100 Best Architecture History Books of All Time

We've ranked the best architecture history books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.

1

How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built

Stewart Brand

5.0
All kinds of structures--domestic, commercial, institutional--are examined as they change with time and with varied usage in this fascinating, vividly accessible book that beckons toward a new frontier in architecture. 340 illustrations and photos.
Caterina Fake portraitJason Fried portraitJeremy Till portrait Recommended by Caterina Fake, Jason Fried, and Jeremy Till.
In Praise of Shadows book cover2

In Praise of Shadows

Jun'ichiro Tanizaki

4.7
An essay on aesthetics by the Japanese novelist, this book explores architecture, jade, food, and even toilets, combining an acute sense of the use of space in buildings. The book also includes descriptions of laquerware under candlelight, and women in the darkness of the house of pleasure.
Jason Fried portraitKyle Chayka portrait Recommended by Jason Fried and Kyle Chayka.
3

Modern Architecture Since 1900

William J.R. Curtis

4.7
Since its first publication in 1982, Modern Architecture Since 1900 has become established as a contemporary classic. Worldwide in scope, it combines a clear historical outline with masterly analysis and interpretation. Technical, economic, social and intellectual developments are brought together in a comprehensive narrative which provides a setting for the detailed examination of buildings. Thro
Dan Cruickshank portrait Recommended by Dan Cruickshank.
4

Theory and Design in the First Machine Age

Reyner Banham

4.6
First published in 1960, Theory and Design in the First Machine Age has become required reading in numerous courses on the history of modern architecture and is widely regarded as one of the definitive books on the modern movement. It has influenced a generation of students and critics interested in the formation of attitudes, themes, and forms which were characteristic of artists and architects w
Hal Foster portraitStephen Bayley portrait Recommended by Hal Foster and Stephen Bayley.
Hal Foster portrait
Hal Foster

This is still a very important book today. Reyner Banham revised what we understand as modern architecture. [source]

Stephen Bayley portrait
Stephen Bayley

He was in love with America and Americana and he showed me that you can be an academic and have an intellect but you can still write about cars. He legitimised the study of pop culture. [source]

A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture book cover5

A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture

Virginia Savage McAlester

4.5
Now in paperback: the fully expanded, updated, and freshly designed second edition of the most comprehensive and widely acclaimed guide to domestic architecture: in print since its original publication in 1984, and acknowledged everywhere as the unmatched, essential guide to American houses.

This revised edition includes a section on neighborhoods; expanded and completely new categories of house st
Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture book cover6

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

Ross King

4.5
Brunelleschi's Dome is the story of how a Renaissance man bent men, materials, and the very forces of nature to build an architectural wonder. Not a master mason or carpenter, Filippo Brunelleschi was a goldsmith and clock maker. Over twenty-eight years, he would dedicate himself to solving puzzles of the dome's construction. In the process, he did nothing less than reinvent the field of architect
The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1) book cover7

The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)

Ken Follett

4.5
Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the
Oprah Winfrey portraitTheresa Evanoff portrait Recommended by Oprah Winfrey and Theresa Evanoff.
Oprah Winfrey portrait
Oprah Winfrey

CEO/O Network

Nobody who reads it—nobody who reads it—looks at a church or a cathedral the same. I made me think about my own life differently, reading that book, the experience of reading that book. What a treasure. [source]

Theresa Evanoff portrait
Theresa Evanoff

One of my favourite non-business book is “Pillars of the Earth”, by Ken Follett. I have read this many times over the years, and still enjoy eit ach time. I love how the characters are all very complex, strategic, and how the story weaves together on so many levels. [source]

8

Modern Architecture: A Critical History

Kenneth Frampton

4.4

Third edition: revised and enlarged

362 illustrations

This acclaimed survey of 20th-century architecture and its origins has become a classic since it first appeared in 1980. Now revised, enlarged and expanded, Kenneth Frampton brings the story up to date and adds an entirely new concluding chapter that focuses on four countries where individual talent and enlightened patronage have combined to prod

Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction book cover9

Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction

David Macaulay

4.4
A 1974 Caldecott Honor Book

Readers worldwide recognize Caldecott Medal winner David Macaulay's imaginary Cathedral of Chutreaux. This critically acclaimed book has been translated into a dozen languages and remains a classic of children's literature and a touchstone for budding architects. Cathedral's numerous awards include a prestigious Caldecott Honor and designation as a New York Times Best I
10

Seeking New York: The Stories Behind the Historic Architecture of Manhattan--One Building at a Time

