Schwule Architekten - Gay Architects

Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in the history of architecture. When historical architectural figures lived outside the heterosexual norm, their private lives were often shrouded in mysterious darkness. As long as criminal laws were in place, social existence was constantly at risk, and playing hide-and-seek was a necessity. Defensive strategies were required for protection. To uncover these outsiders of the past, historical sources must be read through a queer lens. Wolfgang Voigt, who served as deputy director of the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt am Main until 2015, and architectural historian Uwe Bresan set out on this quest and present the results of their research in this book. It gathers 35 portraits from the 18th to the 20th century in North America, Europe, and Palestine. Architects from the Baroque period to modern times emerge, along with surprising life stories, admirable houses, and often intelligently designed refuges that allowed the protagonists to protect their private lives.