Penned by two internationally renowned critics, this volume comments on architecture and various cultural phenomena. More than a year of correspondence and mutual provocation contributes to a discussion where architecture, art, literature, and philosophy come face to face in unexpected ways, demonstrating that the bed of architecture is always unmade, but it carries memories of sweet dreams.

In this essential TASCHEN introduction to Tadao Ando we explore the hybrid of tradition, modernism, and function that allows his buildings to enchant architects, designers, fashion designers, and beyond. Through key projects including private homes, churches, museums, apartment complexes, and cultural spaces, we explore a uniquely monumental yet comforting aesthetic that draws as much on the calm restraint of Japanese tradition as the compelling modernist vocabularies of Bauhaus and Le Corbusier. With featured projects in Japan, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States, we see not only Ando's global reach but also his refined sensitivity for the environs: the play of light through windows, and, in particular, the interaction of buildings with water. From the mesmerizing Church of the Light in Osaka to the luminous Punta della Dogana Contemporary Art Center in Venice, this is a radiant tour through a distinctly contemporary form as much as a timeless appeal of light, elements, and equilibrium. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Architecture series features: an introduction to the life and work of the architect the major works in chronological order information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)

Delve into the world of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his Glasgow School of Art-trained contemporaries who forged a unique and distinct vision in both art and architecture at the end of the Victorian era. The Glasgow Style is the name given to the work of a group of young designers and architects working in Glasgow from 1890-1914. At its centre were four young friends who had trained at Glasgow School of Art; two architects and two artists - Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Herbert MacNair, Margaret Macdonald and Frances Macdonald - who were simply known by their friends and contemporaries as 'The Four'. Their work was a personal vision in the new international style of the 1890s, Art Nouveau, and is perhaps best known for Mackintosh's architecture and furniture. But at the root of this new style was a graphic language which all four shared. Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Art of The Four presents the most coherent story to date of this important group, concentrating on the entirety of their artistic imagery and output, far beyond the best known work of the 1890s, and charting the constantly changing relationships between the artists and their work.

This book is a faithful reflection on the spirit and working modes infusing Josep Lluis Mateo's lively architectural practice. Unquestionably one of Spain's most renowned architects, Mateo's work has had enormous influence on the international architecture scene. His projects in Paris, The Hague and Amsterdam, as well as newer designs in Haarlem, Basel and Castelo Banco, are all analyzed in depth in this volume. "Josep Lluis Mateo: Works, Projects, Writings" includes a photographic essay on the International Convention Centre in Barcelona--one of Mateo's most authoritative projects of recent years. In addition there is an extensive study by Jose Luis Pardo and an interview by Philip Ursprung. Lluis Mateo has a studio in Barcelona and teaches at the ETH in Zrich, where he is Professor of Architecture and Design.

