TASK: A Magazine for the Younger Generation in Architecture

TASK was published in Robinson Hall by students of the GSD, MIT, and Smith College. It originated from a 1941 critique both of architecture and of the GSD itself, authored by a group of students —including Bruno Zevi— under the title An Opinion on Architecture, addressed to Dean Joseph Hudnut.  While the students supported the reforms introduced by Hudnut in 1936, and by Walter Gropius who joined the faculty in 1937, they still regarded their education as lacking. It was “unclear from a social point of view” (too detached from the real world), “unclear from an aesthetic point of view” (modern architecture reduced to a mere style), “inadequate from an engineering and construction point of view” (little connection between construction and design courses), “insufficient from a professional point of view” (no link to building practice), and “insufficient in terms of collaboration” (with related design disciplines). Calling on students from all departments to share their concerns and experiences, the authors demanded open juries, public lectures, and a student publication.

The inaugural issue began:“This magazine is to be the expression of students who realize that architects today are either unaware of the rapidly changing needs of society or are unable to answer them.” It called for a renewed emphasis on“social usefulness of the architect’s education.” Declaring, “We believe that the architectural schools and the profession do not sufficiently reflect society’s needs; nor train the student and the young architect in the principle of collective work. That is why we are publishing this magazine,” the first issue was launched in 1941. Its editors were Eunice Hall (Smith College), Warren H. Radford (GSD), Robert Hays Rosenberg (GSD), Richard W. Snibbe (GSD), Judith Turner (MIT), John B. Bayley (GSD), George Metzger (GSD). Six issues appeared between 1941 and 1945; followed by a single post-war issue (number 7/8) in 1948.

The intellectual landscape that shaped this generation’s voices is most clearly expressed in their editorial statements: TASK 1 (Summer 1941): “[for a] social usefulness of the architect’s education”; TASK 2 (Fall 1941): “our task is to prove that the architectural profession has a place in the war effort”; TASK 3 (Fall 1942): “in our own particular field the responsibility of creating a physical structure for a free world is very great”; TASK 4 (1943): “the necessity for survival through social participation is sensed by the profession”; TASK 5 (Spring 1944): “the awakening shock of a global war has made some thought about the future inevitable”; TASK 6 (Winter 1944-1945): “it is only when everyone throughout the country has a job, that past gains will be consolidated and progress made”; and TASK 7|8 (1948): “a forum such as TASK can help to formulate and express a higher standard of demand for homes, communities and architecture, and for the planning of cities.”

Contributions by Edward Larrabee Barnes (on defense housing), Laszlo Moholy-Nagy (on industrial design), Walter Gropius (on education), Christopher Tunnard (on British planning), Hannes Meyer (on Soviet architecture), Catherine Bauer (on war housing), Mary Cooke (advances in housing), Martin Meyerson (reports from Chicago and New York), Harry Cobb (reconstruction in Poland), Jaqueline Tyrwhitt (reconstruction in Britain), Julian Huxley (on UNESCO), Joseph Hudnut (on genuine education), reflected the research interests of both students and faculty. Together, they helped define the international outlook, sense of purpose, and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration that has characterized the GSD ever since.