Modernity and Reinvention

The Architecture of James Gowan: Modernity and Reinvention chronicles the course of James Gowan's life and work, with his involvement in some of the most important and influential buildings in post-war Britain. Based on an extended interview conducted with the award-winning architectural critic Ellis Woodman. The Architecture of James Gowan: Modernity and Reinvention covers the entirety of Gowan's work, from his early employment with Powell and Moya and Lyons Israel Ellis through a selection of key projects from his partnership with James Stirling, such as the Leicester Engineering Faculty, 1963. Since then, Gowan has realised 40 years of work under his own name, including Schreiber House, 1964, one of the most significant houses to be built in Britain in the past century. Following his designs for social housing in the 1960s and 70s the book profiles Gowan's work through to the present day, where at 83 he is completing the Humanitas Hospital Milan.

In addition to the photographs, drawings and sketches of Gowan's architectural projects the book also features countless freehand drawings and sketchbook notations, which display his critical eye, humor and wit. The book also includes a number of Gowan's own writings, as well as shorter texts by some of his many high-profile students, such as Tony Fretton, Alex do Rijke, Richard Rogers and Peter Cook.