Architecture and Modernity: A Critique (Repost)

Heynen (architecture, Catholic Univ., Leuven, Belgium) explores the philosophical idea of modernityAthe conditions of living imposed by the socioeconomic process of mechanizationAand its intersection with examples of modern architecture. Her central question is whether modernity is a "temporary aberration," as Christopher Alexander suggests, or an accurate reflection of the essential human condition. The methodology of the book moves in three directions: examining how architecture relates to modernity, drawing a conclusion to that examination by citing major representatives of the modern movement, and referring to theories in opposition to the modern movement.