Knud Lonberg-Holm: The invisible architect

The role of Knud Lonberg-Holm in the early 20th century Modernism is not too renowned nowadays. Architect, photographer, author, designer, researcher as well as teacher, his first works in Denmark and Germany were directly linked with Berlin Constructivist and the group De Stijl. Born in 1895 it was not until 1923 when he emigrated to US for becaming one of the main corresponsals of Modernism in America.

The exhibition, besides a wide range of drawings and photographs, includes letters between Knud Lonberg-Holm and well-known architects as László Moholy-Nagy, Walter Gropius, Theo Van Doesburg, Buckminster Fuller, Hannes Meyer, J.J.P. Oud, El Lissitzky or Richard Neutra.

Knud Lonberg-Holm was a pioneer in travelling to US, arriving even a decade before other contemporary collegues. His role is fundamental for understanding how american architects were influenced for the european ideas in a period of tremendous changes in architecture.

His personal interest in American industry can be understand through a serie of photographs that he took between 1924 and 1926 in cities as New York, Detroit or Chicago. This photographs will appear later, un-credited, in Erich Mendelshohn's book Amerika in 1926, the first book about 'International Style' in American architecture.

During 30 years he worked in F.W. Dodge Corporation in first place as division responsible for The Architectural Record (1930 - 1932) and after that as head of the research department of Sweet's Catalog Service (1932 - 1960). His role in The Architectural Record as researcher and editor as well as the contact with different Bauhaus directors, as Hannes Meyer, defined his personal interests. During his period in the Sweet's he worked with the Czech pioneer graphic designer Ladislav Sutnar, between 1942 and 1960. They revolutionized the catalog through the standardization of informative techniques, with a simple language quite easy to understand. Both edited Catalog Design (1944), Designing Information (1947) and Design Progress (1950).

Furthermore, in 1949 he took part in the Fuller Institute/Research Foundation as trustee with a Dymaxion License, among other contemporary collegues as George Nelson or Charles Eames. In the Fuller context he also was part of the Shelter architecture magazine editors, whose May of 1932 cover was designed by him.

Date.- 6th of May - 1st of August 2014.
Venue.- Ubu Gallery, 416 East 59 St, New York, USA.