Sydney talk—Ross Anderson, The Appian Way: Adolphe Appia and the Scenography of Modern Architecture

Join author Ross Anderson and respondent Kate Goodwin in Sydney for a talk on Anderson's new book The Appian Way: Adolphe Appia and the Scenography of Modern Architecture.

Adolphe Appia (1862–1928) is a prominent figure in the history of modern theater, best known for his writings on the mise-en-scène and stage design for the operas of Richard Wagner. Far less is known about the Swiss scenographer’s importance in twentieth-century architecture and aesthetics. The Appian Way is the definitive account of Appia’s significance in this field. It is centered on his remarkable drawings that are at once austere and atmospheric: framing a series of scenes capturing stairs, landings, platforms, and terraces, all staged before a distant horizon under a luminous sky, the drawings are generally monochrome, but the subtle hues of the paper imbue each with a distinctive, ambient undertone. Appia himself might be thought about in the same way; he was distant yet also enigmatically present in the ensuing drama of modern architecture and stage design.

Comprised of four main chapters and a coda, this engaging and accessible book is structured as a dramatic story that traces the contours of Appia’s life—his personal circumstances, convictions, aesthetic preferences, desires, and motivations—all aimed at constructing a comprehensive portrayal of his life and his work, within the horizons of his time. Appia’s drawings are reproduced here in full color, accompanied by a vast range of archival material, much of which has never been published before.

When: 6pm Thursday 27 November 2025

Where: Bookshop by Uro, 3 Blackfriars St, Chippendale NSW 2008

Tickets:
$5- Ticket price redeemable as a discount from any book purchases
OR
$105- Entry includes a copy of the book, ready to collect on the night

About the speakers

Ross Anderson is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Sydney. Having practiced as an architect in the offices of Daniel Libeskind and Zvi Hecker, both in Berlin, he then completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge. His research on modern European architecture and aesthetics has been published in journals including AA Files, The Bauhaus Annual, Architectural Histories, Drawing Matter Journal and Art Bulletin. His major monograph The Appian Way: Adolphe Appia and the Scenography of Modern Architecture was published by Park Books in 2025.

Kate Goodwin is a curator, writer and educator working at the intersection of art, architecture and city making. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney, member of the Tin Sheds Gallery advisory board and former Head of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.