Book Description

San Luis Obispo was founded in 1772 as a mission in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains on California’s Central Coast. The city that grew from a rustic pueblo, with its scattering of adobe buildings, today has a wealth of architectural styles. From the simple barns of the outlying farm community, to the grand hotels and lively saloons kept busy by the Southern Pacific Railroad depot, and back full circle to the Mission Revival style edifices of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s architecture has echoed its history. Motor travel brought the world’s first motel to this half-way point on California’s historic Highway 101, and the famously zany tourist attraction, the Madonna Inn. ... Read more

Book Description

A guidebook to the architectural styles of American churches and temples, Houses of Worship is highly illustrated with over 1000 color photographs and explanatory line drawings. A survey of American religious architecture, this book is a history of the development of American religious history, a guidebook to assist in the identification of the style of individual buildings based on historical examples of typical buildings, and a travel guide to regional monuments of interesting architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

Founded in 1978 by architect Steven Holl and bookseller William Stout in an attempt to skirt the editorial control of the reigning architectural magazine culture, Pamphlet Architecture has been disrupting the status-quo ever since. This series of small experimental volumes has introduced important ideas and spurred much-needed debate among students and practitioners alike.

Pamphlet Architecture 23 carries on this tradition with a book selected in an open competition. Johanna Saleh Dickson's entry was chosen from over seventy submissions received from architects, academics, and students from across the nation and around the world.

Her pamphlet investigates the events of May 13, 1985, when a bomb was dropped by police on a Philadelphia row house in order to evacuate its residents-members of the radical organization MOVE. The fire that ensued killed 11 MOVE members and destroyed an entire city block. Tainted by these traumatic events, the reconstructed house located on the site has stood unoccupied for nearly two decades. Dickson proposes an architectural treatment that might facilitate and promote healing within the affected community.

A call for ideas for Pamphlet 24 has already gone out. A winner will be selected in September of this year and the next innovative project will be published in spring of 2003. ... Read more

Book Description

After nearly one hundred years, both the Arts and Crafts movement and the man most closely associated with it-Frank Lloyd Wright-continue to enjoy extraordinary popularity. Created and championed by Wright and his colleagues, the Prairie Style is firmly rooted in the domestic architecture of the American Midwest, and its influence has spread throughout the country and the world. This elegant, profusely illustrated book captures the enduring spirit of Prairie Style, celebrating its indelible contribution to the closing century.

Prairie Style opens the doors to 24 homes, ushering readers into beautifully restored and creatively furnished spaces that radiate the warmth so closely associated with Wright and the Prairie School of architects. More than 200 full-color photographs offer full room views as well as close-ups of remarkable furniture and decorative objects. In keeping with Wright's devotion to natural settings, exteriors and gardens are also pictured, placing each house in the context of its environment. These sheltering houses-low and rambling with refreshingly open interiors-inspired generations of houses to come, and changed the shape of suburban America. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Pulskamp
This book does have a very nice blend of photographs and reproductions of sketches and interior / exterior images, but I was not impressed with the cross over into other architect's work that, in my humble opinion, do not come close to approaching FLW's ability. Overall it is a good resource, but hardly a definitive study on Wright and his structures.

Great Interiors
This book varies from most books on Wright and the prairie style architects in its extensive use of interior photos. Many of the prairie homes are somewhat unremarkable from the outside, while inside they have a distict beauty and grace. "Prairie Style" beautifully portrays the interior as well as the exterior of homes by Wright, his students, and contemporaries.

Nice pictures, no floor plans...
This book covers more than just Wright. It also gives you some insight to others that came out of the Prairie School and others that were redefining the American style near the turn of the century. The book has wonderful pictures, but as an architect, I wish it had floor plans so I could more easily understand how the spaces worked together. It's still a nice addition to my library.

Timeless Design
The great thing about the Prairie Style is that elements of it can fit into so many different other types of designs and times. Even though I have a very modern, contemporary home, I got plenty of ideas from this beautiful book. Contains loads of beautiful pictures of home interiors by Wright & his followers. ... Read more

Book Description

This generously illustrated study of factory buildings documents how these factories were designed to meet the multifarious demands of industry, argues that industrial aesthetic ideals were derived from functional engineering principles (what she terms the "engineering aesthetic"), and contrasts the factory designs of engineers and architects. As Bradley probes the rationale behind the design of factories, she offers readers a useful typology and clarifying terminology. ... Read more

Book Description

Enter the world of the rich and famous of America's past...by visiting the mansions they left behind, now open to the public. This unique guide leads you in words and pictures through the opulent estates of the industrialists, wildcatters, inventors, and others whose lives define the American success story.

