Book Description
The Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius declared firmitas, utilitas, and venustas--firmness, commodity, and delight-- to be the three essential attributes of architecture. These qualities are brilliantly explored in this book, which uniquely comprises both a detailed survey of Western architecture, including Pre-Columbian America, and an introduction to architecture from the Middle East, India, Russia, China, and Japan. The text encourages readers to examine closely the pragmatic, innovative, and aesthetic attributes of buildings, and to imagine how these would have been praised or criticized by contemporary observers. Artistic, economic, environmental, political, social, and technological contexts are discussed so as to determine the extent to which buildings met the needs of clients, society at large, and future generations.
American Reference Books Annual, March 2004
impressive...wealth of information…beautifully formatted…well-written…stunning color illustrations…excellent source of information…also an entertaining journey through the history of world architecture
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