Architecture: public and commercial Books

Book SynopsisA celebration of Europe's coolest harbourside, clifftop and beach hotels, curated by an internationally renowned architecture photographer.

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Book SynopsisThere is no doubt at all that Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is one of the most spectacular buildings of recent years. As the central element in Bilbao's comprehensive urban renewal programme the building raised high expectations from the outset. Its site between river, railway, bridge and new town makes it a symbol of the Basque metropolis that can be seen from a considerable distance. It is both the heart of the city and a test bed for the arts, representing both public presence and artistic change. The process by which it was created demonstrates the most recent advances in computer aided design and in material manufacture. For a long time design and building were broken down into a large number of individual components, Gehry's museum unifies this process and is thus able to create fluent links between architectural detail and urban impact. But the innovations do not stop at technology, they also extend to the way in which the interior spaces are shaped. These are extremely varied in form, as the museum is not so much designed to house a permanent exhibition of the collection, but to enable artists to create installations. In contrast with the usual neutral gallery spaces, Gehry offers a whole variety of stages for artistic presentation. His artist friends have risen to the challenge of his architecture and are experimenting very successfully with this new way of showing their work to the public.

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Book SynopsisThis lavish photographic history of the most beautiful and historic railway stations in London tells a story of power, progress and innovation, from the beginning of steam age to the teeming commuter hubs of today. London has more mainline railway stations than any other city in the world and many of them are amongst its grandest architectural monuments. Its earliest terminals opened in the late 1830s when lines between the capital and the regions were built in the first railway boom. The original station at London Bridge, the capital’s first passenger terminus, was opened in December 1836, six months before Queen Victoria came to the throne. The last main line to London, the Great Central Railway to Marylebone, was opened in March 1899, two years before Victoria died. Ever since they originally opened, these stations have been at heart of London life and activity and have dominated the architectural landscape. Many are now in tTable of ContentsForeword Introduction: Capital Tracks Map Paddington Marylebone Euston St Pancras King’s Cross Liverpool Street Fenchurch Street London Bridge Cannon Street Blackfriars Charing Cross Waterloo Victoria Index Further reading Picture credits Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisThe task of designing a large aquarium pre­­sents architects with a multiplicity of challenges: the fundamental elements of interior design – light, colour, and surfaces – must be meshed with special requirements concerning building technology. This book takes a comprehensive look at the development of architecture and display methods for artificial underwater worlds. Based on analysis of more than 50 historical and contemporary buildings, the editors formulate ten parameters to serve as guidelines in the design of future buildings. The aim of this publication is to provide architects and their clients, zoologists and operators of large aquariums, with planning parameters and quality criteria to help them in designing a sustainable aquarium. This book is the sixth volume in a series of publications by the Institute for Zoo Architecture at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Dessau.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the inaugural Architecture Book of the Year Award, Technical Category""A rare opportunity to look closer at modernists’ environmental ethics and not just their aesthetics — and a timely reference for our worsening climate crisis."---Diana Budds, Curbed"The premise of [Modern Architecture and Climate] is this: The battle for the supremacy of air conditioning above all other solutions for climate mitigation was, in fact, a battle . . . [it] spanned continents, political ideologies, and architectural discourses…What makes Barber’s book so interesting is not only the meticulous documentation of…climate-control alternatives and their practitioners, but the tension between their goals and their underlying ideologies. . . . The lesson from Barber’s book is not to replicate the conditions that begat yesterday’s missed opportunities, but to change them for the better."---Kate Wagner, The Architect’s Newspaper"It’s easy to think of Modernism as inseparable from air conditioning, simply because we are surrounded by so much of it that is. A valuable reminder that this wasn’t always the case is provided in Daniel A. Barber’s Modern Architecture and Climate: Design Before Air Conditioning, which outlines the story of the febrile, flexible, and often-forgotten early experiments in climate control."---Anthony Paletta, Metropolis"[Modern Architecture and Climate] offers . . . the most comprehensive and concise corrective to the reigning histories of Modernism that have tended to exclude, or at least consider only superficially, environmental context."---Russell Fortmeyer, Architectural Record"[An] erudite work…Heavily illustrated and deeply researched. . . . Academics, urban planners, and environmental designers will most appreciate this thought-provoking and detailed volume." * Publishers Weekly *"Modern Architecture and Climate is a fresh and original history that chronicles the intense research undertaken by designers to adapt modernist architecture to various climate conditions, as modernism’s political and aesthetic influence reached across the globe. . . . Barber’s work is a welcome addition to the history of architectural modernism, and is particularly pertinent in our current circumstances. It demonstrates the profound impact that our expectations of a uniform interior have had on the planet we share. But its examples also offer an inspiring model for challenging assumptions about the role of building form in mitigating climate extremes."---Javier Zeller, Canadian Architect"Barber's book is not simply a technological history, but ultimately also an impassioned lament for our collective carbon footprint as planetary temperatures increase…Architects, engineers, and students interested in systematic and environmentally friendly approaches to indoor cooling will find inspiration in Modern Architecture and Climate….In a time of an airborne pandemic, Modern Architecture and Climate, with its rigorous examination of open interiors, airflow, and ventilation, will serve well those readers who have the grit to absorb the author's intensive approach and sobering message."---Paul Glassman, ARLIS/NA Reviews"[Daniel] Barber’s thorough account, written in the distanced expert voice of a historian, shines when it dispels established beliefs . . . [Modern Architecture and Climate] does an excellent job of documenting the subjects it cover."---Ross Wienert, Rice Design Alliance"[An] exhaustively researched book . . . [in Modern Architecture and Climate] Barber makes a well-supported argument that through the propagation of this very specific set of cultural and Modern Architecture and Climate comfort ideals, modern architecture became an instrument for globalization, economic development, and postwar colonialism."---Kristin Schuster, Texas Architect Magazine"I’ve waited years for a book like this… What Modern Architecture and Climate suggests is an alternative reckoning with modernism’s legacy—its ideas, strategies, and practitioners. With the urgency of our global climate crisis, many of these concerns are once again central…Barber’s book points us in the right direction." * Arris *"Daniel Barber's historical narrative is fascinating and holds many useful lessons for a contemporary audience."---Brian Ford, The Plan Journal"Richly illustrated. . . . For the academic and the architect, this valuable volume encourages more careful consideration of climatic modernism as both history and limit. It is thought-provoking, giving us pause to consider the passionate attempts that architects have made to mediate their environment. The tales gathered here trace a lineage that situates design within the planetary. . . . Barber’s constant and learned skepticism warns us to maintain an informed but critical distance from the pursuit of immediate comfort."---Hannah Le Roux, Journal for the Society of Architectural Historians"A thoroughly researched and superbly illustrated discussion of some of the most important connections between architecture and technology in the twentieth century, essential reading for anyone interested in the discourse around modern architecture in the light of current challenges."---Florian Urban, Architectural History"[A] deeply researched and richly illustrated volume. . . . [Modern Architecture and Climate] takes the material mediation of local climate through architecture as its path and sheds light on some of the (built and written) genealogies of questions pertaining to thermal comfort, solar heating, and passive cooling."---Anna-Maria Meister, Isis: A Journal of the History of Science Society"This is a vitally important work of historical scholarship. . . . a landmark study."---Marcus Colla, German History"Modern Architecture and Climate is theoretically and visually rich, with many wonderful full-page illustrations that allow the reader to pick apart the layouts and diagrams of many mid-century publications and buildings. It is also an optimistic book, one that shows that the homogenous airconditioned interior wasn’t an inevitability, and still need not be."---Daniel J. Ryan, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review