Tom Miller

4.4
Beautifully illustrated with line drawings and photographs, engagingly presented, and richly detailed, this charming guide traces the architectural and social history of Manhattan one building at a time. The island of Manhattan has been through remarkable architectural and social change throughout its history. Organized roughly by neighborhoods, this book explores the seemingly never-ending depths
City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction book cover11

City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction

David Macaulay

4.3
Text and black and white illustrations show how the Romans planned and constructed their cities for the people who lived within them.
12

A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals

Spiro Kostof, Gregory Castillo, Richard Tobias

4.3
No mere survey of famous buildings, Kostof's History examines an inclusive spectrum of manmade structures: prehistoric huts and the TVA, the pyramids at Giza and the Rome railway station, the ziggurat and the department store. Indeed, Kostof considered every building worthy of attention, every structure or shelter a potential source of insight, whether it be the prehistoric hunting camps at Terra
Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything book cover13

Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything

Theodore Gray and Nick Mann

4.3
In this paperback edition of the beloved second book in Theodore Gray's bestselling (1.5 million copies) Elements trilogy, Gray demonstrates how the elements of the periodic table combine into the molecules that form the things that make up our world.

Molecules is the second book in the million-copy bestselling Elements trilogy. In Molecules, Theodore Gray takes the next step in the story that bega
14

Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan

Rem Koolhaas

4.3
In this fanciful volume, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (O.M.A.), both analyzes and celebrates New York City. By suggesting the city as the site for an infinite variety of human activities and events--both real and imagined--the essence of the metropolitan lifestyle, its "culture of congestion" and its architecture are revealed in a brilliant new
15

The Four Books of Architecture

Andrea Palladio and Adolf K. Placzek

4.3
Andrea Palladio (1508–1580) was one of the most celebrated architects of the Renaissance, so important that the term Palladian has been applied to a particular style of architecture that adheres to classical concepts. The wide spread of Palladianism was due partly to the private and public buildings he constructed in Italy, the designs of which were copied throughout Europe. But of even greater co
Dan Cruickshank portrait Recommended by Dan Cruickshank.
16

Central Park NYC: An Architectural View

Bernd H. Dams, Andrew Zega

4.3
A lavish and unprecedented exploration of Central Park’s extraordinary and beautifully designed spaces, buildings, sculpture, and follies, in historic photographs and exquisitely detailed watercolors by the authors. Frederick Law Olmsted’s Central Park is famed for its naturalistic design and the beauty and diversity of its landscape features. The rich body of sculpture and architecture in this Na
17

Castle

David Macaulay

4.3
A 1978 Caldecott Honor Book

The word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of b
18

Imagining Architecture

Steve Bowkett

4.3
19

Banister Fletcher's a History of Architecture

Dan Cruickshank

4.3
The 20th edition of Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture is the first major work of history to include an overview of the architectural achievements of the 20th Century. Banister Fletcher has been the standard one volume architectural history for over 100 years and continues to give a concise and factual account of world architecture from the earliest times. In this twentieth and cent
20

100 Twentieth-Century Churches

Twentieth Century Society

4.2
Explore the development of modern church architecture in Britain through 100 iconic buildings.

From London’s St. John the Baptist, designed by Charles Nicholson and completed in 1928, to Basil Spence’s Coventry Cathedral and Giles Gilbert Scott’s Liverpool Cathedral, here are 100 of the most architecturally significant churches in Britain built since 1914. Along with the more famous examples, the
Homebuilding and Woodworking book cover21

Homebuilding and Woodworking

C. Keith Wilbur

4.2
Explores the tools and technology that the American colonists use to build homes that could stand the test of time.
22

Historic Preservation, Third Edition: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice

Norman Tyler PhDFAICP, Ilene R. Tyler FAIAFAPT, et al.

4.2
Historic preservation, which started as a grassroots movement, now represents the cutting edge in a cultural revolution focused on “green” architecture and sustainability. This book provides comprehensive coverage of the many facets of historic preservation: the philosophy and history of the movement, the role of government, the documentation and designation of historic properties, sensitive archi
23

Sir John Soane's Museum, London

Tim Knox, Derry Moore

4.2
The celebrated British architect Sir John Soane (1753-1837) created his extraordinary house-museum from three properties in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. There, Soane exhibited an array of artifacts. This is the first major illustrated history of and guide to the museum, with exclusive images by renowned photographer Derry Moore.
24

On Architecture: Collected Reflections on a Century of Change

Ada Louise Huxtable

4.2
The Poetics of Space book cover25

The Poetics of Space

Gaston Bachelard, Maria Jolas, John R. Stilgoe

4.2
Since its first publication in English in 1964, French philosopher Gaston Bachelard's Poetics of Space remains one of the most appealing and lyrical explorations of home. Bachelard takes us on a journey, from cellar to attic, to show how our perceptions of houses and other shelters shape our thoughts, memories, and dreams.

