Yasir Sakr

Honestly, I don't quite know what to make of this book. It's a dissertation, and reads like one. That's one point. Another is that it had far too little illustration -- image reproductions were dark, hard to read, hard to tell what was going on in them and how they related to what the author said in the text. My final up-front point is that the author is coming from a perspective that does not communicate a sense that he feels the State of Israel is a legitimate entity. To say the least. Zionist readers: you will find this hard to get past.

Once we're past those stones, Sakr performs a thorough analysis of Kahn's attempt to use an opportunity to reconstruct the Hurva as an opportunity to create a national symbol and focal point, the sort of thing that winds up on postcards of Jerusalem. Where, historically, the Dome of the Rock has been that symbol. From the story of what happened with Kahn's proposal, Sakr traces other architects' proposals for a Hurva reconstruction, and expands the story into that of the Western Wall Plaza architectural proposals (highlighting tensions between architects interested in using the Western Wall to tie the current State to its past, and to a long history of settlement in the Jerusalem area, and secular Zionists and religious parties alike who were intent on preserving a national narrative that would be disrupted by archeological finds highlighting non-Jewish settlement in the area -- even if that settlement came on the heels of the Roman destruction. He demonstrates --again, this should have been supported better with images-- that later architects were heavily influenced by what Kahn suggested with his (rejected) Hurva proposal.

It was an interesting book. Probably not for a non-specialist like me, though with a re-write for a lay audience there's the kernel of a fascinating story there.… (más)

Although far from being a scholar, I know a bit more than average concerning Jerusalem and Israel; I know little of architecture. Until I read this book, I truly did not realize how the architecture of a city can tell the story of that city's search for identity. In The Subversive Utopia: Louis Kahn and the Question of the National Jewish Style in Jerusalem, Yasir Sakr takes the reader through the ups and downs of the growth of Jerusalem in the modern world.

It was difficult at times to follow what was being described or discussed, having no background in this area of expertise, so admittedly I scanned parts of some pages. Along with good pictures and diagrams, though, I was able to understand why buildings were built where and in the style they were constructed.

This is definitely a book for a person with a specific interest, it is not a story as one would find in a novel or biography, rather it is a story of a place as written in concrete, iron and stone.… (más)

The Subversive Utopia: Louis Kahn and the Question of the National Jewish Style in Jerusalem
By Yasir Sakr
MSI Press, LLC
Reviewed by Karl Wolff

Jerusalem remains the epicenter for a tumultuous region. Long held as the sacred city for the three major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), it also connects three continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe). What does this have to do with architecture? When applied to a capital city, its function is to create a physical manifestation of a nation's dreams, ideals, and ambitions. Hence the monuments and government buildings in Washington,D.C. designed to imitate Greek and Roman temples. Big Ben and Parliament were built in the Victorian era, but hearken back to an idealized vision of Merry England in medieval times. The Neo-Gothic spires and design reminiscent of a bygone era. On the other hand, Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is modernist, forward-thinking, and antiseptic. The former Portuguese colony sought to wipe the slate clean and create a new nationalist style unattached to colonial stereotypes and coast congestion. With Israel, things get further complicated by opposing strains of secularism and religiosity. The Subversive Utopia: Louis Kahn and the Question of the National Style in Jerusalem by Yasir Sakr seeks to unravel the convoluted strands of religion, politics, and art.

The Hurva Synagogue was destroyed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The state of Israel sought out the architect Louis Kahn (1901 - 1974) to design a new synagogue from the ruins. What Kahn proposed sparked controversy and touched a nerve. During the Fifties and Sixties, Israel worked hard to preserve a secular and modernist perspective. The nation wanted to make a clean break from the superstition and persecution of the European Jews. Sakr explains how Kahn's design embraced both an avant-garde modernist aesthetic and a Utopian interpretation to the Jewish religious experience. The temple design had the outside of the building supported by wide pillar, reminiscent of Egyptian temples. The interior had twelve niches and centered around an open space. It was simultaneously historical and ahistorical. To cap the provocative design, it would have a narrow passage leading from the Western Wall. In terms of geography, it would be in the sight line to the Dome of the Rock.

Sakr tells about how Kahn's vision upset the staid building authorities and the mayor of Jerusalem. New governments come and go and Israel participates in more wars against the Arab nations that surround it. Still, the Hurva synagogue remains unbuilt. Throughout this history, Sakr follows a parallel course with the development of the Western Wall. While the Western Wall has the significance of something eternal, it came about through the destruction of the Moroccan Quarter during the Six-Day War in 1967. As with other projects, the authorities vacillated between modernist and classical designs. While any city deals with urban renewal and creative destruction, everything is exacerbated in Jerusalem. Every square inch of rubble and every brick is potentially freighted with millennia of history. Everything is contested.

Overall, it was a fascinating read. As a self-described architecture nerd, I enjoyed reading about competing building designs and the contested urban spaces. This gets a low score, not because of its execution, although Sakr isn't a native English speaker and it shows in the text. The low score is because this is highly specialized book. It is basically a Ph.D. dissertation turned into a book. So unless you really, really like architectural history and are interested in the snarled interconnections between avant-garde aesthetics, modernist architectural design, and Israeli domestic politics, this might not be for you. On the other hand, it is a topic ripe for a treatment aimed at a popular audience.

Out of 10/7.0; or 9.0 if you're an architecture nerd or someone looking for a unique perspective on the history of the Middle East.

http://www.cclapcenter.com/2016/04/book_review_the_subversive_uto.html… (más)