Contents:
Abele, Julian Francis; Alexander, Archie Alphonse; Archer, Romulus Cornelius, Jr.; Bailey, Walter Thomas; Baily, William F.; Bankhead, Lester Oliver; Banks, Louis Harvey; Barnett, Carl Eugene; Bartholomew, Joseph Manual; Bates, Robert Charles; Bellinger, Louis Arnett Stewart; Berry, P. Ross; Bingham, Russell; Birch, Edward E.; Birch, Ernest O.; Blanche, John A.; Blodget, Joseph; Boles, Henry Clifford; Bow, Cyril; Bowman, Charles Summer; Boyde, Thomas Wilson, Jr.; Brent, Calvin Thomas Stowe; Brent, John Edmonson; Brookins, Sanford; Brooks, Elizabeth Carter; Brooks, Hestle Herbert; Brown, Albert Grant; Brown, Georgia Louise; Brown, Grafton Tyler; Brown, John Thomas; Brown, Leroy John Henry; Brown, Richard Lewis; Browne, Ray E.; Buffins, Robert Lester; Carlisle, Alma Fairfax Murray; Cassell, Albert Irvin; Claflin University; Coleman, Sherman; Cook, Julian Abele; Cook, Ralph V.; Cooke, William Wilson; Cross, Clarence; Decatur, William Jefferson; DeCosta, Herbert, Jr.; Delaney, Henry Beard; Dickinson, Charles Edgar; Drayton, Clyde Martin; Duke, Charles Summer; Dunn, Frederick; Dykes, DeWitt S., Sr.; Eberhardt, John Thomas; Edwards, Gaston Alonzo; Elliott, Curtis Graham; Farrar, Daniel J., Sr.; Ferguson, Arthur W.; Ferguson, George Alonzo; Fields, Robert Lionel; Fisher, Orpheus Hodge; Ford, Fleming; Ford, Wade; Foster, George Washington, Jr.; Fry, Louis Edwin, Sr.; Furman, Ethel Bailey; Giles, Lewis Wentworth, III; Giles, Lewis Wentworth, Jr.; Godette, William; Grandy, J.W.R.; Green, Beverly; Griffin, Francis Eugene; Hamilton, Calvin Pazavia; Hampton Institute; Hancock, Richard Mason; Harris, Clinton S.; Hatton, Isaiah Truman; Hazel, William Augustus; Henderson, Cornelius; Hill, Joseph; Hilliard, Leroy; Hoban, Stewart Daniel, Sr.; Holloway, John Bunyan; Howard University; Hurley, Granville Warner, Sr.; Hutchins, James Edward; Ifill, Percy C.; Jackson, Leon Qunicy; Jenkins, William Edward; Johnson, Conrad Adolphus, Jr.; Johnson, Harvey Nathaniel; Jones, George Maceo; Jones, William Thomas; Kent, Joseph; Kent, Robert; King, Horace; King, John; Lankford, Arthur Edward; Lankford, John Anderson; Lightner, Calvin Esau; Livas, Henry Lewis; Lucas, George; Mackey, Howard Hamilton, Sr.; Madison, Robert James, Sr.; McKissack, Calvin Lunsford; McKissack, Moses III; Melby, John Alexander; Meredith, Amaza Lee; Merrick, John; Michael, John Henry; Mickels, Elon; Miller, Edward Charles; Miller, Francis; Moore, John A.; Moses, William Henry, Jr.; National Technical Association; Negro Building - Alabama State Fair in Montgomery; Negro Building - Appalachian Exposition in Knoxville; Negro Building - Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago; Negro Building - Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta; Negro Building - Jamestown Ter-centennial Exposition in Virginia; Negro Building - South Carolina Interstate Exposition in Charleston; Tennessee Centennial Exposition in Nashville; Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas; Norman, John Clavon, Sr.; North Caroline A&T; O'Neal, Kenneth Roderick; Pelham, Fred B.; Persley, Louis Hudson; Pittman, William Sidney; Plater, J. Alonso; Plato, Samuel M.; Prairie View A&M; Price, Henry James; Pyrce, Edward Lyons; Ransom, Leon A.; Rayfield, Wallace A.; Reese, Lawrence; Reynolds, James; Reynolds, Thomas Mason; Roberson, Frank R.; Roberson, Franklin Jefferson; Roberts, Walter L.; Robinson, Hilyard Robert; Robinson, Robert L.; Robinson, William J.; Rosamond, John; Rousseve, Ferdinand Lucien; Russell, Charles Thaddeus; Sealey, Roy Anthony; Simon, John A.; Smith, George Washington; Smith, William W.; Southern University; Spears, Prince W.; Streat, William Afred, Jr.; Sulton, John David; Tandy, Vertner Woodson; Taylor, Robert Robinson; Taylor, Robert Rochon; Thonrton, William Ferguson; Tuskegee Institute; Vaughn, Ralph A.; Vaughn, Roscoe Ingersol; Walker, Josiah; Washington, Booker T., III; Washington, Robert Edward Lee; Welch, John Austin; West, David Benjamin; West, Frank G.; Wheat, Clarence Buchanan; White, Columbus Bob; White, Donald Frank; White, Richard C.; Whittaker, Miller Fulton; Wigington, Clarence Wesley; William, Edward Ross; Williams, Paul Revere; Williams, Robert Johnson; Williston, David Augustus; Wilson, James Walter; Wilson, John Louis; Winder, Earl Theodore; Woodson, Howard Dilworth; Young, Edward Walter Owen; Zenon, Golden Joseph, Sr.

