Book Description

Known internationally for his polished interiors, Juan Pablo Molyneux is a designer who combines aesthetically strict modernism with the comfort and richness of neoclassicism. His attention to detail, his insistence on the finest materials, and his use of elements of fantasy and opulence together create a subtle balance between the different parts of a Molyneux room or the pieces within it, inspiring a sense of calm.

This volume, the first devoted to the New York-based designer's work, presents more than a dozen of his most recent projects, from a Beaux Arts mansion in the heart of Buenos Aires to a Park Avenue penthouse. Superb color photographs illustrate these varied homes, providing a personally guided tour replete with insights into Molyneux's structural strategies and furniture selections. Highlighted are features of ornamentation, geometric floor patterns, and trompe l'oeil, the latter regarded by Molyneux as "a fantasy that provokes reality." Born and educated in Chile, Molyneux also studied classical architecture and Egyptology in Paris. He is at ease with different centuries and cultures, an important asset in this era of global eclecticism. Yet his unique mix of disparate objects-- the eighteenth-century French armchairs, seventeenth-century Florentine tables, and paintings by Picasso and Bacon in the living room of a Palm Beach house being but one example-- is based upon inherent and carefully considered correspondences between them.

While the residences seen here are clearly the properties of an exclusive clientele, Molyneux's fresh, direct, and pragmatic voice turns them into an essential source of inspiration for aspiring home decorators and professional designers. Through author Michael Frank's specific histories of these dramatic interiors-- including Molyneux's own-- and complementary drawings, photographs, and details, MOLYNEUX is the tale of a true love of design.
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Book Description

Few rooms in the house depict the changing aesthetics of design as radically as kitchens and dining rooms. With the growing trend toward more cutting-edge fixtures and fittings in kitchens, and more interactive and creative dining areas, these once formalistic rooms are redefining the Asian home. Contemporary Asian Kitchens and Dining Rooms looks at a wide range of inspirational kitchens and dining rooms, from the elegance of open-plan entertaining spaces to the raw, modern look of an industrial kitchen. Featuring the work of some of the best architects and designers from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Bali, and with special sections on al fresco dining as well as tips on how to create the ultimate in table settings, this book offers a comprehensive and imaginative showcase of kitchens and dining rooms in the modern Asian home. ... Read more

Book Description

A lavishly illustrated survey of American Art Deco architecture.

Art deco architecture flourished in large cities and small towns throughout America in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the best examples—office buildings, movie theaters, hotels, and churches—are still in use. Deco architects, artists, and designers drew on European styles but were most committed to a style that grew organically, as they saw it, from their native soil. Two themes bound Deco buildings and their decorative schemes together: a regional pride that tied buildings to their specific locales and functions, and a growing national symbolism that asserted the buildings' identity as uniquely, independently American.

American Art Decofeatures descriptions—and over 500 color photographs—of seventy-five lavish and innovatively designed buildings across the country that have been preserved both outside and in, giving the full scope of this beloved, exciting style. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Glorious deco detail.
Architectural photographer Carla Breeze has focussed her camera on the best seventy-five Art Deco buildings across the Nation and produced a glorious book of color photos that perfectly captures the style. I really liked this book because she concentrates on the architectural detail of each building (with 450 photos) and in many cases, when this detail is on the outside, it is just not viewable from the ground.

The introduction has an interesting eighteen-page photo section dealing with materials, metal, concrete, terra cotta, mosaic, glass, wood and stone. I found this very useful when looking at the images. Each building starts on the spread (some, rightly, have more pages) with a street address and some background text and captions for the photos. The elegant layout does not interfere with the wonderful buildings (a tip of the hat to book designer Robert Wiser) could anyone do anything to improve the photo of the stunning Niagara Mohawk Power headquarters in Syracuse on page seventy-three.