"A magical book. . . . The Poetics of Space is a prism through which all wor
26

Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture

Christian Norberg-Schulz

4.2
From the author’s preface:

The present book forms a sequel to…Intentions in Architecture and Existence, Space and Architecture. It also relates to…Meaning in Western Architecture. Common to all of them is the view that architecture represents a means to give man an “existential foothold”…The philosophy of Heidegger has been the catalyst which has made the present book possible and determined its ap
27

Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning

Leland M. Roth and Amanda C. Roth Clark

4.2
28

China's Old Dwellings

Ronald G. Knapp

4.2
China's Old Dwellings is the most comprehensive critical examination of China's folk architectural forms in any language. It and its companion volume, China's Living Houses: Folk Beliefs, Symbols, and Household Ornamentation, together form a landmark study of the environmental, historical, and social factors that influence housing forms for nearly a quarter of the world's population. Both books dr
29

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture

Francis D K Ching

4.2
This book defines over 5,000 terms relating to architectural design, history, and technology. It is the only dictionary that provides concise, accurate definitions illustrated with finely detailed, hand-rendered drawings, each executed in Mr. Ching's signature style.
30

History of Interior Design

Jeannie Ireland

4.2
History of Interior Design, Second Edition, covers the history of architecture, interiors, and furniture globally, from ancient times through the late twentieth century. Each chapter gives you background information about the social and cultural context and technical innovations of the period and place, and illustrates their impact on interior design motifs. The book highlights cross-cultural infl
31

Architectural Details: A Visual Guide to 5000 Years of Building Styles

Emily Cole

4.2
Do you know a Doric column when you see one? Of course. But what about an entablature, a hypostyle, a pylon, or a pagoda? Architectural Details uses beautifully engraved plates from the great works of architectural history to illustrate a show-and-tell journey round the architecture of civilizations east and west, from Ancient Egypt to the Industrial Revolution. Most of the drawings and engravings
32

The Ten Books on Architecture

Vitruvius and Morris Hicky Morgan

4.2
The Art of Gothic: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting book cover33

The Art of Gothic: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting

Rolf Toman, Achim Bednorz

4.2
34

World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History

Richard Ingersoll

4.2
Richard Ingersoll's World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History, Second Edition, provides the most comprehensive and contemporary survey in the field. Each chapter within the text's chronological organization focuses on three unique architectural cultures, giving instructors the flexibility to choose which traditions are the most relevant to their courses. The text also provides students with num
35

An Illustrated History of Islamic Architecture: An Introduction to the Architectural Wonders of Islam, from Mosques, Tombs and Mausolea to Gateways, Palaces and Citadels

Moya Carey

4.2
A fascinating survey of the glorious architectural achievements of the Islamic world, including mosques, giblas, madrasas, memorials for the dead, bazaars, buildings, courtyards and fortified walls. Features all the most outstanding examples of Islamic architecture, such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Great Mosque in Damascus, the many richly decorated desert palaces, the Taj Mahal at A
36

The Waters of Rome: Aqueducts, Fountains, and the Birth of the Baroque City

Katherine Wentworth Rinne

4.2
In this pioneering study of the water infrastructure of Renaissance Rome, urban historian Katherine Rinne offers a new understanding of how technological and scientific developments in aqueduct and fountain architecture helped turn a medieval backwater into the preeminent city of early modern Europe. Supported by the author’s extensive topographical research, this book presents a unified vision of
37

Baillie Scott: The Artistic House

Diane Haigh

4.2
Baillie Scott's long career spanned the years from 1892 to 1939 - several ages in architecture. He may be considered a third-generation Arts and Crafts architect, who joined the movement after it had become well established and took its ideas to everyman. He invented a new type of small house by opening up a plan around a spacious house-place or hall and extending the interior into the garden. The
38

The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to the Sydney Opera House and Beyond

Patrick Dillon, Stephen Biesty

4.2
Aspiring architects will be in their element! Explore this illustrated narrative history of buildings for young readers, an amazing construction in itself.

