Consisting of ten essays and an epilogue that traces the history of contemporary form as an evolving poem in structure and construction, the book's analytical framework is based on close readings by Frampton on the main French, German and English sources from the eighteenth century to the present.

Kenneth Frampton's long-awaited take on his book Critical History of Classical Modern Architecture is sure to influence any future debates about the development of modern architecture. modern architecture. The study of Constructivism is nothing more than a rethinking of the entire modern architectural tradition. The constructivist concept used by Frampton — with a focus on architecture as a construction profession — constitutes a direct challenge to current mainstream thinking about the artistic limits of postmodernism, and suggests a convincing alternative. Indeed, Frampton argues, modern architecture has always been about structure and construction as well as about space and abstract form.

Kenneth Frampton is Professor of Architecture at Columbia University.