Raimund Abraham & the Austrian Cultural Forum NY /anglais/allemand - Hardcover

Architectural historian Kenneth Frampton called the Austrian Cultural Forum, designed by Austrian architect and theorist Raimund Abraham (1933-2010), the most spectacular modern structure built in New York since the Seagram Building and the Guggenheim Museum. With a width of just seven and a half meters and a depth of 25 meters, the 24-story tower fits perfectly into Manhattan's 52nd Street, with its symmetrical glass fa ade. Despite or because of the exceedingly restrictive conditions of the location, Abraham succeeded in producing extraordinary stylistic elements while meeting utilitarian criteria ("my intention with the building was to resolve the extreme condition of smallness of the site, its void, its lateral compression," he later wrote). The first publication devoted solely to this architectural marvel, Raimund Abraham & The Austrian Cultural Forum New York features contributions on a range of political, historical and aesthetic issues related to the building and its creator.

Architectural historian Kenneth Frampton called the Austrian Cultural Forum, designed by Austrian architect and theorist Raimund Abraham (1933 2010), the most spectacular modern structure built in New York since the Seagram Building and Frank Lloyd Wright s Guggenheim Museum. With a width of 7.6 meters and a depth of 25 meters, the 24-story tower with its symmetrical glass façade fits perfectly into Manhattan s 52nd Street. Despite the extremely narrow plot of land, Abraham succeeded in producing extraordinary stylistic elements that elude any architectural trend. This is the first monograph on the building after eight years of vigorous use, and numerous photos and multi-faceted material present the various features of the structure. Contributions on the significance of the institution in Austria s domestic and foreign policy, on Abraham s work, his stance as a teacher and theorist, his relationship to Austria, as well as on other aspects provide insight into his architectural and aesthetic ideas.