The Big Idea: Criticality and Practice in Contemporary Architecture

Scott Johnson is the highly acclaimed designer of some of L.A.'s most recognized architecture. As partner in the award-winning Los Angeles architecture firm Johnson Fain he was the creative force behind extraordinary buildings such as the Sun America Building and the Fox Tower—affectionately nicknamed the "Die Hard Building" after its starring role in the film. In this engaging memoir, Johnson shares his personal experiences as a designer and considers the relationship between practice and theory over the last forty years of American architecture. From his childhood days in California's Salinas Valley, to his tenure with legendary architect Philip Johnson, to his time with Skidmore Owings & Merrill, to the formation of his own firm and its rise toward the top of the architectural firmament, Johnson’s unique insight makes for a fascinating discussion of each of the major movements that have characterized the world of architecture since Modernism in one of America's most interesting metropolises.