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Book SynopsisThe most iconic statue of its kind on the planet. Many know it was a gift from the people of France to the people of America. However, the incredible story of how this monument very nearly didn't happen is not widely known. French sculptor, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi became the driving force for one of the most ambitious international construction projects of its time. For Bartholdi completing the statue for the centenary celebration of the Declaration of American Independence became his life's work, but its construction would lead to a thrillingrace against the hands of time.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive survey of the work of a master of modernist design today.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive look at the life and work of one of the 20th century's most influential architectsTrade Review"A well-written, highly accessible overview on the work of a major figure. McCarter clearly knows his craft."—Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, Yale University -- Eeva-Liisa PelkonenAn Architectural Record 2015 Gift Guide selection -- Jayne Merkel * Architectural Record *“The book delves into the figure of the architect and his concerns, presenting a chronology of his life and work, and portraying a personality and legacy that puts us face to face with a debate that is not just architectural, but also ideological.”— Ernesto Ibáñez, Arquitectura Viva May 2017 -- Ernesto Ibáñez * Arquitectura Viva *

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Book SynopsisAn innovative and original survey of the best Mid-Century Modern architecture from around the world

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Book SynopsisA practical and inspirational guide to modern pilgrimages: the art of mindful walks to a place of meaning.

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Book SynopsisCreating the Regenerative School profiles case studies from around the world that exemplify best practices in creating healthy, climate appropriate learning environments for early learners through high school with designs that are not only beautiful places to learn, but embrace restorative principles - enhancing the lives of the occupants, the environment, and the community they reside in. Each project will be profiled with eight pages of content including multiple photographs, plans, diagrams and approximately 1,000 words of narrative capturing the unique solutions. Case studies were evaluated on five metrics: Net-Zero Energy/Carbon Strategies Healthy, Regenerative Building Attributes Utilization of Evidence Based Informed Design Occupant Satisfaction Post Occupancy DataThe case studies will be supplemented with essays from leading subject-matter experts addressing topics ranging from: Evidence Based Design Occupant Health

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Book SynopsisAn overview of current trends in planning zoos and aquariums.

