London Writings

A critical edition of German architect Gottfried Semper's writings from London.



Gottfried Semper left behind a voluminous legacy of writings on the theory of architecture. The manner through which Semper analyzed architecture from a cultural-historical perspective as the key discipline in human artistry continues to rouse deep fascination. London Writings makes available previously unpublished or little-known texts that originate from Semper's exile in London from 1850 to 1855 in a critical and commentated edition. Deeply impressed by the first Great Exhibition of 1851, it was in London that Semper laid the foundations for his theoretical magnum opus Der Stil . This work includes Semper's theories regarding the global development of architectural culture in its manifold material, social and political conditions.