Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture

Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture is the first in a series of occasional papers concerned with the theoretical background of modern architecture. Unlike other Museum publications in architecture and design, the series will be independent of the Museum's exhibition program and will explore ideas too complex for presentation in exhibition form, and authors will represent no single professional group. According to the author, this book is both an attempt at architectural criticism and an apologia-an explanation, indirectly, of his work. The examples chosen reflect his partiality for certain eras: Mannerist, Baroque, and Rococo especially. Separate chapters cover concepts such as nonstraightforward architecture; complexity and contradiction vs. simplification or picturesqueness; contradictory levels of meaning and use in architecture; and the ''double-functioning'' element. Also discussed are the complexity and contradiction that develops from the program of the building and reflects the inherent complexities and contradictions of living. The final chapter presents photographs and descriptions of the author's work.