The Architecture of Bart Prince
A Pragmatics of Place
Revised and Updated
18 May 2010
Description
With a look at new buildings by Bart Prince, this book examines the work of a uniquely American contemporary architect.
The work of Bart Prince is recognized internationally for both its seminal creative vision and for carrying on an American tradition of individualism in architecture originating with Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Bruce Goff. Prince shares with these pioneers a fundamental way of thinking about modern American architecture, which in his work he has combined with a firm belief in the experiential impact of a building to render a contemporary style all his own.
Originally published a decade ago, this updated version includes five new houses, demonstrating the architect’s maturing style and continued commitment to creating transcendent experiences in manipulated space. Stunning photographs and floor plans bring the reader as close as possible to experiencing these uniquely formed, magnificent buildings. A remarkable collaboration between the author, the photographer, and the architect, The Architecture of Bart Prince is the only comprehensive introduction to one of the most creative architects practicing in America today.
Reviews
"Updated in 2010, The Architecture of Bart Prince: A Pragmatics of Place includes five additional houses that illustrate Prince’s growth since the 1999 first edition. More than half the book’s pages are filled with detailed renderings and full-color photos of unique homes, . . . all designed by the Albuquerque native whom many consider to be one of the most creative American architects in the field today. . . . A personal friend of Prince’s immediate family, . . . [Mead] delves into the fourth-generation New Mexican’s ancestry to demonstrate how the family history guided the architect’s sense of self." — Su Casa Magazine
"Fans of architecture and those wishing to learn more about New Mexico’s evolving architectural aesthetic will enjoy this book." — New Mexico Magazine
"[Mead’s] well-constructed narrative details Prince’s challenges and successes and offers Prince’s designs and creative process as a metaphorical mountain meadow in which to alight. This edition includes five projects completed since the first edition in 1999. Penhall’s beautifully composed photographs complete the treatise." — The Albuquerque Journal
"Bart Prince may be the most creative architect practicing in America today. Expanding on approaches initiated by Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Goff, he celebrates a national tradition of absolute originality. Christopher Mead provides the thoughtful, well-reasoned analysis necessary to understand this work, matching in his enthusiasm the exuberance of Prince’s designs." — David De Long, University of Pennsylvania
"Bart Prince’s architecture stands alone today. It is in the Bruce Goff tradition, but Bart is his own person. Christopher Mead’s writing gives us insight into the history of place and family that shaped Prince, making him the unique architect that he is. It is an architecturally intelligent book, and is both analytical and perceptive." — Ray Kappe, FAIA