Synopses & Reviews
The beach is the ultimate retreat: a place to escape the frenzied pace of our daily lives and to reconnect with the natural world. In
Beach Houses, photographer Roberto Schezen and writer Michael Webb offer a lavish visual and textual tour of America's most fascinating seaside homes -- both traditional and modern, rustic and grand -- illustrating why we are so drawn to beach living.
Encompassing twenty-one structures in all, this is a book as rich and as diverse as the coastline itself. From a simlpe Block Island cottage created by acclaimed architect Robert Venturi, to Richard Neutra's modernist masterpiece in Santa Monica, to a wildly adventurous Florida residence designed entirely by its owner, each home profiled is a unique work of art and a remarkable reflection of our ever-changing relationship with the ocean. Schezen's 139 original color photographs give us an inside glimpse into each residence, while Webb's essays explain the histories and special features of each home. Artfully designed and beautifully written, Beach Houses will captivate anyone who has dreamed of living by the water and all those who simply love the sea.
Synopsis
Nearly everyone, be they from California or Kansas, has dreamed of living on the water. A home by the sea offers not only spectacular views, but a connection to the natural world lost in cities and suburbs. Now, acclaimed photographer Roberto Schezen and leading architectural writer Michael Webb offer a unique tour of 22 important American beach houses, from rustic cottages to strikingly modern architectural masterpieces. Illustrated with 120 original four-color photographs, "Beach Houses" offers an intimate look inside these remarkable homes, as well as a fascinating discussion of how and why each one was built. It is a book as rich and diverse as coastal architecture itself, encompassing homes from Richard Neutra's starkly elegant structure in Santa Monica, to a serene, Japanese-inspired house outside Seattle, to a fantastical Florida mansion designed almost entirely by its eccentric owner. Both inspiring and edifying, "Beach Houses" will be treasured by aficionados of architecture and photography, as well as by those who simply appreciate the many joys of seaside living.
About the Author
Roberto Schezen is an internationally acclaimed photographer, best known for his images of architecture. His work has been exhibited around the world and is included in the Museum of Modern Art collection. His 26 books include Places and Memories, The Villa: From Ancient to Modern, Palm Beach Houses, and New York: Trends and Traditions. A native of Milan, Schezen now lives in New York.