The Pan Am Building and the Shattering of the Modernist Dream

Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2005. Small square qaurto in white wraps illusin blue; xviii, 477 pages: illustrations; 24 cm; bibliographical references and index. About near fine with tiny nick to rear wraps and extremely faint soiling amd a tiny corner crease (hardly noticed) to front bottom outer corner. Binding is very tight and leaves clean within. Small remainder(?) stamp to bottom edge. Paperback. ISBN: 9780262532839

Contents: Grand Central City -- The Pan Am building -- The clamor of criticism -- The building's impact -- The architects -- Aftermath -- Conclusion. / "The Pan Am Building and the reaction to it signaled the end of an era. Begun when the modernist aesthetic and the architectural star system ruled architectural theory and practice, the completed building became a symbol of modernism's fall from grace. In The Pan Am Building and the Shattering of the Modernist Dream, Meredith Clausen tells the story as both history and cautionary tale - a case study of how not to plan and execute a large-scale urban project that seems especially relevant in light of the World Trade Center and the ongoing discussions over what should be built in its place."--Jacket. / Modern movement (Architecture) -- New York (State) -- New York. Architecture and society -- New York. Skyscrapers. Modernism. Aviation