Synopses & Reviews
In this inspiring and innovative overview, Jonathan Glancey brings a fresh approach and unique personal insights into the continuing story of 5,000 years of world architecture. From the ziggurat at Ur to the Buddhist temples of Southeast Asia via Romanesque arcades, Gothic steeples, Baroque palaces, and Modernist apartment buildings, this accessible and lively narrative reveals the geographical, historical, and cultural influences that permeate these structures. Significant stylistic developments in architecture are also highlighted, while the structural and technical innovations that enabled architects to progress are skillfully introduced and clearly explained. Throughout this richly illustrated history, special features are devoted to the world's most influential and innovative architects, from Palladio to Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. These features showcase the architects' masterpieces and offer absorbing glimpses into their lives. Lavishly illustrated, stylishly presented, and written with both authority and flair, this exceptional book is guaranteed to appeal to the informed enthusiast and curious newcomer alike.
Review
Glancey has produced a remarkable book that will delight and inform any reader, from a dedicated architecture buff to a complete novice (Baton Rouge Magazine)
Review
Glancey's lively narrative combines with excellent graphic design and photographs to make architecture a fascinating subject to expert and novice. (Houston Chronicle)
About the Author
An Honorary Fellow of The Royal Institute of British Architects, London, Jonathan Glancey is the Architecture and Design Editor of The Guardian newspaper. He is the author of several books on architecture and a regular TV and radio broadcaster. Among his numerous books are 20th Century Architecture and Nigel Coates: Body Buildings and City Scapes. He has been assistant editor of the Architectural Review, editor of The Architect, and has contributed to a number of architectural and design magazines in Europe and the US. Sir Norman Foster is one of the world's preeminent architects: the headquarters of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Stansted Airport, Hong Kong Airport, and the new German Parliament, Reichstag, Berlin, are among his most celebrated works. He received the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1994 and was awarded the Pritzker Architect Prize in 1999.