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Big Ideas Simply Explained
The Architecture Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained
Learn about key concepts behind the world's most incredible buildings in The Architecture Book.
Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Architecture in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for novices looking to find out more and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Architecture Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in.
This captivating book will broaden your understanding of Architecture,
- A global scope, covering architecture from all over the world
- Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts
- A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout
- Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understanding
The Architecture Book is a captivating introduction to buildings and the ideas, and principles that make them key to the history and evolution of our built environment - aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and students wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you'll discover the most important ideas, technologies, and movements in the history of architecture and structural engineering, through exciting text and bold graphics.
Your Architecture Questions, Simply Explained
Learn about the evolution of construction, from ancient and classical architecture through Medieval, Gothic, and Renaissance buildings, Baroque and Rococo, to 19th-century emerging modernism and postmodernism and glittering skyscrapers. If you thought it was difficult to learn about buildings and the ideas behind them, The Architecture Book presents key information in a clear layout. Explore architectural movements, styles and celebrated buildings from all over the world, and stunning religious structures from mosques to churches, stupas to pagodas and temples.
The Big Ideas Series
With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Architecture Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking graphics along with engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.
Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Architecture in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for novices looking to find out more and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Architecture Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in.
This captivating book will broaden your understanding of Architecture,
- A global scope, covering architecture from all over the world
- Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts
- A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout
- Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understanding
The Architecture Book is a captivating introduction to buildings and the ideas, and principles that make them key to the history and evolution of our built environment - aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and students wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you'll discover the most important ideas, technologies, and movements in the history of architecture and structural engineering, through exciting text and bold graphics.
Your Architecture Questions, Simply Explained
Learn about the evolution of construction, from ancient and classical architecture through Medieval, Gothic, and Renaissance buildings, Baroque and Rococo, to 19th-century emerging modernism and postmodernism and glittering skyscrapers. If you thought it was difficult to learn about buildings and the ideas behind them, The Architecture Book presents key information in a clear layout. Explore architectural movements, styles and celebrated buildings from all over the world, and stunning religious structures from mosques to churches, stupas to pagodas and temples.
The Big Ideas Series
With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Architecture Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking graphics along with engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.
763 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2023
About the author
D.K. Publishing
7,307 books1,699 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 11, 2023
This whole series of books are just incredibly well done. It was a heck of a good time going on youtube walkthrough tours of the cool buildings mentioned from throughout early history to current-day.
Only frustration is sometimes a paragraph would go on about some work without showing a picture of what it looked like.
Only frustration is sometimes a paragraph would go on about some work without showing a picture of what it looked like.
January 28, 2024
Another outstanding book from DK, this book explores the history of Architecture, its movements and key influencers. This book is arranged chronologically, broken down into Historical periods tied to Architecture, and then examines the Architectural Movements / Types of Architecture within the period.
Think of the Historical period as the start of a large chapter. Each of these has bold black type on a red background. The pages immediately following show a timeline of key architectural events and an introduction to what occurred (architecturally) during this period. From here, readers are introduced to specific architectural movements. For each movement, there is a title, what the title means, a sidebar called "In Context," which tells the Focus and gives a brief timeline. There is a brief essay about the movement that may include diagrams, quotes, color illustrations, drawings, brief bios of key people or concepts, a "See Also" for subjects / pages where you can find more info. in the book that is tied to this movement, and more!
For example, the very first entry is The Advent of Architecture - Before 650 CE, and the first Movement is Sustaining Life Itself or Shelter. The focus is on Early Settlements and the timeline dates back to 1.8 MILLION years BCE in South Africa. Included in the info. provided is a diagram, quote by Mario Botta, a Swiss architect, and a color photograph of the walls of a building shown as what appears to be an archaeological dig in present day Turkey.
Some interesting movements / information include:
"I Broke the Earth's Veins" - Information on The Great Wall of China, which has been officially measured at 13,170.7 miles in length.
"Two Weaknesses Combine to Form One Strength" - Information on The Arch - These date back to the 2nd millennium BCE and the time or Roman engineers.
"A Place for the People to Gather" is about The Basilica. This essay describes how the Basilica went from a public hall to a church.
The next Historical period is the Middle Ages, which took place from 650 to 1420 - It is during this period that the Pueblo culture flourished in the Southwestern United States and the Incas built Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
I had never heard of this, but there is something called Moorish Architecture, which is "The Ornament of the World." It's Focus if merging Arab and European styles. This type of architecture may be seen in Morocco.
There is a section on The Pueblo (Spanish for village), called, "The Oneness of Humans with the Land and Sky," which was a fascinating read.
