Writing Architectural History: Evidence and Narrative in Architectural History

Scholarship in architectural history has shifted to draw from critical theory focusing on gender, race, environment, and global history, connecting to revisionist trends in other fields. This has led to interdisciplinary research beyond art history and architecture schools, and the use of conventional and unorthodox forms of evidence and narrative.

Format: Hardback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 28 May 2022
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press

Over the past two decades, architectural history scholarship has undergone a remarkable transformation, shifting its focus away from design studio pedagogy and postmodern historicism towards the exploration of critical theory that encompasses gender, race, the environment, and more recently, global history. This shift has interconnected with revisionist trends in other fields, creating a rich tapestry of interdisciplinary research. By examining examples spanning space and time, from medieval European coin trials to eighteenth-century Haitian revolutionary buildings, Weimar German construction firms, and present-day African refugee camps, Writing Architectural History delves into the profound impact of these shifting institutional landscapes and disciplinary positionings on architectural history. Contributors shed light on how new methodological approaches have pushed the boundaries of traditional art history departments and architecture schools, fostering interdisciplinary research. They also explore the complexities and opportunities presented by conventional and unconventional forms of evidence and narrative, the tools employed to write history. This comprehensive volume offers a valuable insight into the evolving field of architectural history, highlighting its rich potential for interdisciplinary inquiry and its commitment to reexamining the past in new and innovative ways.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780822946847