To complement this lovely book have a look at 'Rediscovering Art Deco USA' by Barbara Capitman, Michael Kinerk and Dennis Wilhelm, a methodical nationwide survey, though it does concentrate on commercial buildings rather than houses. If you are Deco spotting on the road leave a space in the glove compartment for David Gebhard's excellent 'The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America', if it's not in this book then most likely it's not worth looking at. ... Read more

Book Description

With the birth of the steel-frame skyscraper in the late nineteenth century came a new breed of man, as bold and untamed as any this country had ever known. These "cowboys of the skies," as one journalist called them, were the structural ironworkers who walked steel beams -- no wider, often, than the face of a hardcover book -- hundreds of feet above ground, to raise the soaring towers and vaulting bridges that so abruptly transformed America in the twentieth century.

Many early ironworkers were former sailors, new Americans of Irish and Scandinavian descent accustomed to climbing tall ships' masts and schooled in the arts of rigging. Others came from a small Mohawk Indian reservation on the banks of the St. Lawrence River or from a constellation of seaside towns in Newfoundland. What all had in common were fortitude, courage, and a short life expectancy. "We do not die," went an early ironworkers' motto. "We are killed."

High Steel is the stirring epic of these men and of the icons they built -- and are building still. Shifting between past and present, Jim Rasenberger travels back to the earliest iron bridges and buildings of the nineteenth century; to the triumph of the Brooklyn Bridge and the 1907 tragedy of the Quebec Bridge, where seventy-five ironworkers, including thirty-three Mohawks, lost their lives in an instant; through New York's skyscraper boom of the late 1920s, when ironworkers were hailed as "industrial age heroes." All the while, Rasenberger documents the lives of several contempor-ary ironworkers raising steel on a twenty-first-century skyscraper, the Time Warner building in New York City.

This is a fast-paced, bare-knuckled portrait of vivid personalities, containing episodes of startling violence (as when ironworkers dynamited the Los Angeles Times building in 1910) and exhilarating adventure. In the end, High Steel is also a moving account of brotherhood and family. Many of those working in the trade today descend from multigenerational dynasties of ironworkers. As they walk steel, they follow in the footsteps of their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers.

We've all had the experience of looking at a par-ticularly awe-inspiring bridge or building and wondering, How did they do that? Jim Rasenberger asks -- and answers -- the question behind the question: What sort of person would willingly scale such heights, take such chances, face such danger? The result is a depiction of the American working class as it has seldom appeared in literature: strong, proud, autonomous, enduring, and utterly compelling.

Reviews (4)

Outstanding Account of Brave Brotherhood
An outstanding account of the brotherhood that built the New York City skyline. Rasenberger does two things particularly well in this book. First, he provides a fine history of the DANGEROUS iron working trade, as it developed with the advent of the syscraper, the redoubtable Flatiron building. "The danger was reflected in the carnage...of 1,000 members of Chicago Local 1 that same year, 103 were injured, 15 permanently disabled and 18 died." Second, he paints lovely portraits of the individuals (the stoic daredevils) who did the work, Sam Parks, "Frenchy" and Jack Doyle, to name a few. I highly recommend that a prospective reader use Amazon's "look inside" feature to sample Rasenber's non-nonsene prose, so well-suited to his subject matter.

A thrilling history and profession, beautifully evoked!
"High Steel" has the reader marveling that this dramatic story has remained untold until now. As in "Seabiscuit," the author's narrative skills work with an exotic profession, and a dramatic period in history, to produce a truly gripping read. Rasenberger illuminates the history of ironwork in this country, and beautifully evokes both its danger and its draw to those who join the trade. It is a thrilling, perilous, foreign world up there where the ironworkers spend their days; we are privileged to gain entrance to this world through "High Steel."

A great story
This story of iron workers is both extremely interesting and a really fun read. It provides beautifully crafted vignettes drawn both from the history of iron workers and from contemporary tales of today's iron workers at work in New York. A strong narrative thread connects these stories as the reader learns about the lives of a small group of iron workers today at the same time as Rasenberger deftly introduces the history of this trade and its daring tradesmen that brings this story to life and sets it in context. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in iron workers, in the history of our tall buildings and impressive bridges and to anyone looking for an accessible and fun read about real workers engaged in daring and dangerous work. It's beautifully written, a sympathetic portrait, yet one that is not afraid to highlight the faults and foibles of the people it describes, making the story one that resonates as accurate and, most of all, real.