The whole discussion about Gothic architecture was engaging. WOW! This type of architecture was born out of architectural and stylistic innovations that borrow from Byzantine, Romanesque, and Islamic buildings." Included in this essay are explanations about Flying Buttresses, as well as examples and brief explanations of Gothic windows. Within the essay, itself, is information about the importance of some of the architectural features of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which began construction in 1163, and was severely damaged by fire on April 15, 2019. Also, buildings that have angels, demons, or gargoyles sitting up top ... while ornamental in nature, they also serve as spouts to drain rainwater from gutters. Who knew?
Also, FYI - I did a little research, online, after reading this section. When fire engulfed this Paris landmark, the intricate maze of medieval beams supporting the roof fell to the cathedral floor. There is a large team of experts who are now working to restore the church, and there deadline is December of 2024.
During restoration efforts at the Cathedral, archaeologists discovered two mysterious sarcophagi buried under the church's nave.
Also, 846 million euros ($928 million) were raised in donations from 340,000 donors in 150 countries, according to Rebuilding Notre Dame de Paris.
Back to the book
"All good architecture is modern in its time. Gothic was a fantastic shock." - Richard Rogers, British architect 1933-2021
Within the Renaissance to Revivals Era is a movement called, "Nobility Without Arrogance," or information about the French and Spanish Renaissance, which is the diffusion of Renaissance ideas, and includes information about The Louvre.
Domes became prevalent during the Ottoman Empire.
"The Authentic Style of the Old Knights' Castles" - Eclecticism or Architectural escapism - Think of your favorite fairytale castle! A brilliant example is Neuschwanstein, a castle designed by Bavarian (eventually part of the German empire) King named Ludwig II. It is every young child's dream with its turrets and spires, built high up on a mountain. It is a beautiful piece of architecture - some might say work of art, and in this case, the Germans have a term called, "gesamtkunstwerk" (have no idea how to pronounce this), that means total work of art.
Did you know there was a movement tied to Wrought Iron? The Focus was in engineering for height, and the key influencer during this particular period was Gustave Eiffel, as in the Eiffel Tower. "The first principle of architectural beauty is that the essential lines of a construction be determined by a perfect appropriateness to its use." - Gustave Eiffel, Interview in Le Temps newspaper, 1887.
The next era in architecture took place from 1903-1970 - Modernism and the Alternatives. It is during this period that Frank Lloyd Wright came to prominence, Austrian architect, Adolf Loos advocated the removal of "superfluous ornamentation," and Art Deco architecture (New York's Chrysler building) started making an appearance.
In pioneering Modernism, the thought was that ornament was wasted labor, so if you see a home / building that has the cute ornamental design along the top top of a porch or other roof, odds are it was built prior to 1903, because homes / businesses built after do not have this type of skilled ornamentation.
"A Building Should Appear to Grow Easily from its Site" - American Modern, which liberated Modernism. This is really where Frank Lloyd Wright came into his own, with what he called, Organic architecture, and although the building showcased in this section is tied to a business, I cannot help thinking about the home he designed, Falling Water, which is located in Pennsylvania.
In the Postmodern and Contemporary Era, which included Present Day, we are introduced to the Pure Form movement, which showcases the Sydney Opera House. American architect, Philip Johnson once said, "Where form comes from I don't know, but it has nothing to do with the functional or sociological aspects of our architecture."
The theory behind the Postmodern movement is that "Less is a bore." The starting period for this movement actually took place in 1966, and developed from here.
In recent years, we have seen movements tied to Postmodern Classical, New Forms, West African Architecture, which was super interesting, and the Green movement where architects are trying to create a Harmony with Nature, and more! People such as Glenn Murcutt are stating, "I cannot pursue my architecture without considering the minimization of energy consumption" - Pritzker Prize acceptance speech, 2002 or "We try to bring nature back into the city, protect the environment, and forma connection between humans and nature." - Vo Trong Nghia, Interview with CNN Style, 2016 0r "If we are to reduce and eventually reverse the environmental damage we are causing, we will need to reimagine the buildings. - UK Architects Declare, Climate Activists Architect group, 2021
Even though it has been around since 1952 when Frank Lloyd Wright completed the Laurent House, a home designed specifically for a wheelchair user, it has taken until the last roughly 20 years for people to seriously consider "Accessibility" in all its forms with regards to architecture and interior design. It is not just about people in wheelchairs. For example, I recently upgraded my main bathroom. Because of my knee replacements, we included an ADA toilet, a grab bar and seat in my shower.
