This book marks the rediscovery of a vital voice in midcentury debates on modernism in architecture Published in conjunction with the exhibition 'Quest for Beauty: John Yeon's Eye for Art, Architecture, and the Oregon Landscape' at the Portland Art Museum (working title), opening May 13, 2017 Exceptionally beautiful archival photography by masters of the era, including Maynard Parker, Roger Sturtevant, and Ezra Stoller John Yeon (1910-1994) is a pioneering figure in architecture, who paved the way for the Northwest Regional style of modernism. Known for a series of exceptionally beautiful houses - including the Watzek House, a National Historic Landmark - Yeon's architecture was celebrated for its subtle relationship to site and place, and its sensitive deployment of local materials. His far-reaching innovations in construction and early sustainable design, and his stylistic freedom, anticipated several later movements, ranging from ecological modernism to postmodern eclecticism. Yet Yeon's scope of activities stretched far beyond architecture: he was also a planner, conservationist, art collector, historic preservationist, urban activist, and perhaps most of all, a connoisseur. John Yeon Architecture, the first in-depth monograph on Yeon, presents more than 25 built and unbuilt projects for houses, gardens, small public buildings, and exhibitions. Four perceptive essays explore Yeon's life and career: his characteristic design style, his position in the development of Northwest modernism, and his influential role in the stylistic debates of the 1940s and 1950s. John Yeon will be the subject of an exhibition at the Portland Art Museum opening May 13, 2017. It will focus on his art collection (promised to the PAM) but also on his architecture and other activities. This book and the book below are the only books accompanying the exhibition. PAM director Brian Ferriso has written the preface to the book, and Randy Gragg (editor of the book) is one of the curators of the exhibition."

Place of publication from publisher's website.

John Yeon is today known primarily for residential designs that announced, during the mid-twentieth century, a modern architecture for the Pacific Northwest. It was architecture characterized by astute siting and a sensitive use of wood, with planning that graciously accommodated contemporary living. His devotion to each project was complete, one reason for the relatively small number of realized works. Although regarded by some as a "regionalist," Yeon himself resisted that categorization, arguing for architecture appropriate to its place, time, and people. John Yeon: Modern Architecture and Conservation in the Pacific Northwest presents detailed accounts of the three interrelated spheres that comprised John Yeon's life: architecture, conservation, and art collecting. As an architect, he quickly established a national reputation with the completion of the Watzek house in Portland in 1937, and its exhibition and publication shortly thereafter. As a preservationist, his advocacy for causes like the Columbia River Gorge--efforts that spanned almost half a century--saved from development or despoliation several substantial parcels of land in the Gorge and along the Oregon Coast. Over the years, he also assembled an important collection of artworks, to a large degree centered on Asian ceramics and paintings, but bolstered by substantial holdings of European furniture and other applied arts, and works by certain contemporary artists. John Yeon: Modern Architecture and Conservation in the Pacific Northwest will appeal to all readers interested in architecture and its preservation, the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, and the appreciation and display of art.

"All new things built with the idea of preserving the beauty of the city and adding to it." -A. E. DoyleThe Central Library, Benson Hotel, Reed College, the Meier & Frank building, the U.S. National Bank-these are just a few of the grand Portland icons designed by Albert E. Doyle. During a period of rapid growth in Portland, Oregon, after the Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition and before the Great Depression, Doyle (1877-1928) was the city's most important architect. Beauty of the City is the first biography of this celebrated architect. Doyle's career was short, just twenty-one years. Yet everywhere Portland retains his imprint. Many of Doyle's classical, often white terra-cotta buildings became venerable city landmarks. He also designed Portland residences, Neahkahnie beach cottages, and houses and banks in Oregon and Washington.Using A. E. Doyle's own diaries and letters and his firm's records, historian Philip Niles traces the architect's life and times in the context of the burgeoning cityscape. As Portland expanded beyond its frontier origins and provincialism, Doyle helped introduce East Coast and European sophistication. Indeed, his refined sensibility influenced the development of the Northwest Regional Style by Pietro Belluschi and John Yeon, among others. Doyle set the standard for elegance and proportion that later architects adapted to more modern styles-his standard defines Portland's vibrant core and contributes to the city's beauty as much today as it did eighty years ago.Readers interested in Northwest history and culture will appreciate this compelling and richly illustrated biography of "Portland's architect" and the parallel story of the growth of the city. Likewise, architectural historians and those seeking to better understand Portland's architectural heritage will enjoy reading of Doyle's contributions to this celebrated cityscape.

"In addition to highlighting the human benefits of built environments which relate to particular place, time and being, many of the Japanese buildings examined illustrate practical strategies for revealing these universal parameters which are equally applicable beyond Japan. It is suggested that wider use of some of these approaches could not only help to sustain both environmental and cultural identities against the homogenising effects of globalisation, but also has the potential to heighten our appreciation of the peculiar condition of being here now."--Jacket.

Meredith Clausen reveals the enormous power that Belluschi wielded as an arbiter of taste and decision-maker in the 1950s and 1960s; his role in shaping the policy of the State Department in its overseas building program; and his role in securing major commissions for favored architects such as I.M. Pei. Equally important is Clausen's discussion of Belluschi's role in the development of regionalism in the Pacific Northwest and its impact on the definition of modernism as it was emerging in the United States.

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