Connell, Ward and Lucas: A Modernist Architecture in England: 0 - Tapa dura

Dennis Sharp's and Sally Rendel's book is a coherent and three-dimensional portrait of these 'first modern houses in England'. They write with fluidity and explain technical innovations in a plain English to produce a fully referenced academic work. It is impossible to concieve of any publication more complete. || For fans of British Modernism this monograph will prove a valued insight into its heyday. For Connell Ward & Lucas the body of work presented will only reinforce their reputation at its centre and their influence beyond. || There are gaps on the shelves of architectural monographs of the twentieth century that have long needed filling. Until this year there was a gap under Connell Ward & Lucas. At last, the big ship has come into harbour, laden with a rich cargo of photographs and detailed information on the buildings, more numerous, probably, than most of us realised.

With their original and innovative projects, Amyas Connell and Basil Ward from New Zealand and the British architect Colin Lucas introduced a new and uncompromising contemporary language of architecture to England in the 1930s. Their simple, clear shapes in concrete and glass still resonate with a novel approach to functional form-giving. This is the first full study of one of the most controversial of modernist practices and is destined to be of classic importance. It opens with a fascinating overview of the historical background and then focuses on detailed studies of individual houses, social housing schemes, shops and café s. Each study is fully illustrated with contemporary plans and photographs showing the buildings as they were being built and newly constructed, as well as more recent photographs to show later alterations and changes. The book includes a complete list of projects, a time line and a full bibliography.