We spend most of our lives in buildings. We make our homes in them. We go to school in them. We work in them. But why and how did people start making buildings? How did they learn to make them stronger, bigger, and more comfortable? Why did they
39

Constructing Worlds: Photography and Architecture in the Modern Age

Alona Pardo, Elias Redstone, David Campany

4.2
The relationship between architecture and photography is the focus of this book that features the work of eighteen influential artists, from the 1930s to the present day. Architecture has long been a subject matter for photographers, who utilize the medium not just to document the built world, but also to reveal wider truths about society. This book features chapters devoted to various artists--am
Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief book cover40

Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief

Jordan B. Peterson

4.2
Preview Summary
Why have people from different cultures and eras formulated myths and stories with similar structures? What does this similarity tell us about the mind, morality, and structure of the world itself? Jordan Peterson offers a provocative new hypothesis that explores the connection between what modern neuropsychology tells us about the brain and what rituals, myths, and religious stories have long nar
41

You Say to Brick: The Life of Louis Kahn

Wendy Lesser

4.2
The first biography of the iconic American architect that delves fully into his life and work

Born to a Jewish family in Estonia in 1901 and brought to America in 1906, the architect Louis Kahn grew up in poverty in Philadelphia; by the time of his death in 1974, he was widely recognized as one of the greatest architects of his era. Yet this enormous reputation was based on only a handful of master
Michael Bierut portrait Recommended by Michael Bierut.
42

Brick: A World History

James W. P. Campbell, William Pryce, Will Pryce

4.1
This is the first comprehesive work on brick, the essential building material, and ranges over every culture throughout history. It begins in 5000 BC and comes up to the 20th century. Indispensable to anyone practicing or studying architecture. Foreign Editions
43

The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Fourth Edition: A Complete Catalog

William Allin Storrer

4.1
From sprawling houses to compact bungalows and from world-famous museums to a still-working gas station, Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs can be found in nearly every corner of the country. While the renowned architect passed away more than fifty years ago, researchers and enthusiasts are still uncovering structures that should be attributed to him.
William Allin Storrer is one of the experts leading
44

Walking Philadelphia: 30 Tours of Art, Architecture, History, and Little-Known Gems

Natalie Pompilio and Tricia Pompilio

4.1
Walking Philadelphia, by award-winning journalist Natalie Pompilio, is the only guide to the city that will make you feel like you’re being led by your smartest, closest, funniest friend. The tours not only include all of the important historic facts and figures, but Natalie also shares behind-the-scenes stories and tidbits that you’ll later rush to tell others. It’s recommended for locals as wel
45

New Orleans: Elegance and Decadence

Randolph Delehanty, Richard Sexton

4.1
The lush, seductive, nostalgic elegance of New Orleans' streets, parks, and public buildings, as well as the fanciful, nuanced interiors of some of its most beautiful private homes and gardens, are insightfully revealed in this comprehensive photographic homage to the "Venice of North America" Over 200 full-color photographs and an informative, evocative text capture the public face and the privat
46

On the Art of Building in Ten Books

Leon Battista Alberti, Joseph Rykwert, Neil Leach, Robert Tavernor

4.1
De Re Aedificatoria, by Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), was the first modern treatise on the theory and practice of architecture. Its importance for the subsequent history of architecture is incalculable, yet this is the first English translation based on the original, exceptionally eloquent Latin text on which Alberti's reputation as a theorist is founded.
47

Kenzo Tange and the Metabolist Movement: Urban Utopias of Modern Japan

Zhongjie Lin

4.1
Metabolism, the Japanese architectural avant-garde movement of the 1960s, profoundly influenced contemporary architecture and urbanism. This book focuses on the Metabolists' utopian concept of the city and investigates the design and political implications of their visionary planning in the postwar society. At the root of the group's urban utopias was a particular biotechical notion of the city as
48

Pompeii (Roman World)

Peter Connolly

4.1
From the remarkable pen of Peter Connolly comes a comprehensive look at the ancient city of Pompeii. He begins with the scientific facts: How was Pompeii destroyed? How did Mount Vesuvius become an active volcano? What happened during the eruption? How long did Pompeii lay buried and how was it finally rediscovered? What was Pompeii's history before the disaster?

