated by their work has never before been achieved. Their work goes beyond mere ideology and style. The buildings exist in harmony with their site and climate, mutating the tradition of modern into a melodic relationship between architecture and nature.”
Review copies and images are available upon request by emailing the author, Saxon Henry.
Jacket design by Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich.
ISBN 978-0-393-73274-0
$50.00 USA and $62.50 CAN
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[Press Release]