In 1996 Roger Connah visited the renowned Finnish architect Timo Penttilä (1931-2011) at his home in Tuscany. Connah filmed and recorded their discussions on architecture against theory, and before leaving promised he would help the architect on an immense book on architecture theory titled Summum templum architecturae. There followed further correspondence, culminating with Penttilä sending the author a series of floppy discs containing a 600+ page manuscript written in English. Some time later Penttilä indicated that he no longer wanted to continue with the book - and asked Connah to destroy Summum. The School of Exile takes up the story in the middle of this enigma which was the Finnish architect Timo Penttilä.
In 1996 Roger Connah visited the renowned Finnish architect Timo Penttilä (1931-2011) at his home in Tuscany. Connah filmed and recorded their discussions on architecture against theory, and before leaving promised he would help the architect on an immense book on architecture theory titled Summum templum architecturae. There followed further correspondence, culminating with Penttilä sending the author a series of floppy discs containing a 600+ page manuscript written in English. Some time later Penttilä indicated that he no longer wanted to continue with the book - and asked Connah to destroy Summum. The School of Exile takes up the story in the middle of this enigma which was the Finnish architect Timo Penttilä.