Romantic Modernist: The Life and Work of Norman Jaffe Architect 1932-1993

About this book

Early one day in the late summer of 1993 the famously prolific architect Norman Jaffe went for a swim at the beach in Bridgehampton New York as he did almost every morning. But on this particular morning he never returned. With his disappearance Jaffe left behind many unanswered questionsnot only about the cause of his death but also about the nature of his architectural legacy. Romantic Modernist: The Life and Work of Norman Jaffe Architect is the first book to explore Jaffes body of work and the inner struggle that shaped his life. One of the earliest architects to be treated as a sex symbol Jaffe was in fact much more than that. A magnetic free-spirited individual he is best known for the strikingly sculptural houses he designed in the Hamptons which he approached from an almost mystical point of view: with the right proportions and materials he believed houses provide a path to self-discovery. Through interviews with Jaffes closest friends and associates Alastair Gordon traces Jaffes career trajectory from his early years on the West Coast through his increasingly celebrated life in New York giving readers a rare look at the creative process of this seductive enigmatic architect.