Adolf Loos: Meaning, Context, Reception

Christopher Long's latest volume of essays on the prestigious 19th-century architect, essayist and progenitor of modernism

Architectural historian and leading voice on Adolf Loos, Christopher Long returns with another commentary on the Austrian pioneer of modern architecture. Adolf Loos (1870-1933), an opponent of ornamentation on buildings, designed buildings in Vienna that contrasted with the popular Art Nouveau and Secession styles. In this anthology of eight essays, Long takes on the meanings of Loos' writings and design work, the cultural world in which he was embedded, and how he was regarded by the critics and public. Long exposes and explodes old myths about Loos, fostering in the process a new, brilliant and compelling view of one of modern architecture's key protagonists.

Christopher Long is the author of Adolf Loos on Trial and Essays on Adolf Loos. He is a professor in the Architectural History program at the University of Texas School of Architecture.