The Short Story of Architecture: A Pocket Guide to Key Styles, Buildings, Elements & Materials (Architectural History Introduction, A Guide to Architecture)
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Architecture
The Short Story of Architecture: A Pocket Guide to Key Styles, Buildings, Elements & Materials (Architectural History Introduction, A Guide to Architecture) Details
The Short Story of Architecture is a pocket book guide to key styles, buildings, elements and materials – a new and innovative guide to the subject of architecture that explores 50 key buildings, from the Great Pyramids to high–tech, sustainable skyscrapers.Accessible and concise, the book links the 50 key works to the most important architectural materials, elements and styles, giving readers all the tools they need to understand and appreciate the built world."A brilliant little book […] Those with an interest in architecture but who find the language and jargon of the genre intimidating and often impenetrable are sure to find Hodge's simple accessible style enjoyable and refreshing"– Self Build & Design"I enjoyed this book. There is no fluff here, nothing extra. It's just a great overview of some great buildings, architectural styles and materials. The photographs are beautiful and the writing crisp and clear. I recommend this book for anyone who wants an introduction to architecture and some insights in the buildings around us or that predate us." – Goodreads reviewer"I am an architect and most certainly enjoyed this book. (…) [T]he chapters Elements and Materials are a nice take on architectural history and will offer valuable information for non professionals! I see this book as an encyclopaedia to get basic information on various topics. But the very short chapters are really just a starting point. The images are very helpful throughout and the layout is clean and helps the reader navigate the book. You are looking for a Short Story of Architecture? That is exactly what you get, in the best possible way." – Goodreads reviewerOther books in 'The Short Story of…' series include The Short Story of Art, The Short Story of Photography, The Short Story of Film and The Short Story of Modern Art. Read more
Reviews
This is a nice quick study guide on various architecture styles from ancient (Pyramids of Egypt) to Modern (High-Tech). The book breaks down into four sections: Styles (e.g., byzantine, Moorish, Art Nouveau); Elements (e.g., Wall, Balcony, Arcade, Dome, Gable); Materials (e.g., Plastic, Bamboo, Steel, Titanium), and the largest section is a selection of notable buildings (e.g, Chartres Cathedral, FallingWater, Habitat 67, Pantheon). Interestingly enough, the order of appearance is: 1) Styles, 2) Buildings, 3) Elements, 4) Materials. I would have put the buildings last since they are made up of the other 3 sections.Each one of the sections has an introduction in the front of the book as well as a really nice set of images on how the book is set up for each building. The design is consistent throughout and you can easily find e.g., a building or style and find out more about it easily and quickly.The four areas are presented chronologically. Cross references are found at the bottom of every page to help establish connections with other sections. Feature boxes discuss developments and backgrounds of the architects, buildings, materials, or styles. Each page has an example photograph with interesting information about that building/feature and why it was chosen to represent that entry. E.g., The Red House (home of William Morris) was the chosen image/building to describe Arts and Crafts. Toda-ji temple in Nara Japan was pictured for Wood construction buildings. Helsinki Central Railway Station was chosen for the page on Walls due to its unique exterior.Since this is a pocket guide, everything is nicely presented in a 2 column format with break-out sections and then similar items and their page numbers listed at the bottom. Each page has a large main title, key information such as architectures, other key works, year, architecture, location and sometimes additional images as needed. A few entries such as Versailles and Villa Savoye come with full page photos as well as detail photos. Each entry comes with several nicely condensed paragraphs of information.As a quick reference to help increase your knowledge of architecture, this is perfect. Small, digestible, and very easy to use. It's something you can enjoy on a train or plane trip or at home. I found I wanted to use a computer to look up more info on these buildings and so preferred to read it by my computer. In all, beautifully presented, well-thought out, and exactly what it purports to be - a great pocket reference on architecture. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
