Contrary to the view that postmodern architects regarded themselves as self-referential artists, this book draws on the buildings, projects and writings of Charles Willard Moore (1925-1993) to reveal the architect's socio-political aspirations.

Moore, one of the founders of postmodernism, wanted to create places that would inform people about where and who they are. His designed spaces were intended to counteract the alienation created by a technocratic mass society. Moore's architecture was intended to create the conditions for political action in a public sphere that promotes a diversity of citizens' voices.

Reese presents a reassessment of the work of Charles W. Moore, who dedicated himself to opposing a conformist mass society.

• On Charles W. Moore's interpretation of postmodern architecture
• Presentation of the various postmodern architectural approaches of Moore's era
• Scholarly reassessment of this architectural movement