Designing a Better Life
Spatial Tropes in the Discourse of Modern Architects
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22414801 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thomas J St Antoine (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-13 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Rhetoric Society Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0277-3945 • E-ISSN: 1930-322X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02773945.2026.2635960 |
| OpenAlex | W7148377885 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 23 |
In the first half of the twentieth century, modern architects and their antecedents enjoyed an elevated role in public discourse. The assertive yet visionary voices of figures like Marion Mahony Griffin, Le Corbusier, Louis Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright revealed their ideas about the places they would imagine and others would inhabit. These architects were forceful persuaders who argued their designs would solve a range of social problems, and their rhetoric reveals an idealism that reaches beyond esthetic or structural concerns. While the look of mid-century modern is currently enjoying a popular revival, the discourse that accompanied the designs also had a permanent impact. This study examines the rhetorical tropes produced by architects to create the incongruous sense of space that legitimizes modernism.
Discourse analysis · Narrative · Architecture, Design, and Social History · Architecture, Modernity, and Design · Urban Planning and Landscape Design
| Highly cited | No |
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