Fritz Barth Livres

Konstantin Melnikov (1890–1974) stands out as a remarkable architect of the 20th century, despite a brief career and limited recognition, primarily in Moscow, where he spent most of his life. Raised in modest circumstances, he received a strong education and, starting in the mid-1920s, emerged as a leader in the Soviet architecture movement, creating autonomous, artistic buildings free from dogma. However, his rapid rise was followed by a swift downfall; facing hostility and accusations of formalism, he was expelled from the architects' association and banned from practicing for the last four decades of his life. At the height of his career in the late 1920s, he designed a house for his family in Moscow, which he lived in until his death. This house exemplifies a striking blend of simplicity and radicalism, serving as one of the most intriguing works of 20th-century architecture. Its outward simplicity belies a complex interplay of architectural elements, prompting deep questions about the essence of architectural thought. The book explores Melnikov's work from an architectural perspective, offering insights into his unique contributions. Fritz Barth, an architect and educator, brings his expertise to this examination, having authored several notable studies in architecture.

Heroic 20th-century Modernism viewed the private home as a testing ground for utopian theories, a space for experimentation where innovative ideas could be realized. Architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Gerrit Rietveld, Le Corbusier, and Konstantin Melnikov utilized this intimate setting to bring their visionary concepts to life. In contrast, Fritz Barth’s house in Fellbach adopts an ironic, melancholic stance towards this heroic ideal while still drawing from its legacy. Barth sees his home as an experiment reflecting the state of architecture at the dawn of the 21st century, aiming not to merely expand architectural vocabulary but to explore the remaining possibilities of 'dwelling' as defined by Heidegger. The outcome is not a nostalgic homeliness but a structure that firmly asserts itself within its context. Its complexity, rich in allusions and references, unfolds gradually behind a deceptively simple exterior focused on immediate experience. Despite Barth's polemical intentions, the house transcends being an ideological statement, emphasizing the essence of 'dwelling' without distinguishing between surface and function. Fritz Barth, an architecture graduate from Stuttgart, holds a PhD from ETH Zürich. Thomas Hettche, a freelance writer, and Amber Sayah, an editor and author, contribute to the discourse surrounding architecture, while Gerhart Schröder, a retired professor, has explored aesthetic development in early modern

Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s fortress complexes, created at the end of the Quattrocento, remain experimental and speculative even after five centuries due to their semiotic character. These structures blur the lines between architecture and sculpture, representing a unique moment in European architectural history. Their origins lie in the historic shift caused by the emergence of firearms in the 14th century, which favored attackers and rendered traditional defenses inadequate. Martini, a versatile artist from Siena, worked primarily in Urbino and left a diverse body of work, including painting, sculpture, and architecture. His notable achievements include the three ideal city prospects and impressive reliefs, positioning him as a key figure between Alberti and Bramante. His engineering feats also influenced Leonardo da Vinci. Despite his extensive theoretical contributions, Martini is recognized more as an all-round artist than a humanist writer. His sacred and secular structures reflect classicism and austerity, while his fortresses seem to transcend functional concerns, embracing the unfamiliar and alien. This book explores the grandiose semiotic character of these structures and examines strategies for designing buildings without precedents. Fritz Barth, an architecture graduate from Stuttgart, has authored monographs on significant architectural works and runs a firm in Fellbach, while also engaging in photography.

Fritz Barth, geboren 1958, studierte Architektur an der Universität Stuttgart. Er betreibt ein Architekturbüro in Fellbach, ist Inhaber der Honorarprofessur für Baugestaltung an der Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar und Autor einer Anzahl von Büchern, die sich mit der Architektur und ihrem Umfeld auseinandersetzen, darunter einer Monographie über Johann Blasius Santini-Aichel, eines Architekten im Umkreis des böhmischen Radikal-barock (Santini. Ein Baumeister des Barock in Böhmen, 2004), einer Studie über den Festungsbau der frühen Neuzeit in Italien (Zeichen des Wehrhaften. Festungsbauten von Francesco di Giorgio Martini / Martial Signifiers. Fortress Complexes by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Edition Axel Menges 2011) sowie einer eingehenden Betrachtung des Melnikowhauses in Moskau, eines Hauptwerks der Architektur des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts (Konstantin Melnikow und sein Haus / Konstantin Melnikov and his House, Edition Axel Menges 2015)

Konstantin Melnikov (1890–1974) zählt zu den bedeutendsten Architekten des 20. Jahrhunderts, trotz seines frühen Rückzugs und des begrenzten, wenig publizierten Werks, das fast ausschließlich in Moskau verankert ist. Aufgewachsen in bescheidenen Verhältnissen und hervorragend ausgebildet, erlebte er ab den 1920er Jahren einen rasanten Aufstieg in der jungen sowjetischen Architektur, geprägt von eigenständigen, künstlerisch innovativen Bauten. Doch sein Erfolg währte nicht lange: In den 1930er Jahren, als Stalin die architektonischen Experimente unterband, wurde Melnikov als Formalist angefeindet, aus dem Architektenverband ausgeschlossen und mit einem Berufsverbot belegt. In den späten 1920er Jahren, auf dem Höhepunkt seines Schaffens, baute er ein eigenes Haus in Moskau, das er bis zu seinem Lebensende bewohnte. Dieses Gebäude, eine bemerkenswerte Mischung aus bäuerlicher Einfachheit und radikaler Formensprache, gilt als eines der beeindruckendsten Werke der Architektur des 20. Jahrhunderts. Seine scheinbare Simplizität verbirgt eine komplexe Beziehung der architektonischen Elemente und wirft grundlegende Fragen über architektonisches Denken auf. Das Buch verfolgt in essayistischer Form die Wege, die in Melnikovs Werk angelegt sind, aus der Perspektive des Architekten. Fritz Barth, Architekt und Autor, hat mehrere Fachbücher verfasst und lehrt an der TU Darmstadt.