ness. The practice of architecture is reduced to the mere routine of confining oneself to the juggling of ancient forms, in which occupation there is no chance to lose or win. Such a condition does obtain in a large measure, evidencing our ineptness to devise appropriate architectural habiliments for the necessities of the society and commerce of these times. It does not seem rea
sonable that architecture will always continue to depend on the past rather than to bestir itself into a state of creative activity.
A publisher’s announcement that a new architectural book is on its way to the reviewer often is received with indifference, caused by the anticipated usual inspection of the same old main traveled roads. “An Architectural Pilgrimage in Old Mexico” is, however, a delightful surprise. It is like a most refreshing breeze from those prairies whose limits are indistinguishable from those of the boundless sky. It opens up great vistas of, and possibilities for, architectural adventure. Legitimate adventure is consonant with architecture. Why not? Without the spirit of adventure coupled with self-confidence, Columbus could not have made these United States possible.
Are we so wanting in architectural vision, selfconfidence and the spirit of creativeness and adventure that we should refrain from drinking deeply of the architectural refreshment thus offered to us?
The book, “An Architectural Pilgrimage in Old Mexico,” is Mr. Bossom’s pictorial presentation, reproduced from photographs of his own making,
of the Mexican architecture. These illustrations are selected with rare discrimination and are accompanied by suitable and pertinent captions which serve to accentuate an element of the building design and often to suggest a use by ourselves in our own problems. They disclose that rare and essential faculty possessed by some architects— double sight, the ability to observe a building and simultaneously construct another structure, thousands of miles distant, for different uses, different skies, climate, materials and for a different people and social conditions.
From the foreword is quoted:
All that an age signifies is written on the open book of its architecture. The architect is, at best, the conscious recorder of the culture of a race ; the thrall of his times. Chief builder he may be, but even though he direct a thousand pairs of skillful hands, he is but DELICATE BALCONIES AND GRACEFUL WATERSPOUTS ARE AN EASY METHOD OF ADDING CHARM TO THE
PLAINEST BUILDINGS
sonable that architecture will always continue to depend on the past rather than to bestir itself into a state of creative activity.
A publisher’s announcement that a new architectural book is on its way to the reviewer often is received with indifference, caused by the anticipated usual inspection of the same old main traveled roads. “An Architectural Pilgrimage in Old Mexico” is, however, a delightful surprise. It is like a most refreshing breeze from those prairies whose limits are indistinguishable from those of the boundless sky. It opens up great vistas of, and possibilities for, architectural adventure. Legitimate adventure is consonant with architecture. Why not? Without the spirit of adventure coupled with self-confidence, Columbus could not have made these United States possible.
Are we so wanting in architectural vision, selfconfidence and the spirit of creativeness and adventure that we should refrain from drinking deeply of the architectural refreshment thus offered to us?
The book, “An Architectural Pilgrimage in Old Mexico,” is Mr. Bossom’s pictorial presentation, reproduced from photographs of his own making,
of the Mexican architecture. These illustrations are selected with rare discrimination and are accompanied by suitable and pertinent captions which serve to accentuate an element of the building design and often to suggest a use by ourselves in our own problems. They disclose that rare and essential faculty possessed by some architects— double sight, the ability to observe a building and simultaneously construct another structure, thousands of miles distant, for different uses, different skies, climate, materials and for a different people and social conditions.
From the foreword is quoted:
All that an age signifies is written on the open book of its architecture. The architect is, at best, the conscious recorder of the culture of a race ; the thrall of his times. Chief builder he may be, but even though he direct a thousand pairs of skillful hands, he is but DELICATE BALCONIES AND GRACEFUL WATERSPOUTS ARE AN EASY METHOD OF ADDING CHARM TO THE
PLAINEST BUILDINGS