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Book SynopsisCan good design truly make us happier? Given that we spend over 80% of our time in buildings, shouldn't we have a better understanding of how they make us feel? Happy by Design explores the ways in which buildings, spaces and cities affect our moods. It reveals how architecture and design can make us happy and support mental health, and explains how poor design can have the opposite effect. Presented through a series of easy-to-understand design tips and accompanied by beautiful diagrams and illustrations, Happy by Design is a fantastic resource for architects, designers and students, or for anybody who would like to better understand the relationship between buildings and happiness. With the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, the importance of designing for mental wellbeing has never been higher on the agenda. Whether through low-energy design, designing in better ventilation to avoid passing on pathogens or the realisation of the importance of accessing nature within an environment, this revised edition has been updated to reflect a changed world.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements About the Author Introduction Chapter 1 Light Orient buildings sensitively Consider shadows Be selective about window sizes Avoid deep plans Use rooflights shrewdly Don’t overlook artificial light Consider the temperature of artificial light Use artificial light to create pockets of calm Chapter 2 Comfort Use tactile materials Consider comfort as well as aesthetics Think about the temperature of buildings Ensure a good supply of fresh air Ventilation (new addition) Keep the noise out Chapter 3 Control Design adaptable spaces Give people better control over their environment Provide people with a range of environments Allow for personalisation Give people better control over their diets Give building users privacy Chapter 4 Nature Bring nature in Provide views of nature Put gardens on the roof Design gardens and parks as an escape from the urban Integrate or give views of water Improve ecology and biodiversity Use nature to educate, engage and involve Chapter 5 Aesthetics Use colour wisely Create moments of joy Avoid visual monotony Make buildings legible Celebrate the simple Get the proportions right Chapter 6 Activity Encourage activity Design-in spaces for exercise Design wider streets Design for the bicycle Connect to nearby facilities Don’t overlook spaces for inactivity Chapter 7 Psychology Storage Provide high ceilings wherever possible Celebrate the entrance Go open-plan Bigger isn’t always better Consider prospect and refuge theory Create an atmosphere Conclusions Notes + References Index

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Book SynopsisSchools have the potential to empower communities by connecting people better with the places they live. But how can these benefits be baked into a design brief?As complex institutions, schools not only provide education and pastoral care for children, as they grow and develop, but also act as workplaces for staff and civic assets or hubs for the wider community. Yet they're not often perceived to be critical infrastructure.Community Schools reconsiders what is required from physical school environments, building on the learning gathered from the sector over the past two decades. To meet the new social, environmental and economic challenges it advocates designing differently, both in terms of the form that buildings take and the evaluation of their impact and performance.By calling for a reframing of the way that schools are regarded as community-wide amenities, this book explores the potential for architects to deliver design in a manner that supports healthy lifestyles and promotes wellbeing. Through encouraging social connections, new possibilities open up for educational facilities to become open, welcoming and inclusive.Featuring: Over 12 international case studies from practices including: Architype, Argyll + Bute, Bogle Architects, DRMM, Revaerk, Scott Brownrigg and XDGA Key themes of wellbeing, connectivity, inclusion, indicators and evaluation Practical guidance and learning points throughout A new design brief for community schools Table of ContentsAcknowledgements IntroductionChapter 1: A Different Approach to School Design Chapter 2: Community SchoolsChapter 3: WellbeingChapter 4: Connectivity & InclusionChapter 5: Indicators & EvaluationChapter 6: A New Brief for Community Schools EndnotesImage Credits

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated historical tour of London's 13 great railway termini, on a clockwise circuit from Paddington to Victoria. London’s railway termini are among the most recognisable and familiar landmarks in the city. Famed for their bustling platforms and architectural innovation, they comprise a fascinating mixture of Neo-Gothic exuberance and purposeful modernity. Though each owes its existence to a long-extinct Victorian railway company, these stations continue to be central to London life, with millions of visitors passing through every year. This historical whistlestop tour takes you on a circuit of London’s thirteen great railway termini, from Paddington, through King’s Cross, to Victoria. Ranging from the earliest stations to the latest restorations and ongoing developments, this beautifully illustrated book examines both their legacy and their future.Trade ReviewThis is a delightful book. * The Historian *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Stations - Paddington - Marylebone - Euston - St. Pancras - King's Cross - Liverpool Street - Fenchurch Street - London Bridge - Cannon Street - Blackfriars - Charing Cross - Waterloo - Victoria Glossary Index

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Book Synopsis A fascinating account of the story of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech – and a gorgeous homage to creativity Conceived as a candid diary, this remarkable book documents the 1,423 days that it took to design, build, and inaugurate a beloved architecture and fashion destination. From the moment the up-and-coming French-Moroccan practice Studio KO received a call from YSL’s longtime partner Pierre Bergé to the opening of the museum’s doors in 2017, one month after Bergé died, the entire process of bringing the building to life – its commission, the creative process behind it, and its construction – is told and illustrated here as never before.Trade Review'Worth the splurge.' - Wall Street Journal Magazine 'A new insight into Saint Laurent's design principles and values.' - The Financial Times 'An illustrated hymn of praise from Karl and Olivier to Yves and Pierre.' - World of Interiors 'Gorgeous.' - Fast Company 'A rich, inspiring journey.' - Galerie Magazine 'Gorgeous ... [a] tribute to a spectacular space'- Vanity Fair 'A love letter to Morocco and two of the country's most ardent admirers' - Elle Decor 'A visual feast.' - Wallpaper* 'Demands your attention.' - StyleZeitgeist 'There's no minute decision left unshared … as any couture connoisseur can understand (and appreciate), every little detail is significant. - AD Pro

