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Preface

Professor Barry Bergdoll

Professor of Art History and Archaeology


Professor Bergdoll's broad interests center on modern architectural history, with a particular emphasis on France and Germany between 1750 and 1900. Trained in art history rather than architecture, he has an approach most closely allied with cultural history and the history and sociology of professions. He has studied questions of the politics of cultural representation in architecture, the larger ideological content of nineteenth-century architectural theory, and the changing role of both architecture as a profession and architecture as a cultural product in nineteenth-century European society.

Bergdoll's interests also include the intersections of architecture and new technologies—and eventually cultures—of representations in the modern period, especially photography and film. he has worked on several film productions about architecture, in addition to curating a number of architectural exhibitions concerned with the history and problematics of exhibiting architecture, and the history of museological practices in relationship to architecture.

Click to browse an abbreviated list of Professor Bergdoll's publications
.


(W3645y) Course Information & Syllabus

Twentieth Century Architecture & City Planning (1890–1990) meets Mondays and Wednesdays 4:10–5:25PM in room 501, Schermerhorn Hall.

The syllabus has been formatted as portable document files (pdfs) for ease when printing. This format necessitates the Adobe Acrobat Reader. (If you encounter any problems viewing the file you will need to download a browser plug-in from the Adobe Acrobat Reader Web site.) Click to download the course syllabus.


Course requirements:

(The percentage each part will play in the calculation of your final grade is noted in parentheses)
1] (15%) Regular attendance and active participation in a section.
2] (50%) examinations: Midterm (in class) and final (during examination period).
3] (35%) an essay or term paper to be chosen from the following options:

a] a response to a set question in the history of interpretations of modern architecture of 6–7 pages. Topics will be distributed in a few weeks. Students will be offered a choice of four topics; for each there will be an assignment of anywhere from four to six readings by different authors over a span of time. Your essay will examine shifting perspectives, underlying assumptions, and changing attitudes towards a seminal figure or building in 20th century modernism. Each of the topics will also be followed up by a discussion led by one or more of the section leaders and the instructor to be scheduled later in the term. Sign-up sheets for these discussion meetings (18 students maximum per session) with deadlines and essay topics will be distributed in a few weeks. These assignments will have staggered due dates, ranging from 6 March to 8 April.

b] a research paper on a topic not well represented in the syllabus to be worked out in consultation with the section leader and the topic approved by the instructor before 1 March. Preliminary bibliographies should be submitted by March 25th for comments by the instructor. Papers due 22 April; extensions will be granted only in the most extenuating of circumstances.


Section Leaders

Eric Anderson [ega19@columbia.edu]
Andrew Manson [ajm56@columbia.edu]
William Kaizen [wrk4@columbia.edu]
Lara Allison [lna9@columbia.edu]
Christina Rilke [cer22@columbia.edu]

Sections: Section leaders will hold office hours by appointment. Every student is required to register for one of the sections offered. To view the sections,AHIS W3646, go to the Columbia Bulletin. Please note that these sections will be subject to adjustment in relationship to enrollment. Sections will meet beginning the week of 28 January.

Section 1: Mondays 2.10–3:00PM; tba; W. Kaizen
Section 2: Tuesdays 9:10–10:00AM; 934 Schermerhorn Hall; C. Rilke
Section 3: Tuesdays 12:00–12:50PM; 608 Schermerhorn Hall; E. Anderson
Section 4: Tuesdays 4:10–5:00PM 930; Schermerhorn Hall; A. Manson
Section 5: Wednesdays 9:10–10:00AM; 934 Schermerhorn Hall; C. Rilke
Section 6: Wednesdays 1:00–1:50PM; 612 Schermerhorn Hall; W. Kaizen
Section 7: Wednesdays 6:10–7:00PM; 608 Schermerhorn Hall; E. Anderson
Section 8: Thursdays 1:00–1:50PM; 607 Schermerhorn Hall; A. Manson
Section 9: Thursdays 6:10–7:00PM; 607 Schermerhorn Hall; L. Allison
Section 10: Fridays 12:00–12:50PM; 607 Schermerhorn Hall; L. Allison

Images are available on the menu under Visual Resources.

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