France, arguably more than any other Western nation, played a central role in the emergence and development of modernism across a variety of disciplines, with its architects in particular creating some of the most iconic buildings of the twentieth century. Yet few histories have attempted to grapple with the continuities and breaks in France’s architecture since 1900, particularly against the broader international background. France: Modern Architectures in History is the first book to present a complete narrative of the unfolding of architectural modernity in France, dealing both with the buildings themselves and also the political and critical frameworks surrounding them.This book is based on more than three decades of research on the architecture and urban design of the francophone world, dealing not only with developments within France itself but also the colonial context and the systems of exchange with other countries including Italy, Germany, Russia and the United States. Jean-Louis Cohen offers a new perspective on ideas, projects and buildings too often considered in a narrow, nationalistic perspective. He also maps France’s architectural and spatial development against its problematic search for national identity, the background of European rivalries and the country’s colonial project.Authoritatively written and drawing on a wealth of recent research, France: Modern Architectures in History will be of interest to students, professionals and historians of architecture as well as in other fields of study.
Everyone knows Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the chateaux of the Loire Valley, but French architects have also produced some of the most iconic buildings of the twentieth century, playing a central role in the emergence and development of modernism. In France, Jean-Louis Cohen presents a complete narrative of the unfolding architectural modernity in the country, grappling not only with the buildings but also with the political and critical context surrounding them. Cohen examines the developments in urban design and architecture within France, depicting the continuities and breaks in French architecture since 1900 against a broader international background. Describing the systems of architectural exchange with other countries-including Italy, Germany, Russia, and the United States-he offers a new view on the ideas, projects, and buildings otherwise so often considered only from narrow nationalistic perspectives. Cohen also maps the problematic search for a national identity against the background of European rivalries and France's colonial past. Drawing on a wealth of recent research, this authoritatively written book will challenge the way design professionals and historians view modern French architecture.