A Book About the Working Society of Ironworkers
Being an Ironworker for the last 42 years myself, I found this book right on the mark about the lives of working Ironworkers. Mr. Rasenberger has identified the uniqueness of Ironworkers in his book and ties it all together with some very interesting historical events that occurred to the Ironworkers Union. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about real life people, their work and the dangers of that work. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I love this book
I bought this book looking for inspiration for work and I am not disappointed. This book has beautiful nice quality pictures and mentions what the architect/designer did and why (As a designer I am always curious). It also shows the floorplan of the restaurant so you see how it's laid out. Now that I am venturing into restaurant design from retail, this is very helpful.

excellent book
I'm not a professional designer, nor do I claim to be, so this review will be based on what I discovered from the book.

This book is full of wonderful pictures of Japanese restaurants around the world, rooms decorated so elegantly, youd expect to spend $100.00 a plate easily at any of them. Each restaurant profile lists the designers intentions, design materials, colors, and even a detailed blueprint of the layout. Im not sure you need any more than what is in this book, I spent two hours reading and looking through this book, and I only got 1/4 of the way through it. I found myself staring in awe at what these designers can do with minimal space to use the Japanese culture and aesthetics in making these architectual masterpieces. A definite must if you are looking to integrate asian design elements into your home or office. There are so many design elements that can make even the plainest home seem elegent, streamlined and beautiful. ... Read more

Book Description

Newly translated into English, this unique illustrated biography of Antonio Gaud (1852-1926) is based upon the writings by architect Joan Bergs, highly regarded as Gaudm's closest confidant and leading disciple.

Since the late 1800s, Spanish architect Antonio Gaud's fanciful buildings have defined Barcelona's cityscape, creating startling architectural forms that paralleled the development of Art Nouveau. His playful spires and towers, undulating tiled roofs,mand writhing chimneys loom like fantastic creatures atop commercial and apartment buildings alike, and his sculptures are an integral part of many of the city's parks and public spaces. Published in Catalan in 1954 and now newly translated into English, Gaud: The Man and His Work is the first intimate biography of Antonio Gaud's life and work based on the endeavors of the architect Joan Bergs. The illuminating text of Gaud: The Man and His Work is the result of their ten-year relationship and of Bergs's own profound understanding of Gaud's work. From firsthand experience, we learn about Gaud's thought processes, his explorations of art and technique, and his personal remembrances and are given a unique view - in words and pictures - of one of the master architects of this century. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great information
I just got back from a wonderful vacation to Barcelona, Spain. It was during my research for the trip that I came upon Gaudi and the architectural influence that he had on the city of Barcelona. I actually purchased the book before I went on vacation but I wanted to read it afterwards. From the intimate details that discuss the life of Gaudi and all the information I received on my trip from guided tours of the Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera (Casa Mila), and Guell Park, I have an amazing appreciation for Gaudi.

Also, the pictures in this book are excellent and are much more detailed than the ones that I was able to take. They make a great addition to my visual explanations of my trip.

I would recommend this book if either you are going to Barcelona, or have been there. But I would also think that it would be good for someone who is just interested in architecture or the history of someone who changed the face of Barcelona permanently.

My grand grand father's legacy.
Dear customer, My grand grand father firstly met Gaudi at the architecture faculty of Barcelona and from then on they maintained a friendship that lasted for years. From the knowledge of Gaudi's personality and works, Joan Bergos wrote this book on the 50's, about 30 years after the death of Gaudi. Since then on, his book has been published in several languages such as English, Italian, French, German, Catalonian and Spanish. The English version of this edition has a prologue of his grand son Jordi Ribera Bergos.

