History, Theory, Criticism: Architecture and Ideology
A historically-informed approach to the political uses of architecture in the twentieth century, focused on Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during the inter-war period. Following on Walter Benjamin's seminal essay, 'The Work Art in the age of Mechanical Reproduction,' the course questions the tendency to group Fascism, Nazism, and Communism under a single heading and explores the sharp differences of approach between architects and in different national, political, technical, and ideological contexts. A special concern is the relationship between architecture and the rise of new means of mass communication. The course includes a field trip to Nurenberg and Dachau, Germany.