David Cohn’s New Book Traces the Roots of Modernism in Spain

The new book by Madrid-based architecture critic and RECORD contributing editor David Cohn traces the roots of modernism in Spain, from the Spanish Enlightenment through the 21st century. But the book primarily centers on the years 1910–2008, a period that includes the fall of a monarchy, the turbulent Second Republic in the 1930s, a civil war, and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Following is an excerpt that explores the short but influential career of the Barcelona architect Enric Miralles, whose inventive projects from the 1980s and ’90s brought him international recognition.

Spain: Modern Architectures in History, by David Cohn. Reaktion Books, 344 pages, $40.