You can really appreciate Gaudi
Although this is translated from its original version this is still a masterpiece of a biography. You receive a beatiful pictoral view of Gaudi's work that can only be upstaged by a visit to Barcelona. Joan Bergos gives a much appreciated glance a the life of this intriguing and innovative architect. ... Read more

Book Description

Guides the reader from the earliest revivals of Roman style to the villas of Palladio and Vignola. Each of the great architects is clearly and sensitively discussed. 202 illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Armchair Guide to Renaissance Architecture
This well-illustrated, tightly-crafted paperback is a pleasure to read. By well-illustrated I don't mean fancy. You won't find big color photographs, but you will see what the author is talking about. Murray is not only an expert on the subject; he's a good writer, and I know of no other book that so effortlessly leads the reader through the story of how the wonderful Renaissance architecture of Venice, Rome, and particularly Florence came to be. If you want to know WHY those churches and palaces look that way, and why it matters, this is your book. I especially recommend it to Florence-bound travelers.

An accessible presentation for non-academics
I am not an academic, so I cannot judge the accuracy or importance of this book from a historical perspective. I bought this book to help prepare for a trip to Tuscany and Umbria, and was pleasantly suprised to find it very readable and even difficult to put down. I am now more excited than ever to visit not only the famous sites such as the Duomo and Palazzi in Florence, but also lesser known sites such as Lucca's Palazzo dello Signoria and its Piazza and fountain, by the Mannerist Amanetti. I wish I had this book before my visit to St. Peter's in Rome, because the knowledge of the succession of architects and their circumstances would have made my visit even more rewarding, if that could be possible. ... Read more

Book Description

Le Corbusier Venice Hospital

Edited by Hashim Sarkis

This volume explores an unbuilt yet iconic project by Le Corbuiser and its visual representation. The Venice Hospital is the uncontested epitome of the “mat, ”or carpet, building type —a low sprawling structure developed in the late fifties and sixties that is making a strong comeback in contemporary architecture. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Asian Elements offers a rich sampling of Asian themes and styles from homes in Sri Lanka, Bali, Hong Kong, and beyond. The perfect choice for devotees of the austere oriental aesthetic, its presentation is divided along the lines of the five elements: earth (gardens, clay, stone), air (space, light, flow), fire (kitchens, metal, glass), water (bathrooms, waterside homes), and wood (furniture, textiles). Is it beautiful? Yes. Is it useful?Well... that depends. Categorizing the material by element is a very photogenic concept, and the book presents a sumptuous assortment of oriental textures and accents. A double-page spread shows items made from wood: bamboo stalks, a staircase, a pair of Japanese geta (clogs), writing scrolls, the bark of a tree--all photographed with warmth and simplicity. While it will provide hours of dewy daydreaming, this may be one book that doesn't make the journey from coffee table to work table when you're making plans to decorate your home. --Jhana Bach ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Simply fabulous book!
Wonderfully illustrated book and serves as an excellent source of inspiration Buy this book!

Just Eye Candy
I was hoping that this book would go a lot deeper into the ideas behind the 5 elements in Asian design thinking. The pictures are nice, but the text, the reasoning and emotional value behind the elements is surface and sparse.

Beautiful and inspiring
The photos are gorgeous. They do an excellent job of incorporating a variety of Asian cultures into one book. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (8)

Disappointed
I love porches. I want one on my home. I was ready to read about porches. I couldn't get through the introduction of this book. The obvious liberal slant and the use of vulgarity just turned me off. I bet there is some really great information in this book but if I have to be bombarded by the above mentioned I will find my information elsewhere.

The pictures were above average. If I could rate the book on the pictures.... give it a 5.

Very Interesting read
I was moved by the book so much that I built a porch on my house too!

Great read
Mr. Dolan's easy style make this thoughtful and thorough book a pleasure to read. This book is a great bathroom read!

Porch nostalgia
Mr. Dolan has captured my attention with a most complete writing of a very favorite place: a porch. I found its history from early Greek to present day country home porches to be most interesting and informative. The photographs and descriptions of porches brings nostalgia. The book can best be read while sitting on a porch swing, sipping hot cocoa when the weather is cool or a glass of iced tea when its warm...

