Richard Neutra, an iconic figure of architectural modernity, particularly well-known for his glamourous California houses, had another less visible facet: his concern for social architecture. This book presents Neutra’s interest in and contacts with Latin America, paying particular attention to his designs for schools and hospitals in Puerto Rico. The author explores Neutra’s connections with Latin American architects through his travels and the importance of his publications in the region. More importantly, she examines the impact these contacts had on Neutra and his later built work in the United States.
The research is based on archival documents and the book includes transcripts of talks and interviews Neutra gave in Rio de Janeiro, Caracas, Lima and Mexico City.
Sobre el autor
Catherine Ettinger is an architect and architectural historian who has lived in Mexico since 1980. She teaches at the school of architecture of the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo. She has published widely on Mexican architecture, including La Arquitectura mexicana desde afuera. Episodios en la construcción de un imaginario (Miguel Ángel Porrúa, 2017), which examines the portrayal of Mexican architecture from abroad, and, more recently, La Quinta Eréndira de Lázaro Cárdenas (crefal & usmnh, 2021), which deals with the country houses of former Mexican president Lázaro Cárdenas. Ettinger is a member of the prestigious National System of Researchers in Mexico and of the Mexican chapters of docomomo and icomos.