Towards the end of the book is a Directory. These are brief examples of architecture from around the world, that were not discussed in the main part of the book. They are arranged chronologically, include an extremely brief description, and the See Also references found in the main part of the book. Included here are everything from: Van Citadel in Turkey (9th to 7th Century, BCE) to Mont Saint-Michel in France to the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand to Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York to the Allen Memorial Art Museum Extension in Ohio to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. to Itaipu Dam on the Parana River in Brazil / Paraguay to Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe to 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan to the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima, Peru to The Thread in Sinthian, Senegal to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. to the House of Music in Budapest, Hungary.
At the very end of the book is a Glossary, Index, a list of Quote Attributions, and Acknowledgments.
I highly recommend this to everyone!
Think of the Historical period as the start of a large chapter. Each of these has bold black type on a red background. The pages immediately following show a timeline of key architectural events and an introduction to what occurred (architecturally) during this period. From here, readers are introduced to specific architectural movements. For each movement, there is a title, what the title means, a sidebar called "In Context," which tells the Focus and gives a brief timeline. There is a brief essay about the movement that may include diagrams, quotes, color illustrations, drawings, brief bios of key people or concepts, a "See Also" for subjects / pages where you can find more info. in the book that is tied to this movement, and more!
For example, the very first entry is The Advent of Architecture - Before 650 CE, and the first Movement is Sustaining Life Itself or Shelter. The focus is on Early Settlements and the timeline dates back to 1.8 MILLION years BCE in South Africa. Included in the info. provided is a diagram, quote by Mario Botta, a Swiss architect, and a color photograph of the walls of a building shown as what appears to be an archaeological dig in present day Turkey.
Some interesting movements / information include:
"I Broke the Earth's Veins" - Information on The Great Wall of China, which has been officially measured at 13,170.7 miles in length.
"Two Weaknesses Combine to Form One Strength" - Information on The Arch - These date back to the 2nd millennium BCE and the time or Roman engineers.
"A Place for the People to Gather" is about The Basilica. This essay describes how the Basilica went from a public hall to a church.
The next Historical period is the Middle Ages, which took place from 650 to 1420 - It is during this period that the Pueblo culture flourished in the Southwestern United States and the Incas built Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
I had never heard of this, but there is something called Moorish Architecture, which is "The Ornament of the World." It's Focus if merging Arab and European styles. This type of architecture may be seen in Morocco.
There is a section on The Pueblo (Spanish for village), called, "The Oneness of Humans with the Land and Sky," which was a fascinating read.
The whole discussion about Gothic architecture was engaging. WOW! This type of architecture was born out of architectural and stylistic innovations that borrow from Byzantine, Romanesque, and Islamic buildings." Included in this essay are explanations about Flying Buttresses, as well as examples and brief explanations of Gothic windows. Within the essay, itself, is information about the importance of some of the architectural features of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which began construction in 1163, and was severely damaged by fire on April 15, 2019. Also, buildings that have angels, demons, or gargoyles sitting up top ... while ornamental in nature, they also serve as spouts to drain rainwater from gutters. Who knew?
Also, FYI - I did a little research, online, after reading this section. When fire engulfed this Paris landmark, the intricate maze of medieval beams supporting the roof fell to the cathedral floor. There is a large team of experts who are now working to restore the church, and there deadline is December of 2024.
During restoration efforts at the Cathedral, archaeologists discovered two mysterious sarcophagi buried under the church's nave.
Also, 846 million euros ($928 million) were raised in donations from 340,000 donors in 150 countries, according to Rebuilding Notre Dame de Paris.
Back to the book
"All good architecture is modern in its time. Gothic was a fantastic shock." - Richard Rogers, British architect 1933-2021
Within the Renaissance to Revivals Era is a movement called, "Nobility Without Arrogance," or information about the French and Spanish Renaissance, which is the diffusion of Renaissance ideas, and includes information about The Louvre.
Domes became prevalent during the Ottoman Empire.
"The Authentic Style of the Old Knights' Castles" - Eclecticism or Architectural escapism - Think of your favorite fairytale castle! A brilliant example is Neuschwanstein, a castle designed by Bavarian (eventually part of the German empire) King named Ludwig II. It is every young child's dream with its turrets and spires, built high up on a mountain. It is a beautiful piece of architecture - some might say work of art, and in this case, the Germans have a term called, "gesamtkunstwerk" (have no idea how to pronounce this), that means total work of art.
