Charles Jencks, the noted architectural theorist and historian, has passed away at age 80. RIBA Journal reported Jencks's passing via Twitter Monday morning.
Jencks is the author of countless writings and works of criticism, including many important works from the 1970s that helped to define and recognize the important shifts in architectural thinking that had taken shape as the postmodern era was getting underway.
Jencks is also the scholar who famously wrote, "Modern Architecture died in St. Louis, Missouri on July 15, 1972 at 3:32 PM (or thereabouts) when the infamous Pruitt-Igoe scheme, or rather, several of its slab blocks, were given the final coup de grace by dynamite. Previously it had been vandalized, mutilated, and defaced by its inhabitants, and although millions of dollars were pumped back, trying to keep it alive (fixing the broken elevators, repairing smashed windows, repainting), it was finally put out of its misery. Boom, boom, boom."
We are very sorry to learn of the death of Charles Jencks at 80. Charles was one of the great interpreters and theorists of architecture who continued the pioneering work of his late wife Maggie in the expanding network of Maggies cancer care centres. pic.twitter.com/fdEZF3tRcb
— RIBA Journal (@RIBAJ) October 14, 2019
Over the decades, Jencks authored many definitive architectural texts, including La Dimension Amoureuse, written in 1969 with George Baird, The Language of Post-Modern Architecture written in 1971, Adhocism (co-written with Nathan Silver) from 1972, Towards a Symbolic Architecture from 1985, Heteropolis from 1993, The Iconic Building from 2005, and The Story of Post-Modernism from 2011.
Later in life, Jencks channeled his love of architecture and design as a force of good when he and his wife, writer and designer Margaret Keswick Jencks, co-founded Cancer Care Centres in the 1990s, a collection of cancer care facilities that are designed to offer pleasant and non-institutional spaces for receiving treatment, meeting other cancer patients, and other forms of social, medical, and psychological support.
Over the years, 22 Maggie's Centers, as the facilities are affectionately known, have been built by a roster of world renowned architects, including Foster + Partners, Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, and Zaha Hadid.
7 Comments
Rest in Peace
So sad about Jencks. We shared a house way back when I was a student at SCI-Arc. It was Schindlers Kings Road house. He and Maggie had thge front, Bill Myerhof and i had the guest room studio in back. The other half of the house was Bernard Judge office.
I was not very smart and thought I could leave a pot of chicken on low flame and took a walk . When I got back Charles and Maggie left a note that my chicken soup evaporated caught fie and the place filled with smoked. So in a way Charles and Maggie saved Schindlers home.
It's always the soup... nice story.
I used to work with Myerhof; small world. And did you know Melica Dedijer when you were at the house?
I learned a lot from B. Meyerhoff's father. He was a master cabinet and furniture maker. He employed the best craftsmen from eastern Europe in his factory in Torrance. Indeed a small world.
Your piece doesn't mention me as co-author of Adhocism with Charles Jencks, whose death I suppose I must come to terms with, and that I sadly mourn.
Charles and I first met in 1968. Adhocism: The Case for Improvisation was published by Doubleday in 1972. Our co-authorship contributions were done in separate halves. Four decades later (much to the authors' surprise), the MIT Press declared an interest in publishing an expanded and updated edition. That happened in 2013.
We last worked together then, while writing revisions and new material for the book. Charles read my drafts and repeatedly challenged me to more fully explain my views about revivalism, design development, contextualism, design plagiarism. I found him to be a most encouraging collaborative teacher, as well as the important architectural historian whose judgement and commentary should well be remembered.
Nathan Silver
London
Hi Nathan, thanks for this correction--I have added your name to the story.
Mr. Silver—Maybe this is uncouth of me to say, but I hardly think the death of an esteemed colleague is the opportune time to draw attention to crediting yourself for a book you co-wrote over 40 years ago—seems like a desperate attempt to appear relevant by association, doesn't it? Stick to the pleasantries like the latter portion of your response or risk sounding abysmally insincere.
RIP Charles.
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