Konrad Wachsmann

152 pages, 91 color, 50 duotone, and 40 b/w illustrations, English

German modernist architect Konrad Wachsmann (1901–80) had a career-spanning interest in construction processes—in particular the prefabrication of building components and their assembly within modular systems. In this respect, Wachsmann was a pioneer whose ideas and work paved the way for today’s industrialized construction.

Marianne Burkhalter and Christian Sumi synthesize years of careful research into a compelling look at this highly creative architect. At the core of the book is Wachsmann’s dynamic Grapevine Structure, a universal construction element developed with students during his tenure at the Chicago Institute of Design—part of what is today the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Published to coincide with an exhibition on Konrad Wachsmann at the 2018 International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, the book features rich illustrative material.