Lens and Will
Sigurd Lewerentz’s way of travel
Y. Dong (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.M.K. Hanna – Mentor (TU Delft - History, Form & Aesthetics)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
Throughout architectural history, outstanding architects have often been outstanding travelers. Sigurd Lewerentz, a legendary figure in Swedish modern architecture, is undoubtedly one of them. Lewerentz, who started his independent architectural practice in 1910 and died in 1975, lived during an exciting period that saw the emergence of many revolutionary technologies. Like his fellow modernists, Lewerentz embraced them. But unlike his peers, his passion for new technologies radically extended to his travel - he only used a camera to document things, rather than drawing in sketchbooks. Based on the concept of aura proposed by the German thinker Walter Benjamin, a new perspective to understand Lerwerentz’s photos is proposed. And by reflecting on previous studies of two important sacred buildings designed by Lewerentz, namely the Resurrection Chapel and the Church of St. Peter, this paper presents some alignments between the photographs and the designs, which reveal Lewerentz’s approach to learning from travels.