You Have to Pay for the Public Life: Selected Essays of Charles W. Moore

You Have to Pay for the Public Life: Selected Essays of Charles W. Moore by Moore, Charles Willard. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780262133739.

Architect Charles Moore (1925-1993) was not only celebrated for his designs; he wasalso an admired writer and teacher. Though he wrote clearly and passionately about places, he wasperhaps unique in avoiding the tone and stance of the personal manifesto. Through his buildings,books, and travels, Moore consistently sought insights into the questions that always underliearchitecture and design: What does it mean to make a place, and how do we inhabit those places? Howdo we continue to build upon but respect the landscape? How do we reconcile democracy and privateland ownership? What is original? What is taste? What is the relationship between past and present?How do we involve inhabitants in making places? Finally, what is public life? As the world becomessmaller, and the uniqueness of places and landscapes gives way to sameness, Moores celebration ofthe vernacular and of the surprising are more relevant than ever.The pieces in this book span theyears 1952 to 1993 and engage a myriad of topics and movements, such as contextualism, communityparticipation, collaboration, environmentally sensitive design, and historic preservation. Theessays in this book reflect as well Moores scholarship, humanism, urbanity, and greatwit.