Michael Sheridan

Landmarks: The Modern House in Denmark

The human being was at the center of Danish Modernism. Traditional craftsmanship and a high degree of quality influenced both design and architecture. Besides numerous groundbreaking public buildings, the fifties and sixties saw the design of many nearly ideal single-family homes based on an aesthetic that focused on being true to the materials, honesty in construction, and the reduction of form. Built of wood and brick and with practical, informal floor plans and large glass surfaces that opened up the interior of the house to nature, the best of these homes still fulfill their tasks to this day.This is a compendium of selected buildings in detail, including icons such as Utzon House by Jørn Utzon, Arne Jacobsen's Siesby House, or the Bøgh Andersen House by Jørgen Bo and Vilhelm Wohlert. It includes new, four-color photographs that document the buildings as well as discussions on the history of each one's design and construction. Biographies of the architects round out the volume.