You Have to Pay for the Public Life : Selected Essays of Charles W. Moore

Architect Charles Moore (1925-1993) was not only celebrated for his designs; he was also an admired writer and teacher. Though he wrote clearly and passionately about places, he was perhaps unique in avoiding the tone and stance of the personal manifesto. Through his buildings, books, and travels, Moore consistently sought insights into the questions that always underlie architecture and design: What does it mean to make a place, and how do we inhabit those places? How do we continue to build upon but respect the landscape? How do we reconcile democracy and private land ownership? What is original? What is taste? What is the relationship between past and present? How do we involve inhabitants in making places? Finally, what is public life? As the world becomes smaller, and the uniqueness of places and landscapes gives way to sameness, Moore's celebration of the vernacular and of the surprising are more relevant than ever. The pieces in this book span the years 1952 to 1993 and engage a myriad of topics and movements, such as contextualism, community participation, collaboration, environmentally sensitive design, and historic preservation. The essays in this book reflect as well Moore's scholarship, humanism, urbanity, and great wit. Introduction......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 28 New Hope for Local Art......Page 32 Gospel According to Wright......Page 34 The Shapes of Our Time......Page 37 Emergency Surgery Was Necessary......Page 39 Environment and Industry......Page 40 Commentary for Princeton’s Beaux Arts and Its New Academicism......Page 52 The Restoration of Old Monterey......Page 54 The Architecture of Water......Page 59 Plaster in Architecture......Page 68 Review of Louis I. Kahn: L’uomo, il maestro and What Will Be Has Always Been......Page 90 Hadrian’s Villa......Page 92 Sagamore......Page 111 Toward Making Places......Page 119 Review of The Earth, the Temple and the Gods, by Vincent Scully......Page 139 You Have to Pay for the Public Life......Page 142 Unposed Questions......Page 174 Ghirardelli Square......Page 177 The Cannery: How It Looks to a Critic......Page 179 Plug It In, Rameses, and See if It Lights Up, Because We Aren’t Going to Keep It Unless It Works......Page 182 Eleven Agonies and One Euphoria......Page 193 Interview with John Wesley Cook and Heinrich Klotz......Page 198 Edifice Rex......Page 239 Schindler: Vulnerable and Powerful......Page 242 In Similar States of Undress......Page 245 Learning from Adam’s House......Page 249 From The Yale Mathematics Building Competition......Page 251 Southernness......Page 258 Architecture and Fairy Tales......Page 270 Impressions of Japanese Architecture......Page 310 Scully’s Revenge......Page 314 Review of Selected Drawings: H. H. Richardson and His Office, by James F. O’Gorman......Page 316 The Master of Allusion: Sir John Soane......Page 318 Creating of Place......Page 323 Planning the Hood Museum of Art......Page 333 Ten Years Later......Page 339 For Don Canty......Page 343 Reflections of a Less Critical Regionalism and Other Burdensome Matters......Page 345 Interview with Leon Luxemburg......Page 353 The Qualities of Quality......Page 363 Hispanic Lecture......Page 368 Soane, Schinkel, and Jefferson......Page 397 Triple Threat Heritage (Inspiration for a New Architecture)......Page 409 Foreword to The Texas Rangers, by Alexander Caragonne......Page 416 Index......Page 420 Machine Generated Contents Note: New Hope For Local Art -- Gospel According To Wright -- The Shapes Of Our Time -- Emergency Surgery Was Necessary -- Environment And Industry -- Commentary For Princeton's Beaux Arts And Its New Academicism -- The Restoration Of Old Monterey -- The Architecture Of Water -- Plaster In Architecture -- Review Of Louis I. Kahn: L'uomo, Il Maestro And What Will Be -- Has Always Been -- Hadrian's Villa -- Sagamore -- Toward Making Places -- Review Of The Earth, The Temple And The Gods, By Vincent Scully -- You Have To Pay For The Public Life -- Unposed Questions -- Ghirardelli Square -- The Cannery: How It Looks To A Critic -- Plug It In, Rameses, And See If It Lights Up, Because We -- Aren't Going To Keep It Unless It Works -- Eleven Agonies And One Euphoria -- Interview With John Wesley Cook And Heinrich Klotz -- Edifice Rex -- Schindler: Vulnerable And Powerful -- In Similar States Of Undress -- Learning From Adam's House -- From The Yale Mathematics Building Competition -- Southernness -- Architecture And Fairy Tales -- Impressions Of Japanese Architecture -- Scully's Revenge -- Review Of Selected Drawings: H. H. Richardson And His Office, -- By James F. O'gorman -- The Master Of Allusion: Sir John Soane -- Creating Of Place -- Planning The Hood Museum Of Art -- Ten Years Later -- For Don Canty -- Reflections Of A Less Critical Regionalism And Other -- Burdensome Matters -- Interview With Leon Luxemburg -- The Qualities Of Quality -- Hispanic Lecture -- Soane, Schinkel, And Jefferson -- Triple Threat Heritage (inspiration For A New Architecture) -- Foreword To The Texas Rangers, By Alexander Caragonne -- Index. Edited By Kevin Keim. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Previously uncollected essays of an architect whose love of people, buildings, and nature was reflected in the places he built.Architect Charles Moore (1925-1993) was not only celebrated for his designs; he was also an admired writer and teacher. Though he wrote clearly and passionately about places, he was perhaps unique in avoiding the tone and stance of the personal manifesto. Through his buildings, books, and travels, Moore consistently sought insights into the questions that always underlie architecture and design: What does it mean to make a place, and how do we inhabit those places? How do we continue to build upon but respect the landscape? How do we reconcile democracy and private land ownership? What is original? What is taste? What is the relationship between past and present? How do we involve inhabitants in making places? Finally, what is public life? As the world becomes smaller, and the uniqueness of places and landscapes gives way to sameness, Moore's celebration of the vernacular and of the surprising are more relevant than ever.The pieces in this book span the years 1952 to 1993 and engage a myriad of topics and movements, such as contextualism, community participation, collaboration, environmentally sensitive design, and historic preservation. The essays in this book reflect as well Moore's scholarship, humanism, urbanity, and great wit. "Architect Charles Moore (1925-1993) was not only celebrated for his designs: he was also an admired writer and teacher. Though he wrote clearly and passionately about places, he was perhaps unique among modern architects in avoiding the tone and stance of the personal manifesto. Through his buildings, books, and travels, Moore consistently sought insights into the questions that always underlie architecture and design: What does it mean to make a place, and how do we inhabit those places? How do we continue to build upon but respect the landscape? How do we reconcile democracy and private land ownership? What is original? What is taste? What is the relationship between past and present? How do we involve inhabitants in making places? Finally, what is public life? As the world becomes smaller, and the uniqueness of places and landscapes gives way to sameness, Moore's celebration of the vernacular and of the surprising is more relevant than ever." "The pieces in this book span the years 1952 to 1993 and engage a myriad of topics and movements, such as contextualism, community participation, collaboration, environmentally sensitive design, and historic preservation. The book reflects as well Moore's scholarship, humanism, urbanity, and great wit."--Jacket