Practical information helps plan your visits, while each entry tells the stories of the houses, architects, and owners, and describes the period furniture and decor. All 50 states are represented, giving you hours of armchair travel to America's castles. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Awesome!
I am 10 years old and I got this book as a present from my parents. I am a big huge fan of old things and this was the perfect book for me. If you like historical things like huge houses and fancy dresses this is the book to get. It lists a ton of houses - over 150!! So far we have gone to the biltmore estate (INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!) and plan on going to the hearst castle and others. I highly recommend this book for great family trips. It also notes important things like websites, phone numbers,gift shops, etc. I love this book!

Simply Fabulous
We bought this book and have toured three homes so far. We found the book invaluable! It gives fantastic descriptions and points out what grand houses we would like to most visit. At Marble House, we enjoyed the most f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s butter cookies! But Marci (with and 'i') and I are on the Atkins high protein diet and could only have three. We each had one and split the third. D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s! Word of caution for those visiting the Biltmore house in Ashville, North Carolina...if you happen to drive a Range Rover and happen to have two Legnanos (hand-made Italian bicycles) on the roof rack (a $650 option on a Range Rover, I'll have you know!:o)), DON'T drive under the grape arbor! Marci was shaking so badly with anger that she dumped grape juice in her lap -- not funny. But within a few miles she was okay and we were able to laugh it off. I swear our premiums went up by $200. After a long trip, it was nice to get back to San Diego. "Elsa", our Range Rover managed to get about 17 miles to the gallon...not bad for a $60,000 SUV! We hope you enjoy this book as much as we do. We're looking forward to writing more reviews as we visit more houses!

A book that I've really used
I have owned this book for a few years now and have loved it.

It lists over 150 of America's greatest homes that are open to the public. It is organized by region of the U.S. For each region, it list the homes by state and supplies a map of the region, marking where each of the houses are. For each house, a one to two page description is given along with in many cases a color photograph on the property. It also lists, the property's address, phone, opening hours, and what facilities are available at the property such as restaurant, gift shop, guided tour, etc. It even lists the site's website so that you can get up to date information regarding opening times and admission fees.

Admittedly, it does not list every home in a area that is historic and open to the public, but it does list a very good starting point. Enough to point you to a place that you would like to visit if you are a architecture or old classic home buff. Once there, you can explore on your own and find the less publicized gems that appeal to you.

I have really used this book. I have planned and completed trips to New Port, Charleston, and the James River area. I am actively planning a trip to the Hudson River Valley because of this book and can't wait to return to New Orleans and Washington DC with this book in hand.

Travel on land or in your imagination
This refrence book is not just for the tourist. The book is divided into four large regions of the country; the west, the heartland, the northeast and the south. In all four regions 156 houses are highlighted and even more briefly noted as local intrests. Every house represented gives a brief history and includes information on entrance fees, available tours, wheelchair accessiblity, restaurants, gift shops and parking. For additional information the book also provides the address and phone number to each location. This full color book has phoographs for almost every house and even includes a few full spread photos. It is great not only if you are planing a trip, but also if you appreciate architecture, history and culture.

This would be better regionalized
This is a nice starting point, but very sparse in the way of really giving you an idea of what's worth seeing. Case in point: Louisiana. Oak Alley, an elegant tourist trap, is given play, but why not Laura, which gives a much better, less dumbed-down idea of how people lived at that time. This would be much better if it was divided into regions. Many more historic homes and other unique residences could be highlighted in this way. ... Read more

Book Description

The definitive volume on how paint has been used in the U.S. in the last 250 years. Eminent contributors cover the history of this medium in American buildings from the 17th century to the end of the 19th century. Contains a survey of practices and materials in England, cutting-edge techniques used by today's researchers in examining historic paints, fascinating case studies and an important chart of early American paint colors. Explains how to identify pigments and media, how to prepare surfaces for application and apply paint. Includes the chemical properties of paint with a table of paint components, plus a glossary and bibliography. ... Read more

