MIT Architecture

Alfred Neumann (1900–1968) was a Czech architect whose work was wrought in the context of postwar modernism and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Today, his influence and impact have been largely forgotten, but, in their time, Neumann’s original designs received praise and elicited controversy in almost equal measure, offering exciting new possibilities to the modernist mainstream. Space Packed: The Architecture of Alfred Neumann renews attention to this pioneering architect who made a vast contribution to modern architecture and had a lasting impact on Israel’s broader architectural culture. Drawing on Neumann’s writings and close study of both built and unbuilt projects, Rafi Segal discusses the development of Neumann’s architectural theory and methodology and documents his built works from the 1950s and ’60s against the backdrop of contemporary architectural discourse and the demands of the newly created State of Israel.

'The Island the Day After' investigates the role of architecture in staging, broadcasting, and promoting political and social ideologies, especially as new political regimes come to power and are confronted with the monuments and built artifacts of their predecessors. This thesis is interested in how the optimistic promises of any nascent government are staged in buildings and in the city. What sites remain, are transformed, or are torn down?

The joint Architecture & Planning urban design studio focused on the transformation of a coal-producing region in Southern Poland. “More than creating a physical project, it was about shifting the perception of the industrial landscape, and preparing the social and environmental context for something new,” says lecturer Marie Law Adams.