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Book SynopsisThe newly revised Pevsner guide to the buildings of Oxford and South-East OxfordshireTrade Review“Oxford is filled with masterpieces, which is why walking its streets, preferably with this book in hand, is an inexhaustible delight.”—Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph“An undertaking achieved by no other country. Its editors should certainly be raised to the higher peerage. Cancel next year’s holiday and buy the lot.”—Christopher Howse, Oldie“This is a magnificent achievement and essential for anyone who wants to explore the buildings of Oxfordshire.”—John Goodall, Country Life“Simon Bradley’s new edition of Oxford and the South-East is a magnificent feat of scholarship that should find its place in the Christmas stocking of every Oxonian student and don.” —John Adamson, The Critic

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Book SynopsisThe latest revised volume in the Pevsner Architectural Guides, covering Birmingham and the towns and settlements of the Black CountryTrade Review“Each revision of the Pevsner architectural guides — with their copious additional details and superb colour photography — opens readers' eyes to what should have been obvious...Seldom has this been more evident than with the latest volume, Birmingham and the Black Country.”—Simon Heffer, The Daily Telegraph“A tirelessly comprehensive book…[This is] a city of rich oddities and pleasingly bewildering contrasts.”—Jonathan Meades, The Oldie "The updated Buildings of England series get better and better, but Andy Foster's Birmingham and the Black Country is especially worthy of celebration...It is fair to say that it is a region that has rarely been the focus of sustained admiration, so much of the contents are revelatory...The book is a triumph."—Otto Saumarez Smith, Friends of Friendless Churches

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Book Synopsis''A treasure-trove of inspiration . .. [Beyond the Footpath] shows us how to make the most of the calm beauty of the natural world that surrounds us, as well as offering practical guidance on where to find - and how to travel to - those special places'' Raynor Winn, bestselling author of The Salt Path''Inspirational yet practical. With mindful exercises and tracks to take. Discover the benefits of being a modern pilgrim'' Country Living''A brilliant solution to restoring balance and rediscovering meaning'' The Simple ThingsAN INSPIRING GUIDE TO WALKING MINDFULLY TO PLACES OF MEANINGA pilgrimage - long, short, secular or religious - gives you the opportunity to step out of your day-to-day routine and follow a path that promises meaning, a little magic and the space to breathe.Beyond the Footpath will take you on a journey to places of spiritual or personal significance - and show you hTrade ReviewWalk off your worries with the help of Clare Gogerty's new book Beyond the Footpath . . . Proof that you don't need to sit still to be mindful. Just put one foot in front of the other * Scotsman *Beyond the Footpath is a treasure-trove of inspiration, whether you simply love to visit beautiful places or seek the solace of a long-distance walk. It shows us how to make the most of the calm beauty of the natural world that surrounds us, as well as offering practical guidance on where to find - and how to travel to - those special places * Raynor Winn, bestselling author of The Salt Path *Inspirational yet practical. With mindful exercises and tracks to take. Discover the benefits of being a modern pilgrim * Country Living *A brilliant solution to restoring balance and rediscovering meaning. Clare rekindles a connection with the world of nature and a sense of stillness * The Simple Things *[Beyond the Footpath] serves up a rare secular view on France's Lourdes or Mount Kailash in Nepal, as well as challenges that tug at the soul, such as tracing a river to its headwaters or even exploring a city at lunch. Wherever your heart calls is a pilgrimage, its author seems to say, and we heartily concur * Wanderlust *

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Book SynopsisWhilst sustainability is already an important driver in the new building sector, this book explores how those involved in refurbishment of commercial building are moving this agenda forward. It includes chapters by developers, surveyors, cost consultants, architects, building physicists and other players, on the role they each can play in enabling refurbishment to be commercially, environmentally and socially sustainable. Case studies from northern climates show real examples of different building types, ages and uses and will demonstrate what action has been taken to create more sustainable buildings.The chapters raise and discuss all the relevant issues that need to be considered in retrofitting decision making. Changing standards, planning, process management, financing, technical issues, site organisation, commissioning and subsequent building management are all considered. The book demonstrates that buildings can be made comfortable to occupy, easy to manage anTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Designing for New Uses, Standards and Requirements in the Twenty-first Century 2. Value as a Driver for Sustainable Refurbishment of Commercial Buildings – A European Perspective 3. Resilience to a Changing Climate 4. Making Sustainable Refurbishment of Existing Buildings Financially Viable 5. The Current Energy Performance of Commercial Buildings in Northern Climates – Europe 6. Effecting Design Processes and Practices for Sustainable Refurbishment 7. Retrofitting for Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality 8. Energy Efficient Principles and Technologies for Retrofitting 9. The Importance of Facade Design 10. Environmental Assessment Rating Schemes 11. Energy and Comfort Modelling Tools 12. Water, Waste, Materials and Landscape 13. On-site Construction 14. Integrating Design and Use – the ‘Soft Landings’ Philosophy 15. Case Studies

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Book SynopsisMore than 100 photographs by Harry Cory Wright present the dramatic spaces and rich textures of the Barbican Centre, one of the most radical and visionary post-war buildings in Britain.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Sir Nicholas Kenyon • The photographs

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Book SynopsisVisually stunning and complete guide to all the lighthouses of England, Wales and the Channel Islands

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Book SynopsisNorfolk’s first purpose-written guidebook to the county’s key archaeological sites and historic buildingsTrade Review"Stories of 100 Norfolk sites revealed in new book.""From traces of Palaeolithic life along the coast to deserted medieval villages and a Cold War airfield, A History of Norfolk in 100 Places is a whistle-stop tour of the county’s most intriguing buildings, archaeological sites, and historic landscapes.""The many archaeological sites, historic buildings and landscapes across Norfolk are revealed in a history of the county focusing on 100 fascinating places."