Reveals new and previously unknown biographical material about an important figure in 19th-century American architecture and music Jacob Wrey Mould is not a name that readily comes to mind when we think of New York City architecture. Yet he was one-third of the party responsible for the early development of Central Park in New York. To this day, his sculptural reliefs, tile work, and structures in the Park enthrall visitors. Mould introduced High Victorian architecture to NYC, his fingerprint most pronounced in his striking and colorful ornamental designs and beautiful embellishments found in the carved decorations and mosaics at the Bethesda Terrace. Resurfacing the forgotten contributions of Mould, Hell on Color, Sweet on Song presents a study of this 19th-century American architect and musical genius. Jacob Wrey Mould, whose personal history included a tie to Africa, was born in London in 1825 and trained there as an architect before moving to New York in 1852. The following year, he received the commission to design All Souls Unitarian Church. Nicknamed "the Church of the Holy Zebra," it was the first building in America to display the mix of colorful materials and Medieval Italian inspiration that were characteristic of High Victorian Gothic architecture. In addition to being an architect and designer, Mould was an accomplished musician and prolific translator of opera librettos. Yet anxiety over money and resentment over lack of appreciation of his talents soured Mould's spirit. Unsystematic, impractical, and immune from maturity, he displayed a singular indifference to the realities of architecture as a commercial enterprise. Despite his personal shortcomings, he influenced the design of some of NYC's revered landmarks, including Sheepfold, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the City Hall Park fountain, and the Morningside Park promenade. From 1875-1879, he worked for Henry Meiggs, the "Yankee Pizarro," in Lima, Peru. Resting on the foundation of Central Park Docent Lucille Gordon's heroic efforts to raise from obscurity one of the geniuses of American architecture and a significant contributor to the world of music in his time, Hell on Color, Sweet on Song sheds new light on a forgotten genius of American architecture and music. Funding for this book was provided by: Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund

There is no shortage of books about Le Corbusier, or Mies van der Rohe, or De Stijl. This one is different, however, in a number of ways.
First, it does not treat them as separate subjects, but in relation to each other. While their response to De Stijl throws some new light on Le Corbusier and Mies, it is above all De Stijl that can be more sharply defined in relation to them. Second, the purpose of the study is to excavate the philosophical foundations of the work, rather than merely to describe and discuss the work itself. Third, it looks for connections between the aims and ideals of the 1920s and such 'post-modern' concerns as the creation of habitable 'places' and the survival of the historical city.

Southern Homes and Plan Books showcases the architectural legacy and design philosophy of Leila Ross Wilburn (1885-1967), a legacy that includes hundreds of houses in a variety of popular house styles, from bungalows to ranch houses, built using Wilburn's plan books during the first six decades of the twentieth century. Wilburn opened her own firm in Atlanta in 1909 and practiced until her death in 1967. She published nine plan books that offered mail order house designs to contractors, builders, and prospective homeowners and allowed them the ease of choosing a preconceived design and construction plan. Sarah J. Boykin and Susan M. Hunter provide a survey of the southern homes built from Wilburn's plan books, examining Wilburn's architectural legacy and her achievements as a plan book architect. The book provides beautiful photographs of houses built from her plans, along with illustrations from the plan books themselves and other related documents from the time. Readers can thus see how her designs were realized as individual houses and also how they influenced the development of some of the Atlanta area's beloved historical neighborhoods, most notably Druid Hills, Morningside, Virginia-Highlands, and Candler Park, as well as the MAK (McDonough, Adams, and Kings Highway) district in Decatur. Today, Wilburn's houses are enjoyed as appealing, historic homes and represent some of the richest examples of southern vernacular architecture to emerge from the plan book tradition.

The career and built works of this enigmatic and fascinating architect are carefully charted from his early work on housing design and high-rise offices in Berlin to his later and most famous work in Chicago, Detroit, Montreal and New York. Original illustrations from the architect's archives complement the excellent text.
Spon's ARCHITECTURE COLLECTION presents the work of historic and contemporary masters of architecture in clear well-illustrated text, accessible to non-specialists. This appealing series of monographs, now available in English, is launched by books on two great historic figures of the century, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe and two award-winning contemporary architects, Sir Norman Foster and Alvaro Siza.

