Building Seagram

I found this detailed narrative of how a building originates and survives very informative -- informative about how design is accomplished, applicable to any building.This one happens to be one of the great landmarks of Modern design, and the narrative is a knowing participant in its design, Phyllis Lambert. After reacting vociferously to an image of the building her father, president of Seagram, plans to build, he appoints her Director of Planning. It is up her to find the architect, and we read about the considerations that led to Mies van der Rohe;. She details who worked with whom to achieve what, down to the last stair tread or door jamb.Since this is such a fine building, I felt privileged to learn so much about it from a first-hand source.She writes well, and the book is very well illustrated (not prettied up) and designed.

For one of the most important buildings of the modern era, and one that has been written about so many times, this book finally delivers enough of the inside story to truly understand the "Why" of much of the building. Told from Lampert's inside seat it has to be considered the definitive version. Many of the photographs are seen for the first time.To be sure, one has to be a fan of the building and really want to know much more than has already been delivered by so many others. It is also fascinating to hear the story of what happened after its construction, the life of the building and how easily it could have all gone astray.Well done.

Very well written by the woman who made this building "happen", Phyllis Lambert (née Bronfman). It is one of the most admired office buildings in the world. Very classy and holds its age very well!!

Beautifully produced book! Excellent information and beautiful production values went into the creation of this book!

Required reading for architects and anyone who cares about architecture and its role in our cities. The author Phyllis Lambert, along with other strong-willed and knowledgeable women such as Dominique de Menil and Ruth Carter Stevenson, did much to require the inter-relationships of the building's architecture, public spaces and plazas, interior spaces, and art into an integrated whole in the urban environments. Mrs. Lambert, as a young artist and later architect, describes well the personalities and accomplishments of architects Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson as they designed one of the most important buildings in the United States.

I have loved the Seagram Building since it opened in 1958 and I knew of Ms Lambert's role in getting Mies van der Rohe to design the building and now i have the whole story directly from the source. I love the Four Seasons Restaurant on the south side of the building as well.Ms Lambert, THANK YOU! Since you live in the Province of Quebec in keeping with C101, Merci Beaucoup

Disliked. 3 Chapters on the Seagram Building and 7... yes 7... chapters about how the author feels about other topics of architecture. This is not what it looks like. Only a fraction is devoted to the Seagram Building.

if you are interested in things like this, this book is wonderful. tells you everything you want to know about how this amazing building came to be.

perfect

Phyllis Lambert hat 2014 den goldenen Löwen bei der Biennale von Venedig bekommen wegen ihren Beitrag zu Architekturgeschichte, deswegen wollte ich dieses Buch haben. Das Buch übertraf meine Erwartungen. Es ist groß und dick und schön bebildert. Vom Inhalt kann ich sagen dass es auch Referenzen zu Utopien hat, wie z.B. wie Constantin Brâncusi eine Skulptur für die Plazza machen sollte, oder die Verbindung zur Utopie von Mies für ein Wolkenkratzer in der Friedrichstraße in Berlin. Phyllis Lambert's Vater stammte aus einer Familie in Moldawien, vielleicht deswegen die Verbindung zu Brâncusi.

Toll, lässig geschrieben und wahnsinnig detailliert. Eine, diesem Jahrhundertbauwerk würdige Veröffentlichung von einer Zeitzeugin!

Very informative, going into details of each project phase. Definitely recommend to anyone in the industry. Elegant large format and design.

This book is at best a coffee table book or a book that you leave in your library to consult some pages or chapters here and there from time to time.It reads like the author's testament or diary.