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Book SynopsisThe pub has been the heart and soul of British life for centuries. But how has this unique institution developed over the years?

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Book SynopsisDescribes the origin of the monuments and their construction, including the pits, standing stones and posts found beneath the later mounds, their location within the country side and what this might mean for contemporary society. This work also discusses the nature of platforms, pavements, internal cairns and earthen round mounds.

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Book SynopsisIn this lavishly illustrated hands-on account of the creation of new theatre spaces spanning a century, Iain Mackintosh offers a compelling history that is part memoir, part impassioned call to rethink the design of our theatre spaces and the future of live theatre. As the originator of theatre designs as diverse as the Cottesloe in 1977, Glyndebourne in 1994, the Orange Tree Theatre in 1991, the Martha Cohen Theatre in 1985 and the Tina Packer Playhouse in 2001, he discovered why the same show worked in some theatres but not in others. It is this unique blend of experience that informs this account of many of the best-known theatre spaces in Britain, besides many international examples including the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis and the Oslo Opera House. Running throughout is a consideration of factors which have shaped design thinking during this time and which demand attention today. After the long theatre closures driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mackintosh argues that now is the tiTrade ReviewSuperb … if you have a theatre aficionado in your family, this beautifully illustrated, thoroughly opinionated volume ought to be on your list. With six decades of experience to call on, Mackintosh has no end of lessons to pass on. * The Times *The virtue of his book is that it is the work of a knowledgeable enthusiast, and proves that, while the play’s the thing, the frame in which it is seen is crucial to our enjoyment. * The Guardian *Iain Mackintosh describes his book as a memoir, but it is also a comprehensive handbook for theatre makers and audiences the world over. A one stop shop for anyone interested in how the delicate and vital relationship between audience and performance has evolved over centuries. Upon his shoulders I have stood for 30 years. His argument and understanding is as vital today as it always has been. Essential reading. * Stephen Daldry O.B.E. *Like the man himself, Iain Mackintosh’s memoir is erudite, trenchant, occasionally infuriating but always entertaining, enthusiastic and informative. Anyone who wants to understand more deeply the complexities and subtleties of theatre architecture should read this book. * Steve Tompkins, Director, HaworthTompkins *Iain’s memoir is a potpourri of historical thesis, personal recollection and entertaining gossip. It gives a glimpse of the theatre world and the agonies and ecstasies of achieving buildings suited to purpose. * Anne Minors, Founding Director, SOUND SPACE VISION, Theatre Planning and Acoustics *This book clears a luminous space of insight at the point where the pragmatics of architecture meet the poetics of the theatrical moment. Iain Mackintosh gleans highly consequential lessons about the challenge of engineering intimacy in the modern theatre auditorium from his long and rich practice. He also grounds them so deftly in their particular, British, history that they begin to acquire a universal appeal. With its stylish writing and generous, well-chosen illustrations this book vivifies and clarifies a theme that has been as elusive as it is important. * Himanshu Burte, Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay, India *A revelatory and much needed guide to the structure of theatres both in Britain and abroad. Iain Mackintosh reveals how certain architectural choices can be traced to having an effect on a performance: for example it’s easier to play comedy in a narrow proscenium, very hard to raise a laugh on the wide stages of the Olivier or the Lyttelton, and how crucial it is to the success of a play that it is performed in its correct home. It’s an amazingly detailed research of great value to anyone performing on stage today and a necessity for future architects. * Dame Eileen Atkins *A vivid hybrid manifesto/memoir … It is simply an essential book: authoritative, original, comprehensive, compulsively readable, beautifully designed. You can dip in and out; even if you just visit one of these venues casually, you will find this engrossing. * Plays International & Europe *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword by Richard Eyre An Introduction and a Summary Act 1 Pre-1920: Setting the Scene and Some Early Pioneers Chapter One: Theatre is Ephemeral While Buildings Endure. Some Necessary Background Chapter Two: Richard Wagner, Adolphe Appia and the Spreading of the Fan Act II 1920 Chapter Three: The Festival Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon and Early Days of the National Chapter Four: Guthrie’s Thrust Stages Chapter Five: Germany’s Building Boom and Anglo-American Shakespeare Chapter Six: The Olivier, the Lyttelton and the Barbican Theatres Act III 1976–2020: The Past Informs the Present Chapter Seven: The Cottesloe and Other Courtyards Chapter Eight: Worthy Scaffolds: Brook’s Empty Space and Spaces Found by Others Chapter Nine: Regenerating the Old Offers an Antidote to Modernism. Part One: English Theatres of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries Chapter Ten: Regenerating the old offers an antidote to modernism. Part Two: A Couple of Twentieth-century Scottish Theatres Reborn – One in Edinburgh and the Other in Florida Chapter Eleven: New Opera Houses from Glyndebourne to Dallas. Elsewhere Some Starchitects Upstage the Performers Chapter Twelve: Learning from the Netherlands, Berlin, Brazil, Australia, Indian and Chinese Cultures. The Threat of Internationalism Chapter Thirteen: 2010–2020: Some New Builds, Two Renovations – One at Stratford-upon-Avon and One in London – And Diversions on In-the-round and the Open Air Act IV 2021: The Future Chapter Fourteen: Unforeseen Consequences of Seventeenth-century Plagues, of the Arrival of the Talkies and the More Recent Dangers of the Pandemic and of ‘Virtual Theatre’. Some Central Themes Restated References Further Reading Acknowledgements Theatre Index Person Index

