Charles Jencks: Postmodern classicism

Presented as part of Revisiting Postmodernism, a digital archive of talks held at The Architectural League by leading theorists and practitioners of 1980s postmodernism.

Recorded on November 17, 1980, Charles Jencks’ first lecture at the Architectural League on postmodernism is a strong and witty argument for what he calls “the consensus of postmodern classicism.” Jencks builds his argument through a comprehensive series of case studies ranging from the classical to the (then) contemporary. He begins his lecture with an extended analogy equating Modernism in architecture with the Christian Reformation.

The League’s Digital Archive Project is made possible by contributions from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.