Women in the Modern Movement: Léonie Geisendorf and Architectural Practice in Mid-20th Century Europe

Şölen Köseoğlu

doi:10.25038/am.v0i28.629

Authors

Şölen Köseoğlu Faculty of Architecture and Design, Atatürk University, Erzurum

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25038/am.v0i28.629

Keywords:

women in architecture; gender; 20th century architecture; exhibitions.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to introduce the works of architect Léonie Geisendorf (1914–2016). From the 1940s to the 2000s, she was one of Sweden’s most accomplished architects, gaining significant recognition in a male-dominated field. She is recognized as one of the most significant representatives of the International Style in Sweden. A recently opened exhibition at the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design in Stockholm focuses on Léonie Geisendorf, aiming to highlight and introduce her architectural works, which also aligns with the objective of this study. In terms of methodology, the study combines exhibition analysis, interviews, and site visits. The contribution of this study lies in its focus on highlighting an exceptional woman architect in contrast to the prevailing male-centred narratives of architectural history. By introducing Léonie Geisendorf’s works, the study intends to emphasize the significance of the exhibition and the museum in bringing forward women architects who have been overlooked for decades.

Author Biography

Şölen Köseoğlu, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Atatürk University, Erzurum

Şölen Köseoğlu (1987) completed her undergraduate studies in Interior Architecture at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), Turkey, in 2009. In the 2007–2008 academic year, she studied at Fachhochschule Coburg, Germany, with the support of an Erasmus scholarship. She obtained her MSc (2013) and PhD (2019) in Architecture from KTU. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Department of Architecture at Atatürk University. In 2018, she was a guest lecturer and researcher at the KTH Stockholm School of Architecture, where she taught undergraduate and graduate students. Her research interests encompass modern and contemporary art, architectural history, cinema studies, housing studies, and gender studies. Her most cited works focus on the relationship between cinema and architecture. Her latest publication, “Reconstructing the Past: A Spatial Analysis of the Kleo Series in the Context of History, Cinema, and Architecture”, was published in an international journal in 2025.

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Women in the Modern Movement: Léonie Geisendorf and Architectural Practice in Mid-20th Century Europe

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Abstract

Author Biography

Şölen Köseoğlu, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Atatürk University, Erzurum

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