Jorn Utzon. Drawings and Buildings

Jorn Utzon received worldwide fame as the architect of the Sydney Opera House, but his much larger body of work has a breadth and depth that is of great importance for modern architectural history. And yet, little is known of his work outside of academic architectural circles. Arguably the most important Danish architect of the twentieth century, Utzon pioneered the movement for modern architecture to reconnect with its particular place and time without abandoning the techniques and materials that made it accessible to larger audiences. Modernism, for Utzon, didn't need to sacrifice particularity and local character in order to retain relevance and his widely varied work around the globe--from the National Assembly in Kuwait to the Bagsvaerd Church in Denmark and of course the Opera House in Sydney--is a testament to this approach's success. This book is a collection of these successes, told thematically so that Utzon's integral approach and lasting effects might be understood for what they are--at once particular and universal.