Over the course of twenty years, acclaimed studio Miro Rivera Architects has produced an innovative, refined, and imaginative body of work-both modern and respectful of time-honored building traditions-that embodies the particularities of place and blurs the line between art and architecture. The firm's diverse practice weaves together a commitment to craftsmanship with a honed sense of materiality and space to create structures at once elegant, controlled, and pleasant to inhabit. In all, Miro Rivera Architects has won more than one hundred design awards and represented American architecture at exhibitions worldwide. The first from the firm, this volume provides critical insight into the studio's creative process through texts, 95 drawings, and 231 photographs, exploring two decades of work that has helped bring Texas architecture onto the international stage. Featuring essays by Michael Sorkin, Nina Rappaport, Juan Luis de las Rivas Sanz, and Carlos Jimenez-prominent thinkers in urban design and architecture-and new images by renowned photographers Iwan Baan and Sebastian Schutyser, this book examines Miro Rivera's approach to Austin as a "landscape city" and situates the firm's work in a global context related to concepts of nature, urbanism, sustainability, and history.

Stanisic Associates have designed and constructed an array of apartment blocks throughout Sydney's inner-city that have provided a new way to live and to work in a totally urbanized environment. Many of these apartments have been built on the 'brownfield' sites of the redundant industrial land south of the city centre. The architecture has evolved - through an exploration of planning, material usage, spatial organization and the maximization of sunlight - into a climatically-responsive and appropriate modernism: an architecture that can be described as 'Eco-Minimalism.' STANISIC LIVE/WORK documents this approach to architecture and regenerative planning, and features all the practice's most significant projects, as well as selected un-built schemes that explored key ideas and strategies. All projects have been photographed by Patrick Bingham-Hall, and the book is illustrated with conceptual and schematic renderings, as well as formal drawings.

This comprehensive monograph chronicles the personal and professional journey of the Indian architect and urban conservationist Brinda Somaya from 1975 to the present. It explores Somaya's diverse typology of projects in challenging conditions that represent a unique non-stylistic grammar. The essays in this volume offer multiple perspectives on Brinda Somaya's accomplishments, while the dialogues outline the concerns central to her work.

Mexico underwent tremendous growth and transition during the twentieth century, transforming it from a rural country into an urban nation that formed part of a much wider global process of modernisation/westernisation. During this time, Mexican Modernist architecture came into its own, becoming recognised both nationally and internationally as a paradigmatic example of this new design approach. However, relatively little is still known about how Mexican Modernism was able to become a mature and confident movement so quickly, one with such strongly held convictions that they are still very much alive and well today, and which are still shaping and influencing Mexicos architectural forms, lifestyles, values and ideals. This book examines those elements that contributed to its making during the twentieth century. In so doing, it considers Mexican Modernism to be a direct product of its socio-cultural settings and so uses a cultural studies approach to identify the key drivers, or 'power structures', which were involved. Five power structures are investigated which relate to academic, economic/political, social, gender, and post-colonial status. Such power structures are analysed by looking in close detail at 13 of the most famous Mexican architects, documenting their ideas through their own verbal testimonies and their most interesting buildings. Those architects include: Jose Villagran Garcia, Luis Barragan and Juan O'Gorman from the first generation; Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, Agustin Hernandez and Abraham Zabludovsky from the second; Carlos Mijares, Ricardo Legorreta and Juan Jose Diaz Infante from the third; and finally, Enrique Norten, Clara de Buen, Alberto Kalach and Javier Sordo Madaleno from the fourth generation. This book's uniqueness lies in revealing the inter-relationships of the power structures that have controlled and constrained what Mexican architecture could achieve, offering a dissection of what happened within the profession. The book also criticizes the persistence of these same power structures today, and it voices the urgent need for a new kind of architecture for the future. It is essential reading for anyone studying Mexican architecture.

