#pierre koenig

Thanks to Julius Shulman’s photographs his Stahl House (1959) is an icon of mid-century architecture and its creator Pierre Koenig (1924-2004) was catapulted into the limelight. The house, together with its predecessor, the Bailey House, was Koenig’s contribution to the legendary Case Study House Program initiated by John Entenza for his Arts & Architecture magazine. One who is intimately acquainted with Koenig’s life and work is Neil Jackson, architect and architectural historian, who in his last book provides an in-depth perspective on the oeuvre of the architect: „Pierre Koenig - A View from the Archive“, published by the Getty Trust Publications in 2019, is based on Koenig’s archive at the Getty that the author used to trace both his life and work. Koenig studied at the USC at a time when the post and beam construction was a central topic in the curriculum, a focal point Koenig didn’t share: his interest lied with steel, a material that would occupy him throughout his entire career. Accordingly the projects featured in the book are all based on his gradually refined steel frames as well as his adamant waiver of air condition in favor of natural ventilation. Having unrestricted access to all kinds of archival material Jackson documents each project in great detail: correspondence between client and architect, plan material and drawings documenting the progress of each building and occasional photographs add up to a highly readable examination of Koenig’s work. At the same time, and lending to the biographical material analyzed, the author provides a lively picture of the architect that includes such details as his plummeting grades at university after presenting projects based on steel constructions.

With this said Neil Jackson‘s is a valuable addition to James Steele‘s classic monograph that adds additional depth and detail to the overall picture of Pierre Koenig. A highly recommended read for anyone interested in California modern architecture.