("The Architecture of Today") is a French architecture magazine associated with the

Modernist movement Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and social issues were all aspects of this moveme ...

History

Beginning

The magazine was founded by André Bloc et Marcel Eugène Cahen in 1930 at the beginning of the recession in Europe. The latter died just before the magazine's first issue released November 1930. Its headquarters were at 5, in

Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

. André Bloc (1896-1966) was trained as an engineer, though he was interested in modernism and architecture. The magazine released 10 issues annually until 1934, when it started to release 12 issues annually.

Pierre Vago Pierre Vago (30 August 1910, in Budapest – 1 February 2002, in Noisy-sur-École) was a French architect. Vago was known internationally as the publisher of ''L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui'' and General Secretary of the International Union of Ar ...

, a Hungarian, joined in the 1930s and was influential in developing the magazine's network of international correspondents. The magazine offered a variety of subscription types, and achieved rapid success. In addition to its publications, organized trips, international meetings, and exhibitions. The first international trip, open to architects and architecture enthusiasts who showed interest, was to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in 1931. The goal of these trips was to see the architecture and establish contacts with architects in the area. During these trips, there were days of discussion to facilitate ideas; they were called (RIA) and were organized by the magazine's correspondent in each location.

World War II

As André Bloc was Jewish, he could no longer manage the magazine during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. became editor of the magazine after it was purchased by M. Georges Massé June 1941. Hermant and Massé chose a new name for the magazine: . Upon the liberation of France, Bloc attempted to regain control of the magazine, but was unsuccessful. He had to start from scratch in competition against . The first issues of Bloc's reborn came out in 1945. Up until 1949, he released 5 thematic issues annually, one of which was a double issue. The magazine quickly achieved international success again. After the war, Pierre Vago restarted the . The group was organized as the

International Union of Architects The International Union of Architects ( French: ''Union internationale des Architectes''; UIA) is the only international non-governmental organization that represents the world's architects, now estimated to number some 3.2 million in all. About ...

in 1948.

References

{{Authority control Urban studies and planning magazines Magazines established in 1930 Architecture magazines 1930 establishments in France