Book Description

The Burton Barr Central Library (Phoenix Central Library) has quickly become a point in the community’s pride while serving as an exciting background to the region’s library and information needs. It is a regular tour stop for visitors as well as architects and scholars from around the world. This architectural masterpiece works with the beautiful desert setting, and is designed to display the natural beauty of the West. The top of the library has a great public reading room, reminiscent of older libraries, with the entire non-fiction collection. The design is a mix of futuristic aspects combined with a respect for historical detail. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A library on a shoestring
By the 1980's, Phoenix needed a new library.

The requirements were simple.It had to be downtown, which has the highest crime rate in the city including a murder rate that is eight times the national average. Thechief librarian wanted a big box, "a warehouse for books."Only limitedfunds were available, and budgets were being trimmed for a library systemthat circulates more books for less money than any other city in thenation.

Phoenix itself is a "branch plant" town where out-of-statebusinesses build box-like factories for semi-skilled workers who assembleproducts.The major media are owned by out-of-state companies.Theuniversity is famed as one of the top party schools in the nation.Thecrime rate is among the highest in the nation, social services are amongthe lowest, the traditional architectural style is the strip mall and themodern version is faux theme park, while urban sprawl spreads faster thanragweed.The library site is between a parking lot and the lush greenlawns of a city park.

This may sound familiar other hard-pressedcity officials.

It's a classic case of downtown urban renewal. Dozens of cities have faced similar challenges, and many have renovated oldneighborhoods and historic districts.In Phoenix, the decision was tobuild a state-of-the-art library as one of the crown jewels needed torevive the downtown.

The new library is primarily due to theleadership of an outstanding mayor--Terry Goddard--who recognizedthe importance that quality means to civic pride.The result is thatPhoenix architect Will Bruder built one of the outstanding new libraries inthe nation.This book is primarily photographs and drawings, showing howit came to be and what it is today.It will inspire any public officialfaced with the need to do a lot more with less, and to do it with beauty. It shows that outstanding civic quality is possible despite sometimessevere budget limitations, and that signature buildings can be builtwithout raiding the public treasury.

The east and west sides areclad in copper, one of the four C's on which Arizona was founded-- copper, cotton, citrus and climate.South side windows are shaded byadjustable louvres, for protection against temperatures that can reach 122degrees.North windows use fabric sails to cut the glare.Twelve inchthick concrete walls shade the main portion of the building, soaking upheat during the day and allowing it to dissipate easily at night instead ofsoaking into the building.

The fifth floor Reading Room wasinspired, at least in part, by the Frank Lloyd Wright design of the JohnsonWax Building which features tall columns that flare out at the top likelily pads.Bruder did something different;he designed tall columns thattaper toward the top like massive dinner candles, with a circular skylightabove each. The columns are laced together with a network of cables onwhich the roof floats, free of the walls and the columns.The atmosphereis like being out of doors.

In Bruder's words, the library embodieshis core philosophy "that real architecture exists when both pragmatism andpoetry are served with equal passion."

This book expresses itwell.It shows what a community can accomplish when civic officials arewilling "to think outside the box."Civic officials contemplating a majorproject, whether they have ample budgets or not, will find this book is aninspiration to soar above mediocrity. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

The Critics' Contempt for Simulated Spaces
This is a very thoughtful and provocative collection of eight essays on various simulated spaces which have infiltrated the American landscape. The book's overall thesis is that public space and "authentic" urban life increasingly has been replaced by simulations of urban life, usually as spaces of commodification (e.g. malls, gentrified districts, theme parks). In this process of replacing public space, aspects of American public life--open space for assembly, the interaction of different people, concern for communities--also get erased. While simulated spaces may seem to improve public space and public life, they do so at a cost, one that the critics seem to suggest is the loss of real public space and perhaps even of democracy.

