Giovanni Leoni

Architecture as Commentary: Ruskin’s Pre-modern Architectural Thought and its Influence on Modern Architecture

Evaluating Ruskin’s influence on contemporary architecture’ is a complex matter since the history of his legacy is fraught with contradiction. On the one hand, Ruskin’s architectural thought has enjoyed considerable ‘official’ success, but at the expense of its fundamental content. Furthermore there exists an authentic but secret legacy, a little explored terrain whose power and range we are only beginning to glimpse now that the century is drawing to a close and the concept of the modern is becoming clearer. Thus Ruskin’s fundamental influence on twentieth-century architectural thought may be said to be in conflict with the most commonly held views of Ruskin as architectural theorist.