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Book SynopsisUncovers the dark secrets of London's lost and forgotten burial places.

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Book SynopsisThe grand hotel is an icon of the British seaside. Occupying the most favoured spots on the prom, elaborate Victorian and later buildings maintain an air of refinement that harks back to an earlier age. This book tells their story.

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Book SynopsisIn this book author Michael Meighan examines the history of Scotland through its monuments and memorials.

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Book SynopsisCyrus Dallin's statue Massasoit was intended to memorialize the Pokanoket Massasoit as a welcoming participant in the mythical first Thanksgiving. The story of this statue reveals much about the process of creating, commodifying, and reinforcing the historical memory of Indigenous people.

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Book SynopsisThis original study, taking a biographical approach to tell the story of a Turkish bathhouse, contributes to the fields of Islamic, Ottoman and modern Turkish cultural, architectural, social and economic history.

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Book SynopsisMonumental cares rethinks monument debates, site specificity and art activism in light of problems that strike us as monumental or overwhelming, such as war, migration and the climate crisis. The book shows how artists address these issues, from Chicago and Berlin to Oslo, Bucharest and Hong Kong, in media ranging from marble and glass to postcards, graffiti and re-enactment. A multidirectional theory of site does justice to specific places but also to how far-away audiences see them. What emerges is a new ethics of care in public art, combined with a passionate engagement with reality harking back to the realist aesthetics of the nineteenth century. Familiar questions can be answered anew: what to do with monuments, particularly when they are the products of terror and require removal, modification or recontextualisation? And can art address the monumental concerns of our present?Trade Review'The book is a provocative volume that is academically rigorous, and it will enrich the public debate on commemoration with its sophisticated reflections on notions of temporality and authenticity of historical markers, siting, and public participation, at a moment when monuments have been at the forefront of political activism.'Tijana Vujosevic, Art Margins‘Against the notion that monuments are things of the past, Widrich shows them to be generative of a contemporary art movement that is reclaiming historic places as laboratories for new artistic experiments centred around an ethic of care. She illuminates how artists are expanding what it means to care for monuments beyond the conservation of historic materials, to include looking after their capacity to conjure the collective imagination and direct it towards possible futures. At a time when collective action seems thwarted by the intractable forces of climate change and political injustice, Widrich reveals the capacity of art to jolt the collective nerve into more ambitious forms of care. A tour de force.’Jorge Otero-Pailos, Professor and Director of Historic Preservation, Columbia University‘Monumental cares is a well-crafted intellectual accomplishment, inviting readers to think with care and nuance about monuments as instructions about what the public sphere is or could be. Mechtild Widrich turns to the ethics of care to open up the fundamental question of what monuments in shared public space are about. There are very few books that so compellingly make the argument that monuments are not of the past, but about how we collectively care for changing the present and the future.’Elke Krasny, Professor for Art and Education at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, co-editor of Critical Care: Architecture and Urbanism for a Broken Planet'Mechtild Widrich brings to the fore key questions of contemporary approaches to monumentality, and shakes these further. Moving with agility across a wide range of detailed case studies, this book makes a compelling case for a layered perspective that sees the monumental in its complex and interrelational potential: as history materialised through art in multidirectional interactions with time, space and their mediation. It is a book that refuses simplistic solutions, reminding us of the vital role of the public sphere in confronting and commemorating our shared histories and of the importance of an ethics of care in doing so.'Jacek Ludwig Scarso, Reader in Art and Performance, London Metropolitan University'Monumental Cares: Sites of History and Contemporary Art presents a significant intervention in the art history of public art that makes site-specificity its key term. The book is also a bold contribution to contemporary debates about monument activism.Throughout Monumental Cares, Widrich confronts the difficulties posed by public art that grapples with political violence, touching on polarizing contemporary concerns about migration, climate change, and state sanctioned as well as ongoing everyday violence against people across the globe. Ultimately, the book is a plaidoyer for the careful maintenance of public space through monuments and markers that help audiences—past, present, and future—to navigate the multiplicity of sites that articulate shared and multidirectional histories. Monumental Cares also makes the case for the importance of multidirectional art history, opening the field, it is to be hoped, for more to follow.'CAA Reviews, Caroline Schopp'The book addresses those debates but its project is also broader, looking at the power of images and artworks to address violence. The book is also centrally concerned with the kinds of public sphere to which the reception of images and artworks give rise, especially in combination with myriad forms of digital mediation.'21 Inquiries, Adair Rounthwaite -- .Table of ContentsWho cares? An introduction1 The sites of history2 Cold War in stone – and plastic3 Materializing art geographies4 Reversing monumentality5 Reflections6 Drawing pain: political art in circulation Caring about monuments: a conclusionIndex

