Publisher's Synopsis
Cohen examines the developments in urban design and architecture within France, depicting the continuities and breaks in French architecture since 1900 against a broader international background. Describing the systems of architectural exchange with other countries-including Italy, Germany, Russia, and the United States-he offers a new view on the ideas, projects, and buildings otherwise so often considered only from narrow nationalistic perspectives. Cohen also maps the problematic search for a national identity against the background of European rivalries and France's colonial past. Drawing on a wealth of recent research, this authoritatively written book will challenge the way design professionals and historians view modern French architecture.