The purpose of this book is not only to describe these spaces, but to oppose them. Each of the authors point to the negative effects of simulated space. In many cases, the essays' implications jump right out of the page and into your neighborhood. Margaret Crawford's essay on the Edmonton shopping mall could be applied to any mall in Anytown, USA. Neil Smith's essay on gentrification points out the high price that comes with "revitalization"; one is reminded of many similiar projects outside his NYC example: Philadelphia, Detroit, Seattle,and so forth. Edward Soja and Trevor Boddy both contribute well-written essays which demonstrate growing chasm between the "haves" and the "have-nots." With these essays, extended and local comparisons with dying urban areas and suburbia, sprawl, gated communities, and so forth are appropriate. Michael Sorkin's own essay on Disneyland turns a well-wrought phrase, and gives the Disney Studies scholar much to think about. (NOTE: Those interested in Disney should read this article if nothing else in the collection, although many of the essays are applicable to the study of Disney.) Of the essays, it is perhaps the one least obviously applicable to "real" life. But then again, Sorkin notes the distance between the simulated environment of the theme park and the reality of the city is decreasing.

Of course, the scholars' analyses are dark and even depressing. And more than once, the authors manage to sound like angry young critics filled with more agenda than action. More than once, extended discussion of the issues raised in the essays would have helped--although many of these authors do have full-length treatments elsewhere--or perhaps alternative perspectives which would have varied the collection's tone and helped sustain readers' interest. And like any collection some of the essays are stronger than others. Overall, though, the collection makes a reader stop and think. Many readers will end up carefully reconsidering 1) the state of American life and its public space and 2) one's participation in these developments. Variations deserves recognition for addressing these issues.

Very comprehensive
This book enlists many different authors, who all have an amazing point of view on the built environment. From gated communities to Disneyland, every chapter expresses concerns of fast-changing developed environments. Our cities are quickly becoming cold, enclosed enclaves. This book helped me realize how our society has snubbed the utilizaton of public space. This is definitely a book for every person interested in city planning, urban studies,or sociology. Whether a student or leisure reader, this book will open your minds to what is really taking place in our cities, suburbs, resorts, and recreational facilities. Any place in which society is forced to interact with one another is referred to in "Variations on a Theme Park". Read it. It will open your mind! ... Read more

Book Description

Accompanied by more than 75 of the author's own meticulous sketches, this lovingly written book presents reliable records of such vanishing forms of architecture as the American barn and covered bridge. Delightful anecdotes describe structures as well as the men who built them. Accurate line drawings depict barns attached to houses, an "open" log barn in Virginia, a "top hat" barn in North Carolina, a bridge with a pedestrian walkway in rural New York state, a 2,088-foot covered bridge at Clark's Ferry, Pennsylvania, and more. Written with "warmth and astonishing comprehension," said the New York Herald Tribune Book Review, this priceless and highly readable tribute to a bygone era will delight Americana enthusiasts and lovers of these traditional symbols of early American life. Over 75 black-and-white illustrations.
... Read more

Amazon.com

Frank Gehry has called Walt Disney Concert Hall a "living room" for the city of Los Angeles. Opened in Fall 2003 to rapturous praise, the hall beckons all comers with a billowing steel facade gleaming in the sunlight. Nearly 100 stunning color photographs and four concise, engaging essays by notable, mostly L.A.-based contributors make Symphony: Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall the ideal overview of this major civic and cultural landmark. Significant architectural, acoustical, urban design and civic leadership angles are all covered, including the checkered history of the project, stalled for years due to a ballooning budget, a complex decision-making process and a misguided attempt to relegate Gehry to a consulting role. In the end, as Michael Webb points out, the lag time proved valuable to Gehry, coinciding with his mastery of a new architectural language that he first explored in the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. The book is full of intriguing details. For example, the acoustical scheme developed by Dr. Minoru Nagata relies in part on a surprising discovery he made—-that the quality of sound in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, long attributed to the resonant wood walls, was really due to the four inches of plaster underneath. The most ambitious chapter is Carol McMichael Reese's discussion of the hall's role in the long-term rehabilitation of downtown Los Angeles. For all its scrupulous detail and balanced assessments, however, she fails to give an eye-level view of the gritty texture of downtown Los Angeles and how alien it still is to the average symphony patron. The book concludes with an essay by Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, who notes the appropriateness of visionary design to the modern symphonic repertoire he champions. —Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Book Description

Filled with an array of surprises, the book features historically accurate artwork exclusively drawn by artist Chuck Fischer, who combines real photography with his own painting to create a masterpiece in each double-page spread. The spread includes pops of both house and garden, and informative booklets about each estate's house, gardens, and history.