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Book SynopsisRailway buildings have always had a fascinating character all of their own, despite many no longer being in operational railway service. This book tells the story of how these buildings evolved alongside the development of the railway in Great Britain and examines how architects over the years have responded to the operational, social and cultural influences that define their work. Written for those with a keen interest in architecture and the railway, as well as those new to the subject, The Architecture and Legacy of British Railway Buildings provides an unique insight into the production of railway architecture, both in the context of railway management and the significant periods of ownership, and the swings in national mood for railway-based transportation. As well as tracing its history, the authors take time to consider the legacy these buildings have left behind and the impact of heritage on a continually forward-looking industry. Topics covered include: the context of railway architecture today; the history of how it came into existence; the evolution of different railway building types; the unique aspects of railway building design, and finally, the key railway development periods and their architectural influences.Trade ReviewThe book is an attractive and well-produced volume comprising 192 pages of text plus acknowledgements, contents list, index and bibliography. For the price this is a good book and specifically for SPAB members highlights many schemes where railway buildings have found new uses outside of the operational railways. -- Clive Baker * SPAB magazine - The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings *Most railway architecture has had to adapt to its predecessor. This fascinating book shows how skilfully that can be done. It also points to a future where Crossrail, HS2 and other projects will deliver an entirely new architectural legacy. Britain’s great railway journey is far from over. -- Nigel Crowe, Institute of Historic Building Conservation * Institute of Historic Building Conservation *

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Book SynopsisThe Ṭämpiṭavihāras of Sri Lanka focuses on one distinctive Buddhist architectural practice from pre-modern Sri Lanka – the construction of Buddha image-houses on elevated wooden platforms supported by stone pillars. As a centre of Buddhism, Sri Lanka has a rich tradition of erecting Buddha image-houses, the origin of which dates to the fifth century. Yet, the ṭämpiṭavihāra tradition only existed from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The ṭämpiṭavihāra is an exceptional type of image-house, not only for its specific timeframe and unique construction technology, but also for its complex architectural conception of the Buddhist worldview and soteriology. This book examines the significant aspects of ṭämpiṭavihāra architecture and documents some of the distinctive examples of ṭämpiṭavihāra with an analysis of their architectural design and symbolic content.Trade Review‘This book, a product of 20-years of journey to experience and reveal the spirit of place and distinctiveness of built structure, is a landmark presenting the continuity of history since late medieval period, as illustrated by the distinct shrines built on stone pillars, called ṭämpiṭavihāra. I am sure this will open new avenues for further research.’ — Prof. Rana P.B. Singh, President- Asian Cultural Landscape Association‘The Tämpiṭavihāras of Sri Lanka makes an invaluable addition to literature on regional Buddhist religious literature. Its excellent documentation, analysis and presentation of architecture, materials and methods of construction, artistic embellishments as well as vernacular nuances and terminologies of Tämpiṭavihāras, along with the Brikshya-chaitya and the Stupa, raises the book to a laudable act of conservation. I find its creative use of classroom and field learning experiences of students and teachers refreshing, instructive and worth emulating.’ — Sudarshan Raj Tiwari, Lumbini College of Buddhism and Himalayan Studies, Lumbini Buddhist University‘The authors provide a systematic and in-depth introduction to Buddhism's history and the tradition of Buddhist heritage in Sri Lanka. The book reveals the hidden treasure of Sri Lankan architecture that was previously understudied or less known. I applaud this book's publication as a valuable addition to the repository of knowledge of Asian architecture. It is indeed an important step to transform Asia from a knowledge consumer into a knowledge producer and a substantial contribution to Architectural discourse in general.’ —Dr Johannes Widodo, Director of Graduate Programs in Architectural Conservation, National University of SingaporeTable of ContentsIllustrations; Acknowledgements; Foreword by Amos Rapoport; 1 Introduction; Part I The Ṭämpiṭavihāra Tradition; Chapter 1 The Tradition of Buddha Image-Houses in Sri Lanka; Chapter 2 The Ṭämpiṭavihāra Design; Chapter 3 The Evolution of Ṭämpiṭavihāras and Their Variations; Conclusion; Part II Illustrations of Selected Ṭämpiṭavihāras; Introduction; Central Province; North Central Province; North Western (Vayamba) Province; Sabaragamuva Province; Southern Province; Ūva Province; Western Province; Bibliography; Appendix: A List of Ṭämpiṭavihāras in Sri Lanka; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Senedd was designed to be a bridge into the future, emerging from a long historical and political evolution. This illustrated book by Trevor Fishlock explores the background to the Assembly''s site in Cardiff Bay and to government in Wales. The photographs illustrate the building designed by Richard Rogers: its construction, technology and architecture.

