Robin Middleton

According to the Architectural Association's official history on its website (https://web.archive.org/web/20140711161124/http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/AALIFE/LIBRARY/aahistory.php): "From 1971 until his death in 1990, Alvin [Boyarsky] held autocratic sway over Bedford Square, transforming the AA into a major international cultural institution." A symposium, "The Idea of the City," was held at the AA to celebrate his life and influential tenure. The symposium talks by Peter Eisenman, Rem Koolhaas, Bernard Tschumi and others are collected here alongside contributions by younger AA graduates, such as Zaha Hadid, Peter Wilson, and Peter Salter. The book is most valuable for Boyarsky's "Chicago à la Carte," an illustrated history of the city he created while assistant dean at UIC before heading to the AA. In fact, the book is best when Boyarsky's voice is front and center, be it in his essay or in the numerous interviews (both on the giving and receiving end) collected here.… (meer)