User:Laurie melville/John McKean
John McKean (born 1943) is a Scottish author specialising in books on architecture and architectural history.
Academic career[edit]
John McKean trained as an architect at University of Strathclyde (BArch) and, after qualifying as architect, studied at Essex University for MA in Architectural History and Theory. He taught architectural design and history in Colombo, Sri Lanka (1968-9), in London (at North-East London Polytechnic, The Architectural Association and Polytechnic of North London, 1976-1990), and then in Brighton, England. He was Professor of Architecture at University of Brighton 1996 to 2008.
Public career[edit]
John McKean was an editor on The Architects’ Journal (London), 1970 to 1975, and has been a contributing critic to many UK, US and European architectural journals since then. He has been elected one of the few members of International Union of Architects’ CICA (The International Committee of Architectural Critics)[1]. Two of his books have been awarded American Institute of Architects International Book Awards. On UK television, he represented his university on “University Challenge” (Granada, 1965) and has appeared as expert in “Shock of the New” (Channel 4, 2000), “Royal Festival Hall at 50” (BBC2, 2001), “Daniel Libeskind” (BBC4, 2007). Throughout his career he has drawn, painted and photographed and exhibited works in these media. He is a trustee of The Regency Society, a charity which promotes the appreciation and conservation of Brighton and Hove’s architectural heritage.[2]
Publications[edit]
John McKean has published numerous papers on architectural history ranging from ancient Greece to contemporary issues in specialist journals and chapters of books. Since 2007 he has been appointed author of a completely new text to form the 21st edition of Banister Fletcher’s History of Architecture.
His major books are:
- Learning from Segal: Walter Segal's Life, Work and Influence (1989), Basel: Birkhaueser ISBN 3-7643-1999-2
- Crystal Palace (1994, republished 1999), London: Phaidon ISBN 0714831549
- Leicester University Engineering Building (1994, republished 1999), London: Phaidon ISBN 0714829250
- Charles Rennie Mackintosh: The Pocket Guide (1998 continually republished since), Grantown: Colin Baxter ISBN 1-84107-249-4
- Royal Festival Hall (1991, new enlarged edition 2001), London: Phaidon ISBN 0-7148-4160-9
- Charles Rennie Mackintosh : Architect, artist, icon, 2000; second edition 2001, Edinburgh: Lomond ISBN 0 947782 08 7 (UK), ISBN 0 8965 519 0 (USA)
- Layered Places: Giancarlo De Carlo, Stuttgart/London : Edition Axel Menges, 2004 ISBN : 3-932565-12-6
Three of these subjects have been linked to major exhibitions with which John McKean was involved:
- 'Walter Segal', The Royal Festival Hall, London, 1988; member of the organising group
- "Charles Rennie Mackintosh', Glasgow Museums 1996; Metropolitan Museum, New York 1996-7; Art Institute, Chicago; Los Angeles, County Museum of Art, 1997; co-author of accompanying catalogue
- 'Giancarlo De Carlo', Centre Pompidou, Paris, 2004; consultant on exhibition and sole author of catalogue
External links[edit]
- John McKean at the archINFORM database http://eng.archinform.net/arch/13637.htm
- Works by John McKean in libraries (WorldCat catalog)