The American Porch
Michael Dolan is an excellent and engaging writer who guides the reader not only on a fascinating tour of the American porch, but also traces its family history back to the Carribean, Italy, Greece, India, and Africa. He provides a wonderful history review of many of the events and people who have the shaped United States while providing a narrative on its politics, music, and movies. This book begins with Colonial days continues into commune days and lastly touches upon current issues such as "Smart Growth" initiatives. I recommend that anyone who wants to learn more about the American porch, U.S. history or ways to meet the neighbors put this book at the top of their, "To Read" list. ... Read more

Book Description

Perhaps no other American city is so defined by an indigenous architectural style as Baltimore is by the rowhouse, whose brick facades march up and down the gentle hills of the city. Why did the rowhouse thrive in Baltimore? How did it escape destruction here, unlike in many other historic American cities? What were the forces that led to the citywide renovation of Baltimore's rowhouses?

The Baltimore Rowhouse is the fascinating 200-year story of this building type. It chronicles the evolution of the rowhouse from its origins as speculative housing for immigrants, through its reclamation and renovation by young urban pioneers thanks to local government sponsorship, to its current occupation by a new cadre of wealthy professionals.

The Baltimore Rowhouse was winner of the 2000 Maryland Historical Trust Heritage Book Award for outstanding books of scholarly or general interest. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The history of the city as told by its houses
I enjoyed the pictures of these houses, and thought the book was especially well written. It's impossible to separate the evolution of these houses from the changes in the city itself, so some history is inevitable; there is also a great amount of detail involving the lives of the owners and developers. (I suspect this is a result of the book's being partly funded by a grant. Nothing got thrown away, to give the sponsor their money's worth.) If you are not overwhelmed by all this, you will uncover some interesting bits: the ads for Formstone, the fact that basements were hand-dug by a crew of nine in two days, the tales of the "night soil" removers. Really concentrates on the local history, though, so it may not of interest to others.

Well-written treatment of a highly specialized topic
The rowhouse is far more common in Baltimore than other US cities, and these authors have documented its history and development up to the present day. Every nuance of design change is thoroughly discussed, and the amount of detail allows a street-by-street discussion at times. We're told about the various developers who, parcel by parcel, converted old elite estates into street grids covered with rowhouses of varying quality. The book ends as an advertisement for new urbanism, in which dilapidated old rowhouses are renovated and run-down neighborhoods undergo renewal.

The quality of writing is particularly high. There are approximately 140 b&w photos, which for the most part are grouped together so they can be printed on high-gloss paper. This is an awkward arrangement that requires the reader to flip back and forth to the glossy photo pages. There are approximately ten cross-sections and floor plans. There are very few maps, and a detailed knowledge of Baltimore geography is assumed. Because of the highly specialized nature of this book, it is unlikely to appeal to anyone outside Baltimore, but it would probably be a delight to architectural enthusiasts within the city.

They say, "Timing is everything.."
...and the time to read 'The Baltimore Rowhouse' is now! I'm telling you'se- this book has it all. ; )

You not only get the expected descriptions of the architectural styles of rowhouses, and a historical review of the development of this style of housing, but the author weaves in the chronological social climb of an immigrant family throughout the book. Following the family's real estate history gives the book a story-like, biographical feel; unusual for non-fiction of this nature. It is in a sense, a well documented account of one way the "American Dream" has been realized.

From a social/cultural perspective, the 'Baltimore Rowhouse' is a social commentary on Baltimorean (and American) housing development past, present and future from visionary authors who love the City of Baltimore.

I received the book as a Christmas gift and read it in about 3 days. I couldn't put it down and was a little saddened that it had to end. I say this rarely- IT IS A MUST READ.

The Baltimore Rowhouse
The Baltimore Rowhouse provides an insightful retrospective of the growth of Baltimore City over a 200+ year period by analyzing the houses which its residents built and occupied. It chronicles the birth of a city and describes its growing pains in accomodating its increasing population. Being a lifelong resident of Baltimore and having a personal knowledge of the neighborhoods described in the book, it was especially fascinating to me. I was able to match my own knowledge with the historical background provided by the authors. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand the growth and evolution of a typical American City from the perspective of its townhomes.

