Adolf Loos: parts one and two

Adolf Loos: part one

Two talks by Philip Boyle

Recorded Tuesday 17th January 2023, and Tuesday 28th February 2023

At The Gallery, London EC1

Adolf Loos part two

Philip Boyle argues that Loos’ work in Europe from the end of the 19th century changed the scope of what ‘modern architecture’ could be for most of the important of 20th century architects who followed him.

“If architecture is important it should be possible to engage with it - (it can just be functional, and that is just fine). But if you engage with it, then it becomes both modern and art.”

Part one looks at the early part of Loos’ career in Vienna. Part two explores the later years of Loos’ career, after his move to Paris. It focuses on Loos’ later villas: The Maison Tzara, the unbuilt house for Josephine Baker, the Moller house, the Muller house and the Werkbund, Semi detached house.

Loos died in 1933, but his protoges Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra would take his ideas the the United States and develop them with their work there.