<p>“In his penetrating and inspiring study, Nicholas Adams makes a contested provincial Swedish masterpiece the focus of a wide architectural and cultural context. He reveals the complexity of progressive modernity in relation to public monumental space, traditions, and institutional authority, viewing Asplund’s courthouse extension as both expression and functional scenography. His book adds substantially to Swedish architectural historiography and to the understanding of the international scene and their interrelationship.”</p><p>—Johan Mårtelius, co-author of <i>T</i><i>he Complete Guide to Architecture in Stockholm</i></p>

<p>“This brilliant book offers a unique insight into one of the most cherished models of modern monumentality: the Gothenburg Courthouse extension, designed by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund and completed in 1936. Setting his subject in an international perspective, Nicholas Adams carefully addresses questions on modern law and modern architecture, reaching far beyond the actual case. Through his inclusively contextual approach, we learn that the introduction of modernism in public architecture was a difficult task, operating on different levels of a democratic society through the interplay of architect, commissioner, and—not least—public opinion.”</p><p>—Anders Bergström, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm</p>

<p>“Is modernist architecture necessarily ‘progressive’? Does a monumental portico always symbolize a rigid social hierarchy? Can traditional form ever be properly incorporated into modern society without appearing as kitsch? These are the questions which animate Nicholas Adams’s thorough tale of Gunnar Asplund’s extension to Gothenburg’s courthouse, a work of modern architecture in a prominent location that attempted to respect the classical language of its host building, and caused a calamitous uproar.”</p><p>—Douglas Murphy <i>Times Literary Supplement</i></p>