Then, Peter Connolly does what he d
49

The Language of Architecture: 26 Principles Every Architect Should Know

Andrea Simitch and Val Warke

4.1
In order to master the foundation of architecture, you must first master the basic building blocks of its language; the definitions, function, and usage. The Language of Architecture provides students and professional architects with the basic elements of architectural design, divided into twenty-six easy-to-comprehend chapters. This visual reference includes an introduction to architecture design
50

Hagia Sophia: Architecture, Structure and Liturgy of Justinian's Great Church

Rowland J. Mainstone

4.1
Rowland Mainstone's description of one of Christendom's oldest churches is based on years of detailed observation and critical reading of historical source material. This book offers an authoritative account of the the building's provenance.
51

Romanesque Art: Architecture Sculpture Painting

Rolf Toman

4.1
52

Albert Speer: Architecture 1932-1942

Leon Krier, Robert A. M. Stern

4.1
Architect Léon Krier asks, “Can a war criminal be a great artist?” Speer, Adolf Hitler's architect of choice, happens to be responsible for one of the boldest architectural and urban oeuvres of modern times.

First published in 1985 to an acute and critical reception, Albert Speer: Architecture 1932-1942 is a lucid, wide-ranging study of an important neoclassical architect. Yet is is simultaneously
53

The Classical Language of Architecture

John Summerson

4.1
The author's purpose is to set out as simply and vividly as possible the exact grammatical workings of an architectural language.

Classical architecture is a visual "language" and like any other language has its own grammatical rules. Classical buildings as widely spaced in time as a Roman temple, an Italian Renaissance palace and a Regency house all show an awareness of these rules even if they va
54

Ghostly Ruins: America's Forgotten Architecture

Harry Skrdla

4.1
We've all seen them but might have been too scared to enter: the house on the hill with its boarded-up windows; the darkened factory on the outskirts of town; the old amusement park with its rickety skeleton of a rollercoaster. These are the ruins of America, filled with the echoes of the voices and footfalls of our grandparents, or their parents, or our own youth. Where once these structures were
55

Louis I Kahn

Robert McCarter

4.1
Born in Estonia in 1901, Louis Isidore Kahn was to become one of the United States' most important architects of the post-war period, alongside the Modern masters Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier. Although renowned for a number of seminal modern works, he came to question many of the precepts of the Modern Movement. In particular, he questioned the ability of the International St
56

Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses

Dominic Bradbury

4.1
A groundbreaking global survey of the finest mid-20th-century homes - one of the most popular styles of our time

A fascinating collection of more than 400 of the world's most glamorous homes from more than 290 architects, the Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses showcases work by such icons as Marcel Breuer, Richard Neutra, Alvar Aalto, and Oscar Niemeyer alongside extraordinary but virtually unknown
57

How to Read Buildings: A Crash Course in Architectural Styles

Carol Davidson Cragoe

4.1
This practical primer is a handbook for decoding a building’s style, history, and evolution. Every building contains clues embedded in its design that identify not only its architectural style but also the story of who designed it, who it was built for, and why. Organized by architectural element (roofs, doors, windows, columns, domes, towers, arches, etc.), the book is roughly chronological withi
58

I.M. Pei: Complete Works

Philip Jodidio, Janet Adams Strong, Carter Wiseman, I. M. Pei

4.1
When I. M. Pei was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1983, the jury said he had "given this century some of its most beautiful interior spaces and exterior forms." I. M. Pei: Complete Works, the first and definitive survey of the master architect, attests to this statement by showcasing Pei’s transcendent, sculptural forms in over fifty projects and more than 300 illustrations, culminating in the last
The Architecture of Happiness book cover59

The Architecture of Happiness

Alain De Botton

4.1
One of the great but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of walls, chairs, buildings and streets that surround us.

And yet a concern for architecture and design is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. The Architecture of Happiness starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be, and it argues th
60

Baroque: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting

Rolf Toman

4.1
61

Fantasy Architecture: 1500-2036

Neil Bingham, Clare Carolin, Rob Wilson, Peter Cook

4.1
The towns and cities that we inhabit are the survivors of a much larger world that was never built--of visions of the future that remain on paper due to lack of funds, political changes, or because they were technically ahead of their time. How might the world look today had the realities of history been different? And how close will the architecture of the future be to that already familiar from
62

Towards a New Architecture

Le Corbusier

4.1
For the Swiss-born architect and city planner Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, 1887–1965), architecture constituted a noble art, an exalted calling in which the architect combined plastic invention, intellectual speculation, and higher mathematics to go beyond mere utilitarian needs, beyond "style," to achieve a pure creation of the spirit which established "emotional relationships by mean
63

Filippo Brunelleschi

Eugenio Battisti

4.1
Here, Eugenio Battisti, one of the world's leading experts on the history of Italian architecture, presents the work of Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi studied with passion the forms and technical processes of classical Roman architecture which, along with the invention of perspective, led him to found a rational method for measuring space and to seek an architecture in which each single part is harmon
64

