Architecture: From Pre-history to Postmodernism - Hardcover

Discontinued 3PD

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0131833650 ISBN 13: 9780131833654

Publisher: Discontinued 3PD, 2002

Synopsis

Moving back and forth between the long shot on historical trends and close-ups on major works and crucial architectural themes, this insightful, lively and original analysis also accepts the conventional period and thematic structures of architectural history and the canon of great buildings. Designed to help readers understand and appreciate what great architecture is in its full dimensions of use, structure and aesthetic qualities as well as its history, this lavishly illustrated book explains specific qualities of each period and the often-complex illuminating differences between the periods. This comprehensive volume examines all aspects of architectural history from the Ancient world, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Baroque periods through the modern world. For historians and architectural enthusiasts.

About this title

Review:

For everyone interested in looking beyond the façades of architectural landmarks to learn about the forces that shaped them, Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity has been a definitive resource since its publication in 1986. Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, professors at New York University, weave complex information into an engrossing narrative. While the authors' focus is on the Western tradition, shared ancient roots inspired a chapter on aspects of Islamic architecture. In the second edition, Trachtenberg's well-supported opinions add a lively sense of engagement to a new chapter surveying major trends of the 1980s and 1990s (work by Renzo Piano, Frank Gehry, Daniel Liebeskind, and others). Among the special delights of the book are its excursions into fascinating architectural byways, such as the history of castles, why the mendicant monks wanted simpler churches, and the superiority of the truss to the girder. More than 1,000 illustrations, including 91color plates, provide ample visual reference. --Cathy Curtis

From the Publisher:

Published jointly by Prentice Hall and Harry N. Abrams Inc. A comprehensive survey of architecture in the Western world -- from its Stone Age beginnings to the present.

About this edition

• Publisher: Discontinued 3PD
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0131833650
• ISBN 13: 9780131833654
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 648