A Study in Sensible Housing
The Baltimore Rowhouse describes the origins and development of a housing style which went out of favor after World War II, when suburban development became more fashionable. As the authors explain, Baltimore has a fascinating collection of rowhouses, beginning with the federal period and continuing through the 1950s, with a recent spate of construction that generally matches earlier styles. Notwithstanding the limited space (i.e., the front of the rowhouse) within which to express their individual stylistic vocabularies, architects and builders managed to create a plethora of fascinating facades.

Now that the disadvantages of suburbia--the traffic, the commute, the isolation--are becoming more obvious, the rowhouse looks more and more like a great solution to the problem of home ownership and community. The city of Baltimore has a rich collection of structures and magnificent, but human-scaled, streetscapes which are worth exploring and reinhabiting.

A fun book for urban dwellers and architecture enthusiasts to read. The authors write in respectable, historians' prose, but the language is lively enough to keep one interested. ... Read more

Book Description

Im Rahmen einer Edition liegt damit ein kompletter Überblick über die Bauten und Projekte des Büros von 1966 bis 2001 vor. ... Read more

Book Description

When Marcus Whiffen's classic introduction to American architectural styles was published in 1969, Reyner Banham called it "one of the most enjoyable general works on American architecture that has ever appeared."

This new edition, containing descriptions, histories, and illustrations of more than forty architectural styles, has been revised and updated to include two new entries on late modernism and on post-modernism and a description of "streamline moderne," now recognized as an independent style. The number of illustrations has been increased to 200.

Marcus Whiffen is Professor Emeritus in the School of Architecture at Arizona State University. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Chicago Architecture and Design review
I thought this book was very interesting it has great pictures of the buildings in Chicago. It has alot of information about the beginning of when Architects wanted to build something modern but unqiue at the same time. Get inspired by the great exterior and interior of these amazing buildings.

Fine Book on Chicago Architecture
This book described many of the significant architects in Chicago history. I found it to be informative and very readable. It is the best book I have found which summarizes Chicago Architecture. The color photograghs are excellent

A treat to read from cover to cover
Lasron and Pridmore have put together a wonderful slice of Chicago history through its architecture. An excellent introduction to architecture in Chicago, I would reccomend it to anyone with even a casual interest in the subject. The focus of the book has great historical depth. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The green Olympic site- Sydney 2000
Having visited the Homebush site for the 2000 Olympic games, I was keen to buy a book that would explain all the reasons for the architectural features I had seen first hand. Patrick Bingham-Hall's book does this. Each venue is investigated and the architectural features of each are discussed. The photographs are superb and the wealth of knowledge inspiring. For any visitor to the Olympic games site, this book provides a lasting memorial to a truly vibrant and exciting Olympic park. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whether or not New York City, in all its teeming chaos, strikes readers as exciting or abominating, its superb urban architecture is undeniable. Life in the Big Apple is so fast-paced that most of the time the buildings that fill the island go unnoticed. Manhattan Skyscrapers offers the chance to leisurely peruse the stunning skyline, one building at a time, by compiling 75 of the most noteworthy towers in Manhattan (and one in Brooklyn). Spanning about a 100-year history and organized in chronological order, the book treats each skyscraper to its own section replete with photographs, commentary, and history. And the shifting architectural styles are fascinating to see in one volume. These tall buildings can appear intimidating, dwarfing the people who live in their midst, but this book offers readers an intimacy with these immense structures. There are details here that readers could easily miss in person; for instance, built into the lobby of the gothic-style Woolworth Building of 1913 are gargoyles depicting F.W. Woolworth counting his fortune and the builder in a monk's hood. The photographs are beautiful, with clear perspectives that seem almost impossible to get on the crowded streets of New York. --J.P. Cohen ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Decent, but not definitive
I ordered this book after September 11th as a sort of timecapsule of the New York skyline and a historical record of the World Trade Center towers. The formatting of the book is nice, in chronological order by building, with equal background devoted to each building. There are wonderful pictures of every building, along with some building plans and surrounding area maps.

My biggest complaint is that this book devotes equal time to a lot of non-descript skyscrapers from the 1960's and 1970's that don't really add to the uniqueness of the NY skyline. Some of the architecture of that period is just drab and uninteresting. I would've liked to have seen more concentration on the earlier period of New York's building boom. I think more interior shots would round out this book. The book could also include at least another 50-75 buildings, which is why I don't feel that it's definitive.