Among the fabulous pop-ups are elaborate full-scale replicas of Biltmore and Monticello, as well as a moveable carousel showing each season in the famed Winterthur gardens. A concertina allows a see-through of the Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg.
... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great American Houses and Gardens
This could have been a fantastic pop-up and when I first examined it, I thought it was. Unfortunately, the pop-ups don't 'pop'; you literally have to open them. My first reaction was that the book was stiff because of the newness but it has not gotten better. My second disappointment is the lack of gardens; this is essentially the houses. If anyone wants a pop-up for the gardens, get the one about Monet's Garden; it is great.

Fantastic glimpse into a variety of houses and gardens
This was one of the more creative books I have delved into in ages. There is a wide variety of properties chosen with beautiful illustrations by Byfield that put you there for a moment. The book also has on each page a couple of little attached booklets for futher interesting facts to be had. This is a fantastic gift for yourself or someone else who enjoys traveling, art and miscellaneous facts, amongst other things.

A STUNNING BOOK!!
This is a gorgeous and inventive book...The mixture of paintings and photographs is flawless and the choice of homes is exquisite. I've already bought 3 more copies as Christmas gifts! ... Read more

Book Description

This latest volume of the groundbreaking Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts explores the material, social, and cultural world of the large American hotel. Ten richly illustrated essays look at the architects, designers, and social forces that created this distinctive and complex urban institution, from Gilded Age New York to 1950s Miami Beach.

Broadly imagined and yet cohesively focused, the essays examine such major historical processes as consumption and modernism, and race, class, and gender. Topics include the lavish New York apartment hotels of Schultze and Weaver (the architects of the Waldorf-Astoria); the connection between hotels and mansions in the "rich man's city" of Gilded Age New York; the "bodacious" interior designs of Dorothy Draper; the flamboyant Miami Beach fantasies of Morris Lapidus; Henry Flagler's St. Augustine resorts; Atlantic City's old Traymore hotel; the social world of hotel chambermaids and clerks; the parallel world of African-American "pleasure travelers"; the trend toward efficiency and standardization; and the capitalist narrative of early-twentieth-century urban hotel demolitions. ... Read more

Book Description

From a rustic beach house on Puget Sound to a desert retreat on the high plateau of southeast Oregon to a cabin nestled in a forest of Douglas firs, vacation and retreat architecture in the Pacific Northwest is as varied as the terrain itself. The best examples of retreat architecture in the country are here, from ageless timber homes belonging to early Northwest moguls to today's "days away" architecture-- lodges, cabins, and summer cottages that communicate the exuberance for year-round outdoor adventure. With ideal terrain for hiking, rock-climbing, skiing, fly-fishing, and more, the Pacific Northwest is a mecca for lovers of the outdoors, and as a result, a flood of new wealth is being poured into lifestyle architecture in this area. Retreats here are designed to keep the terrain at the inhabitants' fingertips and to adapt to such unique demands as where to park one's glider.

These days Americans can be as remote as they want to be. This book demonstrates how retreat architecture can now respond to our recreational needs while providing comfort and beauty so we can settle down in style.
... Read more

Reviews (4)

COASTAL RETREATS The Pacific Northwest
From the Seattle AIA Reviewer, Peter Sackett:

Trying to convince a reader that architecture is
good by telling them it's good is an exercise in
futility. In Coastal Retreats: The Pacific Northwest
and the Architecture of Adventure (Universe,
2002) author Linda Leigh Paul understands the
burden of her responsibility as a writer. Her
contributions reflect what images, on their own,
cannot. Coastal Retreats offers a broad
photographic sampling of Northwest vacation
homes designed over the last half-century with
editorial work that provides context for their
creation, including anecdotes from both owner and
architect, taking the architecture out of the
showroom and into the lives of the people who use
it.

A couple of years ago I ranted for eight hundred
words or so in the pages of Arcade about a
newly-published monographic account on the work
of architect Roland Terry. My beef wasn't that the
architect's work wasn't up to snuff, rather that the
book's author had done little to flatter the
architecture nor contribute a compelling narrative to
describe its significance. To judge from the editorial
content, he seemed less than convinced that
Terry's work could stand on its own without
bolstering it with sentences of fawning admiration
to make projects appear buoyant on the page.