The urban attentions of Pritzker Laureate Sverre Fehn (1924-2009) are extensive, but as yet virtually unexplored. This book examines ten select projects to illuminate Fehn's approach to the city, the embodiment of that thinking in his designs, and the broader lessons those efforts offer for better understanding the relationship between architecture and urban life, with unignorable implications for emergent urban architecture and its address of sociological and ecological crises. Wary of large-scale planning proposals or the erasure of existing urban patterns, Fehn offered an uncommon and profoundly vibrant approach to urbanism at the scale of the single architectural project. His writings, constructed buildings, competition entries, and lectures suggest opportunities for reinvigorating architecture's engagement with the city, and provoke a rethinking of concepts foundational to its theorization. What is the nature of urbanity? What is the relationship of urbanity to the natural world? What is the role of architecture in the provision and sustenance of urban life? While exploring this territory will expand our knowledge of an architect central to key developments of late modernism, the range of the book and the arguments developed therein delineate far broader aims: a fuller understanding of architecture's urban promise.

Provides, for the first time, access to a chronological arc of John Habrakens’ writing in a single collection. Includes over 250 illustrations and interview with the author to enable him to reflect on his journey of inquiry, research, advocacy and teaching His record of accomplishments, too often unrecognized for their seminal value, is remarkable and without match, and continues to enjoy an expanding worldwide following.

"If you can't wait to open up your cottage, taking a peek inside Northern Hideaways: Canadian Cottages and Cabins (The Images Publishing Group, 2022) will make you want to load the car up pronto."-House & Home It's long been a Canadian tradition to "head to the cottage" for holidays. Across the wide expanse of Canada, there are numerous opportunities to do just that. Whether it be a chalet in the ski fields, a boathouse on a fabulous lake, or even just a remote getaway in a secluded forest, Canada fields a wide range of options for places to unwind and spend time with family and friends, and to make the most of all seasons. With a carefully curated selection of beautiful contemporary cottage and cabin designs, this compelling book provides an insight into the Canadian love affair with holiday homes. This beautifully illustrated book celebrates the idea of the Canadian cottage and cabin, and includes a selection of stunning contemporary retreats, guaranteed to make you want to "head to the cottage" for a vacation. The projects and locations featured in this volume include: May House | Indian Point, Nova Scotia Smith House | Upper Kingsburg, Nova Scotia Cap St-Martin Residence | Potton, Quebec Cottage on the Point | Lanaudiere, Quebec Grand-Pic Chalet | Austin, Quebec Lake Brome Residence | Foster, Quebec Lakeside Cabin | Lac-Brome, Quebec Laurentian Ski Chalet | Saint-Donat, Quebec Maison Perchee | East Bolton, Quebec Prefabricated Country Home | Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Quebec Residence St-Ignace | Saint-Ignace-de-Loyola, Quebec The Slender House | Lake Memphremagog,, Quebec Ell House | Wellington, Ontario Go Home Bay Cabin | Georgian Bay, Ontario Kawagama Lake Boathouse | Dorset, Ontario Lake Joseph Cottage | Muskoka, Ontario Lake Manitouwabing Residence | McKellar, Ontario Lake Mississauga Cottage | Kawartha Highlands, Ontario Sky House | Stoney Lake, Ontario The Farm | Clarington, Ontario Woodhouse | Singhampton, Ontario Bowen Island House | Bowen Island, British Columbia House on the Bench | Naramata, British Columbia

Famed for his motto "less is more," Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) was one of the founding fathers of modern architecture and a hotly-debated tastemaker of twentieth-century aesthetics and urban experience. Mies van der Rohe's philosophy was one of underlying truth in pure forms and proportions. With the help of contemporary technological and material developments, he sought a stripped-down purity to architecture, showcased by the likes of the Seagram Building and Farnsworth House. Some spoke out against this stark approach as the precursor to bland, generic cityscapes. Others cite Mies van der Rohe as the ultimate master of an abidingly elegant essence. This book presents more than 20 of Mies van der Rohe's projects from the period 1906-1967 to introduce his groundbreaking practise and influence in both America and Europe. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Architecture series features: an introduction to the life and work of the architect the major works in chronological order information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)

Designing Spaces showcases the finest work from DP Design. This comprehensive book is packed with inspiration, ideas and details on designing spaces and infusing soul and character into vast spaces. This unique and engaging book illustrated how designing for an interior space can be a direct, strategic response to a building's intrinsic architectural form, functionality and user experience. Over 20 unconventional examples illustrate how, rather than treating interiors as isolated design projects, they are seen as extensions of the building architecture.

