An International and Networked History of Modern Architecture

FAIN: FW-50203-10

Carola Margrit Hein
Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2859)

Most textbooks on the history of modern architecture concentrate on modernist theories, relevant actors, and selected outstanding buildings. Few discuss counter-modernist movements or take a global approach beyond Europe and America. Even fewer tie buildings into conceptual networks beyond local factors. For a more complete understanding of the international development of architectural design since the 19th century, it is important to examine the global transmission of architectural ideas as well as a building's local origins. The grant will allow me to bring this approach into my course, to provide it with a solid anchorage in the theory of cultural exchange, and to systematically trace the network of transference of architectural design ideas beyond the Western world. The findings will directly contribute to my research on the international exchange of architectural and planning ideas and add a new perspective to the study of the history of modern architecture.