Paul, instead, takes the trouble to tell stories
behind the homes' creation using relaxed, informal
language to describe the likes and dislikes of
clients as well as quirks of the landscape that
provide a setting for enjoyment of their
investment. The approach is both entertaining and
instructive. She includes the following in a chapter
on "Decatur Island Haven" by George Suyama
Architects:

"In the mid-1990s, while flying over the San Juan
Islands, designer Christian Grevstad's instincts led
him to alert his pilot that they were off course and
lost. As the pilot corrected the flight path, Grevstad
glanced down at a flowering meadow sitting atop a high
bluff. Below him lay the site he had envisioned for his
ideal island getaway. He headed for Seattle, where he
did the necessary footwork, and found that the price
was right."

Grevstad may enjoy a vexingly privileged lifestyle,
but it makes for a cool story.

Images and Ideas
I was surprized by the quality of the works presented but more particularly the idea of "the architecture of adventure". The premise of this book is "right on." These get-aways are not just comfortable, but expose their owner's attitudes on being at home in nature.

Great looking with great ideas...
This is a beautiful book full of beautiful houses in beautiful places. There is a wide range of projects and styles, illustrating the quality of design in the Pacific Northwest region. An attractive book in its own right, this would be a great resource for anybody thinking of building a vacation house.

This book ranks high on my list....
Definitely, Linda Leigh Paul should be very proud of her work....It really captures the spirit of Northwest design...When one asks, "Why hire an Architect",,,all one needs to do is show this book,,,it tells all....Again, a job well done!!! ... Read more

Book Description

About 50 buldings, hotels, restaurants, shops, museums and offices. They show the most recent architecture and interior design of the city. The new World Trade Center project will be included.Alphabetical order by location. Index by architect/designer. ... Read more

Book Description

Tucked between the housing developments and golf courses of the Orange County coast lies a small settlement of rustic beach cottages seemingly frozen in time. Crystal Cove Cottages is the first history of this uniquely preserved beach spot that has lured travellers and campers since the 1920s. Deemed by the National Register of Historic Places to be "the last intact example of California beach vernacular architecture," it is now a registered state park whose cottages are newly available for public overnight visits. From silent-film location to rum-runners' hideout, scenic setting for a vibrant landscape painting community to 1950s luau-party headquarters, Crystal Cove has all the while remained a bohemian yet family-friendly village. Ten sidebars on notable individual cottages highlight the Cove's distinct and often amusing architectural evolution. Crystal Cove Cottages captures the nostalgic ambiance of seaside Americana. ... Read more

Book Description

A stirring photographic tribute to the Twin Towers, which were the icons of the New York skyline.

Rising dramatically above all other skyscrapers at the tip of Manhattan, the World Trade Center symbolized New York. From any direction the Towers were lodestars, Manhattan's local mountains. As New Yorkers desperately seek a path toward healing, following the dark events of September 11, they have been reminiscing about the view of the Towers they once had from their homes and offices. Visitors as well are remembering how the WTC looked as they approached Manhattan by car or by plane or from the water. The WTC was a compass. As we mourn for the terrible loss of life, we also want to remember.

The 72 images of the World Trade Center presented in this book depict a New York we once knew, one we are now working to rebuild. For more than two decades, practically since the Twin Towers were erected, Bullaty and Lomeo have been photographing these awesome buildings. The pictures featured here portray the WTC from all directions, starting with views from the east at dawn, and ending with evening views from the west. There are captivating panoramas from Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, New Jersey, and uptown, taken in all seasons, as well as a section showing the grand Plaza at the center of the buildings. Together, they create an unforgettable portrait of the Twin Towers.

Introducing this extraordinary collection of photographs, Paul Goldberger's text evokes the Towers and the city they came to symbolize. He recalls how they evolved in the public mind, targets of criticism to beloved American icons. He explains their architectural significance and explores their visceral meaning to New Yorkers. In contrast to books depicting the disaster and the days following it, this photographic memoir will be welcomed by all of us--New Yorkers and visitors alike--who yearn to remember the way life was.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Twin Towers Fund to assist the needy families of the uniformed services of New York City. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Made me nostalgic for the towers.
Beautifully done. This book has a unique, high-quality collection of photos of the trade center and a well-written introduction about the architecture of the towers and its meaning, as well as the changing public attitudes toward the towers over the years. Recommended.

