Adolf Loos

Widely regarded as one of the most significant prophets of modern architecture, Adolf Loos (1870-1933) was a star in his own time, known throughout Vienna as an outspoken, audacious dandy and moralist who defied the establishment. His work not only represented the beginning of modernism, with its stark, unornamented style, but also revolutionized architecture by introducing the concept of "spatial plan" architecture, which allowed for economizing space by designating rooms` sizes and heights based on their purposes. Loos also published numerous essays during his lifetime, the most notable of which is the oft-misunderstood "Ornament and Crime."

About the Series:

Every book in TASCHEN's Basic Architecture Series features:

- approximately 120 images, including photographs, sketches, drawings, and floor plans
- introductory essays exploring the architect's life and work, touching on family and background as well as collaborations with other architects
- the most important works presented in chronological order, with descriptions of client and/or architect wishes as well as construction problems and resolutions
-an appendix including a list of complete or selected works, biography, bibliography, and a map indicating the locations of the architect's most famous buildings