The Necessity of Artifice, by Joseph Rykwert (Academy Editions 1982), contains a selection of essays on modern architecture and its artistic essence. The essays’ topics deal with, for instance, Eileen Grey’s housing design, Adolf Loos’s argument about ornamentation, the concept of style and its development, Italian rationalism, and artistic interpretation of architecture.
The text is in English. The book is richly illustrated with black-and-white photographs and some architectural drawings.
Our copy is in good condition. The pages are clean; no markings except for the previous owner’s signature on the front cover and its backside. The glueing of the binding is fine. The covers show some traces of shelf wear and use.