A remarkable building remembered
I always had a dream to go up in the world trade center. This dream was violently and ruthlesly shattered on the day of 9/11. Now this book in question, i.e., The World Trade Center Remembered by Sonja Bullaty (Photographer), et al is a fitting tribute to one of the marvels of modern architecture. Highly Recommended.

Healing
I feel these books of stories and photos of the people who experienced this tragedy first hand is important for all of us.
The people who lived through it get to see what the rest of the world saw. A look of what they went through which can help them validate the emotions they are feeling.
The folks that witnessed it from a distance get a closer look of what our fellow americans went through.
All of it is a healing process that we need and looking at it through pictures or written stories of our friends will help us understand our human bond living in this beautiful country.

An excellent tribute...
The pictures contained in this book offer a stunning tribute to the memory of the World Trade Center towers. The photos are taken from many different locations and angles and give the reader a well-rounded viewpoint of the buildings. All of the photos in the book portray the towers as they existed before their destruction, which makes the book particularly poignant. Additionally, there is a remarkable essay by an architechture critic which adds depth to the book. My only complaint with this book is that it is soft-cover. Of course, I knew this when I ordered the book, but oversize books of this quality are generally in hard-cover. Regardless, this is an amazing book.

World Trade Center Remembered
A beatiful book and a a very touching tribute to the World Trade Center. The pictures are stunning,unique and very moving. The dramatic pictures are from every vantage point in and around Manhattan. I know I will turn to this book again and again to remember how beautiful and majestic the World Trade Center was. ... Read more

Book Description

If...Then: Architectural Speculation is the sixth in an annual series of publications featuring work by talented architects selected by The Architectural League of New York's Young Architects Competition jury. This year, entrants were asked to explore the process of architectural speculation: the act of imagination that precedes every work, projecting future events in a space that does not yet exist. The winners of the competition—Fernando Romero; Tobias Lundquist; Anthony Piermarini and Hansy L. Better Barraza; Keith Mitnick, Mireille Roddier, and Stewart Hicks; Tom Wiscombe; and Gail Peter Borden—take on this challenge and creatively address the social and political assumptions surrounding architectural production through a rethinking of site, program, form, technology, and materials. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great book
Stan Allen does a great job with this book in allowing the reader to contemplate the background decisions and thought process that goes into architectural speculation. Easy to read, this book addresses the imagination and planning stages of these young architects and their projects. Highly recommend. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Pretty, but Pretty Vacuous
"Shaker Built" is "Shaker Lite". Lots of postcard pictures from the most popular Shaker villages. And lots of cliches about Shaker life, work, and art. "Shaker Built" will look nice on the coffee table, but for brains and beauty, check out Nicoletta's"Architecture of the Shakers".

Pretty, but Pretty Vacuous
"Shaker Built" is "Shaker Lite". Lots of postcard pictures from the most popular Shaker villages. And lots of cliches about Shaker life, work, and art. "Shaker Built" will look nice on the coffee table, but for brains and beauty, check out Nicoletta's"Architecture of the Shakers".

great book
this is an excellet book,, really enjoyed it. makes you want to travel to america just to have alook at all buildings. ... Read more

Book Description

New York architecture has captured the world's imagination for years, and this book offers compelling evidence that the last ten years are no exception. The city draws more tourists than ever and looks the best it's looked in years. In over 350 pages and close to 400 photographs, this new volume will include the top fifty buildings and interiors from the last decade, among them projects by a Who's Who of famous architects: Rem Koolhaas, Gwathmey Siegel, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, and Philippe Starck. There are no books available that document the same time period with this breadth and depth.

Featured projects: Rem Koolhaas's Prada Store, James Polshek's new Planetarium at the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of Natural History, the 42nd Street Redevelopment project with skyscrapers by Arquitectonica and KPF, Philippe Starck's Hudson and Paramount hotels, Renzo Piano's New York Times headquarters project, and Diller and Scofidio's winning scheme for Eyebeam, in addition to smaller cutting edge projects by ShoP, Architecture Research Office, and LOTEK
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