The United Nations

Building Blocks

by Ezra Stoller

"The Building Blocks series presents icons of modern architecture as interpreted by the most significant architectural photographers of our time. The first four volumes feature the work of Ezra Stoller, whose photography has defined the way postwar architecture has been viewed by architects, historians, and the public at large. The buildings inaugurating this series-Eero Saarinen's "TWA Terminal," Wallace Harrison's "United Nations" complex, Le Corbusier's "Chapel at Ronchamp," and Paul Rudolph's "Yale Art and Architecture Building"-all have bold sculptural presences ideally suited to Stoller's unique vision. Each cloth-bound book in the series contains at least 80 pages of rich duotone images. Taken just after the completion of each project, these photographs provide a unique historical record of the buildings in use, documenting the people, fashions, and furnishings of the period. Through Stoller's photographs, we see these buildings the way the architects wanted us to know them. In the preface to each volume Stoller tells of his personal relationship with the architect of each project and recounts his experience photographing it. Brief introductions reveal the unique history of each building; also included are newly drawn plans.

Genres: Architecture

96 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1999

About the author

Ezra Stoller's interest in photography began while he was an architecture student at New York University, when he began making lantern slides and photographs of architectural models, drawings and sculpture. After his graduation in 1939, he concentrated on photography. His work featured landmarks of modern architecture, and Stoller is often cited in aiding the spread of the Modern Movement. In 1961, he was the first recipient of a Gold Medal for Photography from the American Institute of Architects.

Reviews

[Ray LaManna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book of photography after I read about the selection of New York as the site of the UN headquarters. Stoller's B&W photos while the buildings are going up are really quite beautiful.