Did you know there was a movement tied to Wrought Iron? The Focus was in engineering for height, and the key influencer during this particular period was Gustave Eiffel, as in the Eiffel Tower. "The first principle of architectural beauty is that the essential lines of a construction be determined by a perfect appropriateness to its use." - Gustave Eiffel, Interview in Le Temps newspaper, 1887.
The next era in architecture took place from 1903-1970 - Modernism and the Alternatives. It is during this period that Frank Lloyd Wright came to prominence, Austrian architect, Adolf Loos advocated the removal of "superfluous ornamentation," and Art Deco architecture (New York's Chrysler building) started making an appearance.
In pioneering Modernism, the thought was that ornament was wasted labor, so if you see a home / building that has the cute ornamental design along the top top of a porch or other roof, odds are it was built prior to 1903, because homes / businesses built after do not have this type of skilled ornamentation.
"A Building Should Appear to Grow Easily from its Site" - American Modern, which liberated Modernism. This is really where Frank Lloyd Wright came into his own, with what he called, Organic architecture, and although the building showcased in this section is tied to a business, I cannot help thinking about the home he designed, Falling Water, which is located in Pennsylvania.
In the Postmodern and Contemporary Era, which included Present Day, we are introduced to the Pure Form movement, which showcases the Sydney Opera House. American architect, Philip Johnson once said, "Where form comes from I don't know, but it has nothing to do with the functional or sociological aspects of our architecture."
The theory behind the Postmodern movement is that "Less is a bore." The starting period for this movement actually took place in 1966, and developed from here.
In recent years, we have seen movements tied to Postmodern Classical, New Forms, West African Architecture, which was super interesting, and the Green movement where architects are trying to create a Harmony with Nature, and more! People such as Glenn Murcutt are stating, "I cannot pursue my architecture without considering the minimization of energy consumption" - Pritzker Prize acceptance speech, 2002 or "We try to bring nature back into the city, protect the environment, and forma connection between humans and nature." - Vo Trong Nghia, Interview with CNN Style, 2016 0r "If we are to reduce and eventually reverse the environmental damage we are causing, we will need to reimagine the buildings. - UK Architects Declare, Climate Activists Architect group, 2021
Even though it has been around since 1952 when Frank Lloyd Wright completed the Laurent House, a home designed specifically for a wheelchair user, it has taken until the last roughly 20 years for people to seriously consider "Accessibility" in all its forms with regards to architecture and interior design. It is not just about people in wheelchairs. For example, I recently upgraded my main bathroom. Because of my knee replacements, we included an ADA toilet, a grab bar and seat in my shower.
Towards the end of the book is a Directory. These are brief examples of architecture from around the world, that were not discussed in the main part of the book. They are arranged chronologically, include an extremely brief description, and the See Also references found in the main part of the book. Included here are everything from: Van Citadel in Turkey (9th to 7th Century, BCE) to Mont Saint-Michel in France to the Grand Palace in Bangkok Thailand to Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York to the Allen Memorial Art Museum Extension in Ohio to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. to Itaipu Dam on the Parana River in Brazil / Paraguay to Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe to 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan to the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima, Peru to The Thread in Sinthian, Senegal to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. to the House of Music in Budapest, Hungary.
At the very end of the book is a Glossary, Index, a list of Quote Attributions, and Acknowledgments.
I highly recommend this to everyone!
August 5, 2023
I listened to the audiobook of this book. I think it would have been better as a physical book, as it was difficult to picture some of the descriptions without visuals. I did end up getting a copy of the ebook so I could go back and look at the pictures so I could better understand what I’d heard. There was a lot of information. Some parts of the book I listened to two or even three times, and I still didn’t absorb it all. Lots of it was interesting. It was too much to be taken in over just a few days I think. It would be better as a coffee table book, reading a few pages at a time. I didn’t enjoy the end, focusing on how architecture now needs to deal with the climate emergency. I am definitely for sustainability, but it seemed a bit excessive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 28, 2023A really good brief tour through architecture that introduces you to a lot of the essentials. Not a very deep book (and had far fewer images than I expected it would), but it gave me a lot of ideas to research and rabbit trails to go down on my own.
May 14, 2024
Once I understood how the concepts were organized, I really enjoyed the book. However, DK typically does a better job with images; this book could have used many more. But the references are easily found online.
August 9, 2023
My only complaint is that I would’ve loved more photos!
November 14, 2023
great book for a general but complete introduction to the topic of architecture.
February 27, 2024
A brief but comprehensive guide to architectural concepts and movements
March 3, 2024
Amazing explanations
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews