Materialized Space

A reassessment of the career of architect Paul Rudolph, from his modernist Sarasota houses to his controversial Brutalist buildings and later international projects, featuring unpublished drawings, models, and furniture Architect Paul Rudolph (19181997) was known for his iconic modern houses and exemplary Brutalist buildings in exposed concrete, including the Yale Art and Architecture Building and the Boston Government Service Center. Rudolphs popularity peaked during the 1950s and 60s, when he served as the chair of Yale Universitys Department of Architecture, but his work fell from favor with the advent of postmodernism in the 1970s. This compact volume provides an introduction to and long-overdue reassessment of the architects trailblazing career. Discussing the full range of Rudolphs workfrom his beginnings in Sarasota, Florida, and his public and institutional buildings to mixed-use developments in Asia and plans for unrealized megastructures, including the controversial Lower Manhattan ExpresswayAbraham Thomas examines how Rudolph explored concepts such as functionalism, urbanism, and modular construction across decades and continents. Richly illustrated with photographs of the structures and Rudolphs own drawings (many never before published), as well as models, furniture, and period press clippings, this book sheds light on the architects process and takes up themes such as civic design, housing development, and experimental materials and methodsthemes as important in his time as in our own. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (September 30, 2024March 16, 2025)