Based in a historically distinguished town near New York City, the firm of Bentel & Bentel Architects has been led for over 50 years by two generations - men and women - of one family. The interweaving of their experiences, lifestyles, and personal philosophies has produced a uniquely elegant series of works including public buildings, restaurants, and hotels. The buildings are equally notable for their thoughtful relationships to the structures they occupy or adjoin, the communities in which they stand, and the experiences of their intended users. Bentel & Bentel's accomplishments reflect not only its cumulative design experience but the insights the partners bring to their work from a variety of related activities: painting, sculpture, dance, design of furnishings, architectural history, and education. Reflecting the lives and accomplishments of the firm's partners, this monograph is composed of three narratives: Who We Are, What We Do, and Who We Were.

The latest edition in the successful Builders Series, Civic Builders contains international coverage of government buildings and city halls. Commencing with an introduction on the history of civic buildings, this volume goes on to showcase 30 contemporary case studies by world renown architects, including Foster and Partners, Richard Meir and Helmut Jahn. Each project is fully illustrated by the incorporation of texts, plans and photos of civic buildings.

Civic life is not only about the authority of government and the duties of citizens, but should also encompass passion and imagination. Civic Builders presents recent municipal buildings around the world that subscribe to this attitude: they all demonstrate a quality of playfulness and liveliness, whilst maintaining their dignity and power.

The book focuses on the city hall, where people have the most direct experience of government, both on the purely symbolic level and in the nitty-gritty of governmental functions. Organised chronologically, it begins with Säynätsalo Town Hall in Finland and three North American city halls: Toronto, Boston and Dallas. The Post-Modernist Portland Building, the James R. Thompson Center and Mississauga City Hall take us into the 1980s, followed by a profusion of intriguing civic buildings that began to emerge in Europe, North America and Asia in the 1990s - including Ottawa City Hall, the Vidhan Bhavan, La Flèche Town Hall, Murcia Town Hall and the Clark County Government Center, which is shown on the cover. It concludes with several projects in the United States that are still on the drawing board.

Beyond city halls, the book includes legislative buildings such as the Reichstag (1999) and the European Parliament Building (1999); some buildings that are only symbolically public, such as the Berlin Chancellery (2001) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (1999); and designs that show civic imagination can flourish even in the service of administration.

It is possible to see in these buildings a warmth and welcome, and a sense of connection to community. They bring to mind the base meaning of 'metropolis', whose roots are literally 'mother-city'. In short, they show the human touch.

Other titles available in the Wiley-Academy 'Builders' series:
Museum (1854901915), Theatre (1854904507), Library (0471977357, Church (0471977551), Monument (0471983683), Airport (0471984450), Bank (0471853593), Cinema (0471491381), University (0471988340), Bridge (047149786X)

Future titles include:
School Builders by Eleanor Curtis
Hospital Builders by Tony Monk
Theme Park Builders by Loraine Dearstyne Fowlow
Museum Builders II by Laura Hourston
Office Builders by Katherine MacInnes