In this detailed and meticulously researched account of the life and work of Charles Michell, the first surveyor-general and civil engineer of the South African Cape Colony, author Gordon Richings examines in depth, the many interests and achievements of the man, as well as the essence of the time in which he lived, by referring to unpublished personal diaries, sketchbooks and letters. Born in Exeter, Devon in 1793, Michell showed artistic talent at a young age, but due to family circumstances, joined the British Army and served with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars in Portugal. He came to the Cape in 1829 and for the next twenty years played a crucial role in opening up the Cape interior to economic development and expansion, by designing roads, bridges and mountain passes, including Sir Lowry's, the Houw Hoek, Montagu and Michell's Passes. He also suggested improvements to Table Bay Harbour and designed lighthouses at Mouille Point, Cape Agulhas and Cape Recife in an effort to protect shipping along the Cape's notorious coastline. This first biography of Charles Michell is lavishly illustrated with his sketches, watercolours and engravings of Cape scenery, plants, insects and rock paintings, as well as Cape personalities, maps of the colony and architectural plans - the majority of which are published for the first time. New light is shed on the socio-economic life at the Cape, particularly the Tsitsikamma region of the southern Cape, the Frontier War of 1834-35, as well as on the personalities of Michell's colleagues and contemporaries in England and at the Cape.

MOSHOOD ADEMOLA FAYEMIWO was a newspaper publisher/editor in Nigeria where he grew up but now lives in Chicago. An alumnus of University of Lagos, Nigeria, University of South Florida, and State University of New York, he is author of Who's Who of Africans in America and four published books.. His next book is; Jonathan; The Squandering of Good Luck. MARGIE MARIE NEAL is former university professor, education consultant, and reading coach in Chicago. An alumna of State University of New York, Chicago State University, American College of Education, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is co-author, People Power in Africa: A Week That Changed Nigeria Forever," and author of; "The Roles of Professional Organizations in the Effective Teaching of Reading in Chicago Public School-CPS: The IRA and IRC as Case Studies," (forthcoming). Praise For ALIKO MOHAMMAD ADNGOTE THE BIOGRAPHY OF THE RICHEST BLACK PERSON IN THE WORLD "A highly recommended book to anyone who enjoys learning about how different people of all walks of life become rich and successful, and what it takes to get to the top"---Readers Favorite Book (Starred Review), USA. "A compelling book about a unique personality in Africa"---Goodreads, USA. "Flawlessly written, Dangote stands out as a hallmark of excellent artisanship and knowledgeable chronicling"--- Bookplex Review of Books, Mumbai, India. "Nigerian Aliko Dangote, the richest black person in the world, is a witness to the fact that success as a passionate entrepreneur is not limited by race, ethnicity or national origin"---Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.-(D - IL), 2nd Congressional District, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC, USA. In a land lacking a culture of independent biography, this is a starting point, and Dangote is a promising introduction to the fascinating and still largely unmapped universe of one of the world's richest men."---The Huffington Post, USA. "Dangote has trumped long held assumptions, cultural archetypes and stereotypes, to become known as a respected business man, power broker and philanthropist"---Hon Gloria Hyatt, Member of the British Empire (MBE), motivational speaker, education, coach and managing director, Teach Consultancy Limited, UK. "This is a timely book on Aliko Dangote and the positive changes that are taking place in Africa,"---Prof. Vijay Mahajan, The John Harbin Centennial Chair of Business, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas, Austin USA. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/MoshoodAdemolaFayemiwoandMargieMarieNeal

Provides an extraordinary insight into the development of one of the most well-known architects and theorists Alexander's A Pattern Language is one of the best-selling books in the history of architecture The essays combine theory and descriptions of practice

Born in Warsaw in 1926, Joseph Rykwert is one of the best-known critics and historians of architecture. One of very few writers to be awarded the RIBA's highest honour, the Royal Gold Medal, in 2014, and author of countless books and essays, his influence over the past 60 years cannot be underestimated. In this memoir he tells for the first time of how his life's experiences shaped his working life. He addresses the dualities between which he had to navigate: Jewish/Polish, Polish/British and later, Practice/Scholarship. He spent most of his working life between the US and UK and worked both as a designer and a writer; as such his ground-breaking ideas and work have had a major impact on the thinking of architects and designers since the 1960s and continue to do so to this day.