Renshichiro Kawakita – New Architecture in Soviet Russia

Kenchiku Jidai (建築時代).

Soviēto Roshia no Shin Kenchiku“ (ソヴェート·ロシアの新建築)

(New Architecture in Soviet Russia)

Tokyo, Juli 1930 (Showa 5).

[4] pages, 20 leaves of plates with photo illustrations and drawings.

26 x 19 cm. Original cardboard portfolio with axonometric architectural drawing in white on a blue background.

EUR 450

Kenchiku Jidai (建築時代), specifically issue No. 10 from July 1930.

This edition includes explanations by Renshichiro Kawakita and 20 photo plates documenting modern architectural trends in the Soviet Union at that time. The designs featured in the magazine (often by architects such as Moisei Ginsburg or the Wesnin brothers) emphasized transparency, geometric abstraction, and the visibility of structural elements made of glass, steel, and concrete. The cover shows an axonometric architectural drawing in white on a blue background, overlaid with a black-and-white photo of an architectural model. The German terms visible in the background, such as “SCHLAFZIMMER” (bedroom), ‘HALLE’ (hall) and “BAD” (bathroom) on the floor plans, point to the strong influence of European modernism (such as the Bauhaus), which was also present in Japanese and Soviet architectural theory of that era.

The spine of the portfolio is missing, so both covers are loose. The edges are slightly browned, but the panels are in clean condition. This defect is reflected in the price. At the customer’s request, our book restorer can replace the spine with a new one.