Australia: Modern Architectures in History traces the architects and buildings that have shaped Australian architectural culture from Federation in 1901 through to the new millennium, situating local practice within the broader currents of modernism and national identity.
About This Book
Beginning with the moment of Federation, this book charts Australia's long search for a built environment adequate to its climate, landscape, and emerging sense of nationhood. Harry Margalit moves from the ambitious city-making experiment of Canberra to the stylistic contests that eventually cleared ground for modernism, and on through postwar reconstruction to contemporary practice. The account is not limited to Sydney and Melbourne: each state and territory receives attention, acknowledged for its distinct history and climatic conditions. The result is a portrait of Australian architecture at its most compelling — when civic idealism meets the sensory demands of a continent defined by extraordinary light and landscape.
Key Features
- 368 pages of architectural history spanning Federation to the new millennium, drawing on case studies from across all states and territories
- Written by Harry Margalit, associate professor at the University of New South Wales
- Published by Reaktion Books
What You'll Discover
- How Federation in 1901 catalysed a conscious search for distinctly Australian city forms and building typologies
- The planning and ideological ambitions behind Canberra as a model city, and what they reveal about early national self-image
- The stylistic battles through which modernism established itself in Australia, and the regional variations that emerged across different states and territories
- How postwar reconstruction idealism shaped the built environment, and how that legacy persisted into the new millennium
About the Author
Harry Margalit is associate professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He is the author of several works, including Australia: Modern Architectures in History and Energy, Cities and Sustainability: An Historical Approach.
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: 368
- Dimensions: 220 x 171mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781789141245
- Publisher: Reaktion Books
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Architects and students seeking historical context for Australian practice, academics in architectural history and urban studies, and design enthusiasts with a serious interest in how national identity is expressed through built form.