wiedler.ch

book (design) story #174

sigfried giedion:
rationelle bebauungsweisen

englert & schlosser, frankfurt am main, 1931
printer: englert & schlosser, frankfurt am main
size: 19 x 11 cm
designer: max bill

the ciam (congrès internationaux de l'architecture moderne) was founded in 1928 in the château de la sarraz at the lake of geneva. in the following dacades many of the leading modern architects gathered in periodical congresses (see story 52 for a later ciam publication). this book presents the results of the 3rd ciam congress in brussels which focussed on the rational organisation of land for housing.

the designer of the pictorial cover is credited in the impressum: "bill (zürich)". after his return from the bauhaus dessau in 1929, max bill (1908-1994) worked as a graphic designer in zürich. this book is not listed in the catalogue raisonné of his graphic designs (isbn 3721203410). published in 1931 it is among bill's earliest book designs.

this first edition was published by englert & schlosser. a later edition bears the name of julius hoffmann. it looks like this original edition was delivered after this change: a sticker with the new publisher's name was placed over the old one, but partly rubbed off on this copy's cover.

among the authors are sigfried giedion, walter gropius, le corbusier, richard neutra and karel teige. gropius' text is set bauhaus-style, in lowercase (above). there are many plans of modern housing estates such as the neubühl near zürich, switzerland (below).