Edinburgh: A Guide to Recent Architecture

Rodger, Johnny; McClean, John Niall [Photographer]

ISBN 10: 1841660663 / ISBN 13: 9781841660660

Published by Ellipsis London Pr Ltd, 2001

About this Item

Light wear, slight creasing to top corner, binding sound, internally clean. It would be natural to assume that the large amount of new construction in Edinburgh is a consequence of its restored role as a capital city with political purpose, signified most dramatically by the siting here of the new Scottish parliament. But factors more mundane than the urgings of the 'democratic spirit' can explain this spate of building. In particular Edinburgh's position as the fourth-biggest financial centre in Europe; the incidence of developer rather than open competitions; and the invitation extended to the American modernist architect Richard Meier to come up with a masterplan for the design of Edinburgh Park business centre, have brought responses to the city's 197os love-affair with the motor-car and to the resultant problems of a fractured city. Around a hundred entries in this book give a framework for under-standing what all this means for Edinburgh's built environment and for reading recent architectural design in the city. Johnny Rodger is a writer who lives and works in Glasgow.

Seller Inventory # 230219006

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Edinburgh: A Guide to Recent Architecture
• Publisher: Ellipsis London Pr Ltd
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1841660663
• ISBN 13: 9781841660660
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Very Good
• Weight: 7 ounces
• Seller catalogs:
  • Antique & Collectibles

About this title

Synopsis

It would be easy to assume that the large amount of building works and new construction in Edinburgh is a consequence of the siting of the new Scottish seat of government, tagged as a 'pretendy Parliament' by Scottish stage personality Billy Connolly. But factors more mundane than the urgings of the 'democratic spirit' can explain this spate of new building: in particular Edinburgh's position as the fourth biggest financial center in Europe; the incidence of developer rather than open competitions; the invitation extended to the American modernist architect Richard Meier to come up with a masterplan for the design of the Edinburgh Park business center; and Edinburgh's 1970s love-affair with the motor-car, the resultant fractured city and early new-millennium ambivalence about private/public transport. Around 100 entries in this book give a framework for understanding what all this means for Edinburgh's built environment and for reading recent architectural design in the city. The new Scottish Parliament is located in Edinburgh and the city is experiencing a mass of new construction. Rodger's book offers concise, reviews of all the significant recent buildings and on-site developments. A critical celebration of Edinburgh's current architectural renaissance. 130 b/w photos.

About the Author

Johnny Rodger is a writer, critic and translator. His critical writings on drama, literature, philosophy and architecture appear regularly and have won him a certain notoriety in the field. His latest critical book, Contemporary Glasgow, was published in 1999 by Rutland Press.