Newfoundland Modern
Architecture in the Smallwood Years, 1949-1972

Robert Mellin (Author)

9780773539020

Hardback, published 17 October 2011

304 pages, 225 illustrations, colour throughout
22.9 x 24.6 x 3.1 cm, 1.417 kg

"Original and richly illustrated, Newfoundland Modern is a comprehensive and insightful tour d'horizon that will make St. John's the envy of other Canadian cities in terms of architectural history." Peter Neary, University of Western Ontario

"Weaving together comprehensive research and thoughtful observation, Newfoundland Modern makes a strong case in favour of protection and preservation and provides ample justification of the importance of modern works." George Thomas Kapelos, Toronto Metropolitan University

In over 220 drawings and photographs, Robert Mellin presents the development of architecture in the decades immediately following Newfoundland's 1949 union with Canada. Newfoundland's wholehearted embrace of modern architecture in this era affected planning as well as the design of cultural facilities, commercial and public buildings, housing, recreation, educational facilities, and places of worship, and Premier Joseph Smallwood often relied on modern architecture to demonstrate the progress made by his administration. Mellin explores the links between Smallwood and modern architecture, revealing how Smallwood guided the development of numerous architectural projects. He also looks at the work of two innovative local architects, Frederick A. Colbourne and Angus J. Campbell, showing how their architecture was influenced by their life-long interest in art. The first comprehensive work on an important period of architectural development in urban and rural Newfoundland, Newfoundland Modern complements Mellin's award-winning book on the outport of Tilting, Fogo Island.