bComposed of ten essays and an epilogue that trace the history of contemporary form as an evolving poetic of structure and construction, the book's analytical framework rests on Frampton's close readings of key French and German, and English sources from the eighteenth century to the present.bpKenneth Frampton's long-awaited follow-up to his classic iA Critical History of Modern Architecturei is certain to influence any future debate on the evolution of modern architecture. iStudies in Tectonic Culturei is nothing less than a rethinking of the entire modern architectural tradition. The notion of tectonics as employed by Frampton--the focus on architecture as a constructional craft--constitutes a direct challenge to current mainstream thinking on the artistic limits of postmodernism, and suggests a convincing alternative. Indeed, Frampton argues, modern architecture is invariably as much about structure and construction as it is about space and abstract form.ppComposed of ten essays and