That said, this is a nice book, well-formatted, which covers most of the landmark buildings in Manhattan, including the former World Trade Center towers and surrounding buildings.

Only the Best
This book pin pointed some of Manhattan's most noticable and famous skyscrapers. From early century to 2000 this book covers it all. It starts of with the best early buildings mainly near cityhall. Then continues to the towers of wall street, these are the big bold towers weve come to know in the financial district, from the equitable building that is the reason for new york zoning to 1 bankers trust and it's magnificant zuggarat roof. It's full of pictures and info you can't find anywhere else. The book gets more exciting as time progresses, mentioning towers from the Empire State building to the short beakman plaza it's all there. Modern towers are characterized magnificently, at first describing the landmarks such as the lever, seagram, and the U.N. to latter discussing Manhattan's Mega Skyscrapers such as U.S. Steel, G.M., Chase, and Metlife mentioning the sucesses and failures of each tower. At the end it describes the boom in timesquare and other new skyscrapers which escape the box. I read every page with great excitement and recommend it to everyone, it's full of info from an architect's and historians point of view

This Book is a MUST HAVE !
I have read a lot of books about Manhattan Skyscrapers, but this is by far the BEST of all of them. The author makes a review of 75 of the most famous Manhattan's skyscrapers, with amazing pictures you've never seen before. Going in chronological order, it goes from the first skyscrapers, like the Flatiron Building, pasing through Empire State Building, Chrysler and Woolworth, and ending with the new Conde Naste Building at Broadway. If you love skyscraper architecture, this is THE Book ! .

I Love New York
If you spend a lot of time in New York, it's easy to take it for granted. Mr. Nash is someone who does not. Each building in this sumptuously photgraphed book has a story to tell and he does so with a lot of admiration. Now, when I walk through the streets and recognize one I read about, I stop and notice the details and try to recall what was in the text. It would make a nice gift to anyone who loves the city.

Cool photos
we've all seen pictures of skyscrapers and know what they look like, but i was amazed at the photos he took of them. he must stayed in one spot all day, just sitting and waiting all day for that perfect shadow to cast just right to make some of his compositions. I liked it mostly for his compositions and techniques of taking pictures of buildings we've seen a thousand times before--hey if you like skyscrapers or NYC, it's a bonus. ... Read more

Book Description

Leslie Topp investigates how "truth" in Viennese architecture at the turn of the twentieth century could be interpreted in a variety of ways, including "truth" to purpose, symbolist or ideal "truth", and ethical notions of authenticity. Drawing on newly uncovered archival materials, Topp offers a new interpretation of familiar buildings, demonstrating how they encompass utopianism, hyper-rationality, and subjectivism.She also explores the relationship between Viennese modern architecture and contemporary painting, psychiatry, fashion, labor issues, and anti-Semitic politics. ... Read more

Book Description

Fumihiko Maki was born in 1928 in Tokyo and is regarded as a doyen of modern Japanese architecture. After completing his first degree at the University of Tokyo he studied at Harvard University and Cranbrook Academy, and worked with SOM and Sert, before going on to open his own office in Tokyo in 1965; a highpoint in his career was surely in 1993 when he was awarded the Pritzker Prize. Maki is one of the founders of Metabolism and continues to lead in the global architectural arena today. His architectural language is defined by meticulous detailing with rational, precise yet strongly plastic forms. Of particular importance to Maki is the complimentary relationship of his designs with the context, notably the city. In this book Jennifer Taylor places Maki’s work within the context of modern architecture and the evolving circumstances and perspectives of Japan. Within this framework the author presents a number of selected buildings and projects, including the Yokohama Bayside Tower (2003), Triad (2002), the Kaze-no-Oka Crematorium in Tokyo (1997) and the Church of Christ in Tokyo (1995). In addition she assesses Maki’s contribution as a teacher of architecture and as a theoretician. This book is the first comprehensive critical history of Maki’s work. ... Read more