Visual Guide To The Complete Work Of Antoni Gaudi

Ricard Regas, Carlos Giordano, Nicolas Palmisano

4.1
65

Tadao Ando. Complete Works

Philip Jodidio

4.1

Philippe Starck describes him as a "mystic in a country which is no longer mystic." Drew Philip calls his buildings "land art" that "struggle to emerge from the earth." He is the only architect to have won the discipline's four most prestigious prizes: the Pritzker, Carlsberg, Praemium Imperiale, and Kyoto Prize. His name is Tadao Ando, and he is the world's greatest living architect. Combining in

66

Blenheim Palace

C Andrews

4.1
67

Between Silence and Light: Spirit in the Architecture of Louis I. Kahn

Louis I. Kahn, John Lobell

4.1
In the development of contemporary architecture, no one has had a greater influence than Louis I. Kahn, whose many buildings include the Salk Institute, the Yale Study Center, and the Exeter Library. He is remembered, however, not only as a master builder, but also as one of the most important and creative thinkers of the twentieth century.

For Kahn, the study of architecture was the study of huma
68

Salisbury Cathedral

Tim Tatton-Brown

4.1
Published to celebrate its 750th anniversary, this book takes a detailed look at Salisbury Cathedral. It focuses on its construction, presenting a fascinating account of what makes the cathedral so unique.
69

Frank Lloyd Wright

Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer, Peter Gossel, Gabriele Leuthauser, Klaus Reckert, Therese Chatelain-Sudkamp

4.1
The Wright stuff: The definitive publication on America's greatest architect

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) is widely considered to be the greatest American architect of all time; indeed, his work virtually ushered in the modern era and remains highly influential today. His wide-ranging and paradigm-shifting oeuvre is the subject of TASCHEN's three-volume monograph that covers all of his designs (n
70

Early Art and Architecture of Africa

Peter Garlake

4.1
This new history of over 5,000 years of African art reveals its true diversity for the first time. Challenging centuries of misconceptions that have obscured the sophisticated nature of African art, Garlake focuses on seven key regions--southern Africa, Nubia, Aksum, the Niger River, West Africa, Great Zimbabwe, and the East African coast--treating each in detail and setting them in their social a
A History of Western Architecture book cover71

A History of Western Architecture

David Watkin

4.1
In this highly acclaimed reference work David Watkin traces the history of western architecture from the earliest times in Mesopotamia and Egypt to the eclectic styles of the twenty-first century. The author emphasizes the ongoing vitality of the Classical language of architecture, underlining the continuity between, say, the work of Ictinus in fifth-century BC Athens and that of McKim, Mead and W
John Harrison (Eton College) portrait Recommended by John Harrison (Eton College).
72

New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial

Robert A.M. Stern, David Fishman, Thomas Mellins

4.1
This is the third volume (and the fourth chronologically) in architect and historian Robert A. M. Stern's monumental series of documentary studies of New York City architecture and urbanism. New York 1880, New York 1900, and New York 1930 have comprehensively covered the architects and urban planners who defined New York from the end of the nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth century
73

Architecture: A World History

Daniel Borden, Jerzy Elzanowski, et al.

4.1
Lavishly illustrated and super-condensed, Architecture: A World History is the perfect gift for any architecture buff. In this pocket-sized book bursting with 600 illustrations, page after page is dedicated to significant architectural movements, time lines that explore the evolution of the practice, and capsule biographies of great architects and examinations of their masterpieces.

Organized chron
74

Roman Architecture: A Visual Guide

Diana E. E. Kleine

4.1
At its most expansive, the Roman Empire stretched from the British Isles to Egypt; Rome was the ancient world's greatest superpower. Roman Architecture: A Visual Guide is an illustrated introduction to the great buildings and engineering marvels of Rome and its empire. Published as a companion volume to Diana E. E. Kleiner's course on Roman Architecture given through Coursera (first offered in Jan
75

Islam: Art and Architecture

Markus Hattstein, Peter Delius

4.1
This book follows the historical developments of the Islamic dynasties and regions, showing the variety of their forms of artistic expression from the beginning until today. From decorative elements of buildings to calligraphy and the embellishment of everyday objects, ornamentation that is most characteristic of Islamic art form is displayed in all its richness.
76

Louis I. Kahn: Architect: Remembering the Man and Those Who Surrounded Him

Charles E. Dagit, Jr., Nathaniel Kahn

4.1
Few people in the history of art and architecture have planted a seed of inspiration that grew to become a towering oak of lasting influence. There are those, particularly colleagues and students of Louis I. Kahn, who would say that he was one of these people. Certainly Kahn was one of the foremost architects of the twentieth century, designing such famous landmarks as the National Assembly Buildi
77

Kicked A Building Lately?

