1st Edition

Architectural History Retold

By Paul Davies Copyright 2016
    204 Pages
    by Routledge

    204 Pages
    by Routledge

    How much do you know about Greek architecture? Roman? Gothic? The Renaissance? Modernism? Perhaps more importantly, do you know how these are connected or how one style evolved to become another? Or what happened historically during each of these periods?

    Architectural History Retold is your roadmap for your journey through architectural history. Offering a fresh take on what the author calls the ‘Great Enlightenment project’, it traces the grand narrative of western architecture in one concise, accessible volume. Starting in Ancient Greece and leading up to the present day, Paul Davies' unconventional, engaging style brings the past back to life, helping you to think beyond separate components and styles to recognise ‘the bigger picture’.

    The author is an academic and journalist with three decades of experience in introducing students to architectural history. The book is based on his successful entry-level course which has used the same unstuffy approach to break down barriers to understanding and engagement and inspire generations of students.

    Acknowledgements  Prologue  1. Introduction  2. Ancient Greece  3. Ancient Rome  4. The Gothic  5. Renaissance  6. Enlightenment  7. Industrial Revolution  8. European Modernism  9. American Modernism  10. Postmodernism  11. The Future  Further Reading  Index

    Biography

    Paul Davies was born on Mersea Island in 1961, and studied at Bristol University and the Polytechnic of Central London. He has taught across Britain’s schools of architecture, including the Architectural Association, for over 25 years. A regular contributor to the Architectural Review, he is widely published and is a Senior Lecturer teaching history and theory of architecture at London South Bank University.

    "We're going to buy everybody in the office a copy!" - Clive Sall, Clive Sall Architecture, London, UK

    "Paul Davies’ erudite and (sometimes) misanthropic insights into architectural culture have entertained me for 25 years. His thinking was a key influence on my own as it has been for countless students who have enjoyed his unique take on the subject. His scholarship, critical insight, and the ability to place architectural history into a relevant cultural context are all beautifully captured here. Davies shows why architectural history matters. It is a brilliant introduction to the subject." - Sean Griffiths, Founding Director of FAT and Professor of Architecture, University of Westminster, London, UK