Thomas M. Dietz

A Minnesota native, Thomas M. Dietz received his education in the history, theory, and criticism of architecture and art at MIT. He is currently an architect in Chicago.

Articles by Thomas M. Dietz

Architects of Babel

It is a watershed moment in a reviewer’s career to assess the scholarship of a former coworker, but the book’s primary subject matter will be esoteric to many

In the Field

This book is self-described as a “pocket primer for decoding the structure and purpose of ecclesiastical buildings.”

The Life of the City

This densely written and well-researched book is unlikely to adorn the shelves of most practicing professionals. This is unfortunate, as Politics of the Piazza offers a unique analysis of a subject that should be a matter of concern to all practitioners—the purpose and origins of the piazza, a component of urbanism that, although particularly significant in Italy, remains recognizable throughout the western urban tradition.

Stone and Glass: The Meaning of the Cathedral of Saint Paul

Excepting scholarly articles and occasional references in monographic studies of Cass Gilbert, texts addressing the architecture of Minnesota classicist Emmanuel Masqueray are typically hard to come by…