Ada Louise Huxtable

4.1
78

Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's

R. A. Scotti

4.1
In this dramatic journey through religious and artistic history, R. A. Scotti traces the defining event of a glorious epoch: the building of St. Peter's Basilica. Begun by the ferociously ambitious Pope Julius II in 1506, the endeavor would span two tumultuous centuries, challenge the greatest Renaissance masters--Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bramante--and enrage Martin Luther. By the time it was co
79

The Parthenon Enigma

Joan Breton Connelly

4.1
Built in the fifth century b.c., the Parthenon has been venerated for more than two millennia as the West’s ultimate paragon of beauty and proportion. Since the Enlightenment, it has also come to represent our political ideals, the lavish temple to the goddess Athena serving as the model for our most hallowed civic architecture. But how much do the values of those who built the Parthenon truly cor
80

Architecture in Britain, 1530-1830

John Summerson

4.0
In this book Sir John Summerson charts the development of architectural theory and practice from Elizabeth I to George IV. Questions of style, technology, and the social framework of architecture are resolved as separable but always essential components of the building world. Men of genius and buildings of fame emerge: Inigo Jones, Wren, Vanbrugh, Adam, Soane; Hampton Court, St Paul's Cathedral, L
Harry Mount portrait Recommended by Harry Mount.
81

The California Casa

Douglas Woods, Melba Levick, M. Brian Tichenor

4.0
This sumptuous and comprehensive volume embraces one of the most beloved house forms, the Spanish Colonial Revival, presenting at once a lavish portrait of the style as well as the definitive statement on the subject through more than three hundred color photographs.

The Spanish style in architecture encompasses facets from a vast array of traditions, many of which are in evidence in these extraor
82

Home: A Short History of an Idea

Witold Rybczynski

4.0
Walk through five centuries of homes both great and small--from the smoke-filled manor halls of the Middle Ages to today's Ralph Lauren-designed environments--on a house tour like no other, one that delightfully explicates the very idea of "home."You'll see how social and cultural changes influenced styles of decoration and furnishing, learn the connection between wall-hung religious tapestries an
83

The Language of Towns & Cities: A Visual Dictionary

Dhiru A. Thadani, Andres Duany, Leon Krier

4.0
The final word on the language of urban planning and design. The Language of Towns & Cities is a landmark publication that clarifies the language by which we talk about urban planning and design. Everyday words such as "avenue," "boulevard," "park," and "district," as well as less commonly used words and terms such as "sustainability," "carbon-neutral," or "Bilbao Effect" are used with a great var
84

The Architecture of the City

Aldo Rossi, Diane Ghirardo, Joan Ockman, Peter Eisenman

4.0
Aldo Rossi, a practicing architect and leader of the Italian architectural movement La Tendenza, is also one of the most influential theorists writing today. The Architecture of the City is his major work of architectural and urban theory. In part a protest against functionalism and the Modern Movement, in part an attempt to restore the craft of architecture to its position as the only valid objec
85

The Architecture Reference & Specification Book updated & revised: Everything Architects Need to Know Every Day

Julia McMorrough

4.0
Most architectural standards references contain thousands of pages of details, overwhelmingly more than architects need to know to know on any given day. The updated and revised edition of Architecture Reference & Specification contains vital information that's essential to planning and executing architectural projects of all shapes and sizes, all in a format that is small enough to carry anywhere
86

Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form

Robert Venturi, Steven Izenour, Denise Scott Brown

4.0
Editorial Reviews - Learning from Las Vegas From the Publisher Learning from Las Vegas created a healthy controversy on its appearance in 1972, calling for architects to be more receptive to the tastes and values of "common" people and less immodest in their erections of "heroic," self-aggrandizing monuments. This revision includes the full texts of Part I of the original, on the Las Vegas strip,
87

Art and Architecture in Mexico

James Oles

4.0
This new interpretive history of Mexican art from the Spanish Conquest to the early decades of the twenty-first century is the most comprehensive introduction to the subject in fifty years. James Oles ranges widely across media and genres, offering new readings of painting, sculpture, architecture, prints, and photographs. He interprets major works by such famous artists as Diego Rivera and Frida
88

Great Architecture Of The World

John Julius Norwich

4.0
Here is a brilliantly accessible chronicle of the greatest monuments created by mankind, told by fourteen of the most distinguished architectural historians and beautifully illustrated with more than 800 original diagrams, annotated drawings, and photographs—both a browser's delight and a superb reference tool.
89

