Jim Stirling and the Red Trilogy: Three Radical Buildings

The University of Leicester Engineering Building, the History Faculty and Library at Cambridge, and the residential Florey Building at Queen's College are much praised by architects, yet hated by the members of the universities that use them. Here Alan Berman has drawn together essays that put the buildings in their historical context while exploring both their radical features and their technical failings. In addition, 22 of today's most famous architects — including Will Alsop, Norman Foster, Richard MacCormac, and Richard Rogers — explain and partly seek to defend the importance of these radical and controversial buildings. With top contributors and newly commissioned photography, as well as stunning drawings taken from the Jim Stirling archives, this book attempts a serious reengagement with the continuing debate between modern architects and the public.