Victorian Houses Coloring Book

A. G. Smith

4.0
Twenty-nine meticulously rendered, ready-to-color illustrations portray the many distinctive styles of actual Victorian-era homes, including a seaside cottage in the "stick style"; an Italianate San Francisco residence of the 1880s; the unusual Octagon House in Ottawa, Illinois (1856); a Moorish-styled urban residence in Baltimore (1886), and the elegant "Vinland," a Newport, Rhode Island, residen
90

Greek Architecture

A. W. Lawrence

4.0
This splendid book discusses the development of Greek architecture in the Aegean and other Greek lands from its earliest beginnings around 3000 until the first century B.C. The eminent scholar A.W. Lawrence considers the evolution of the magnificent temples of the Hellenic age, focusing in particular on their function, geometry, and proportions. He also discusses Greek domestic architecture, town
91

New York Art Deco: A Guide to Gotham's Jazz Age Architecture

Anthony W. Robins

4.0
Winner of a 2017-2018 New York City Book Award presented by the New York Society Library

Of all the world's great cities, perhaps none is so defined by its Art Deco architecture as New York. Lively and informative, New York Art Deco leads readers step-by-step past the monuments of the 1920s and '30s that recast New York as the world's modern metropolis. Anthony W. Robins, New York's best-known Art
92

Claude Nicolas Ledoux: Architecture And Utopia In The Era Of The French Revolution

Anthony Vidler

4.0
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806) is the "boldest and most extreme" (Nikolaus Pevsner) French revolutionary architect. Since the 1930s, when he was rediscovered by Emil Kaufmann in the famous study "From Ledoux to Le Corbusier," his visionary but widely realized buildings have served as a source of inspiration for unusual designs. His famous tollgates are familiar to every cultured traveler to Par
93

History of Modern Art

H. H. Arnason and Elizabeth C. Mansfield

4.0
For undergraduate course in Modern Art, Origins of Modernism, Art Since 1945, Contemporary Art and other courses focusing on art in the 20th century. Long considered the survey of modern art, this engrossing and liberally illustrated text traces the development of trends and influences in painting, sculpture, photography and architecture from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. Retainin
94

Gothic Architecture (History Of World Architecture)

Louis Grodecki, Anne Prache, Roland Recht

4.0
A study of the architectural style that dominated European buildings for more than four hundred years examines the constructional and aesthetic characteristics of the most magnificent creations.
95

Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky and the Making of a City

Neal Bascomb

4.0
The Roaring Twenties in New York was a time of exuberant ambition, free-flowing optimism, an explosion of artistic expression in the age of Prohibition. New York was the city that embodied the spirit and strength of a newly powerful America.

In 1924, in the vibrant heart of Manhattan, a fierce rivalry was born. Two architects, William Van Alen and Craig Severance (former friends and successful par
96

Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes

Michelle Gringeri-Brown, Jim Brown

4.0
Atomic Ranch is an in-depth exploration of post-World War II residential architecture in America. Mid-century ranches (1946-1970) range from the decidedly modern gable-roofed Joseph Eichler tracts in the San Francisco Bay area and butterfly wing houses in Palm Springs, Florida, to the unassuming brick or stucco L-shaped ranches and split-levels so common throughout the United States.
97

Gothic: Art For England 1400-1547

Richard Marks, Paul Williamson

4.0
Celebrating one of the richest periods of English art and architecture, this definitive book is published to accompany a major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Stunning photographs of soaring fan vaulting, exquisite jewels, rare objects of gold and silver, and much more make this book essential for all lovers of the Gothic style. Leading medieval scholars have contributed essa
98

Alexander 'Greek' Thomson

Gavin Stamp, Philip Sayer

4.0
Alexander Greek Thomson (1817 - 75) who lived and worked in Glasgow and was in practice there from 1849 produced a distinctive modern architecture based on a fundamentalist classicism that earned him the nickname Greek. This book offers a visual guide to Thomson's work, featuring both archive photographs of buildings now demolished, drawings and Phil Sayer's specially commissioned photographs of e
99

Travel with John Knox

Campbell David

4.0
This book is a superbly written modern commentary on God's changeless laws in today's changing and godless society. It unpacks the crammed meaning of these terse commands and applies them pointedly to life in a deregulated age.
100

Egypt: From Prehistory to the Romans

Dietrich Wildung, Khan, Henri Stierlin, Anne Stierlin

4.0