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Book SynopsisDelve into London's architectural curiositites and discover the unexpected gems waiting around every corner.London is full of extraordinary, enigmatic and, above all, unexpected buildings: a pirate castle in Camden, an art gallery made of shipping containers, underground ghost stations, and much more. Here David Long reveals the very best of the capital’s extraordinary buildings, some of which are passed by every day, hidden in plain sight.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first study of the work of architect Sidney Colwyn Foulkes (18841971), one of Britain's most significant regional architects. His design work included schools, shops, churches and church halls, town halls, hospitals, cinemas, private houses and public housing schemes. Foulkes made a major contribution to buildings in his hometown of Colwyn Bay and its surrounds, and his influence extended across Wales and beyond. The present study explores Foulkes's projects broadly by type, illustrating many of them with original photographs, suggesting that his greatest achievements were post-war housing schemes and his involvement in the early field of industrial landscaping in sensitive areas of natural beauty. The book traces how, far removed from the metropolis like so many regional architects, Foulkes had to fight to produce good, ordinary architecture at a time of intense cultural and political change to define an architecture for the modern age.

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Book SynopsisSimon Bradley traces the history of the station, introducing us to the men behind the architecture and looks at its new international status. This fine new edition includes a fascinating chapter on the new hotel and some timely revisions bringing it fully up to date. 'A marvellous piece of social, aesthetic and technological history... it is impossible to praise Bradley's book too highly' A. N. Wilson, Daily Telegraph 'Brilliantly and with deft hand, Simon Bradley makes sense of it all ... fabulous' Sunday Telegraph 'A masterpiece of historical context ... immensely readable' Sunday Times 'This fine book examines the history of both the church that gave the station its name and the railway terminus ... unexpectedly compelling' Daily MailTrade ReviewA sprightly social, technological and architectural history ... most entertaining * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisBlackpool is Britain’s favourite seaside resort. Each year millions of visitors come to walk on its three piers, ride donkeys, enjoy shows at the Winter Gardens, scream on the thrilling rides at the Pleasure Beach and ride the lift to the top of the Tower. Generations of holidaymakers have stayed in its hotels, lodging houses and bed and breakfasts and all have succumbed to its delectable fish and chips. Two centuries of tourism has left behind a rich heritage, but Blackpool has also inherited a legacy of social and economic problems, as well as the need for comprehensive new sea defences to protect the heart of the town. In recent years this has led to the transformation of its seafront and to regeneration programmes to try to improve the town, for its visitors and residents. This book celebrates Blackpool’s rich heritage and examines how its colourful past is playing a key part in guaranteeing that it has a bright future. Trade ReviewBlackpool's Seaside Heritage is eye-catchingly presented with high quality photographs (historic and contemporary), maps, illustrations, and a gazetteer of sites which make the book accessible and engaging. -- Anna Woodham * The Historic Environment, Vol 5, No 3, November 2014 *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by the Chair of English Heritage Introduction Early Blackpool 1750-1840 The arrival of the railway 1840-1870 Blackpool after 1918 Blackpool in the early 21st century Notes References and selected further reading Other titles in the Informed Conservation series Gazetteer

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Book SynopsisMemorials have long been an important part of our built environments. In recent decades, there have been enormous changes in who and what we commemorate, and how. This increasing need for unique and sensitive memorials opens up new creative horizons for architects tasked with translating complex subjects and feelings into emotive spatial experiences that are as memorable as they are commemorative. This book showcases 45 contemporary memorials dating from since the beginning of the 21st century. Hauntingly eloquent, or starkly confrontational, each example highlights the effectiveness of such structures in focusing society’s consciousness on important and diverse issues. From Argentina to New Zealand, Comoros to South Korea, the memorials represent a wide geographical spread, and each interacts in original and surprising ways with its context. Interspersed with the memorials are interviews with leading international architects, including Carmody Groarke, MASS Design Group, Michael Arad, Moshe Safdie, Philippe Prost and others. Their words offer insights into how architects have given form to such abstract concepts as loss, love, permanence, peace, justice, hope and memory itself.Table of ContentsPreface. Foreword. Introductory essay. Case studies. Interviews with Andy Groarke/Carmody Groarke; Philippe Prost/Philippe Prost; Claudio Vekstein / Opera Publica; Michael Arad/Handel Architects; MASS Design Group; Sook Hee Chun/WISE Architecture; Moshe Safdie/Safdie Architects. Endnotes. Index

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Book SynopsisHenry Flitcroft was first employed by the leading aristocratic architect of the time, Richard Boyle, Lord Burlington, who helped him to establish his long career. Flitcroft had about 50 clients over 40 years, working for many dynasties, including the royal family, the Bedfords, the Yorke/Hardwickes and the Malton/Rockinghams. Remarkably, he was employed regularly by the Duke of Montagu and his family from 1725 to 1765, and the Hoare family from 1728 to his death in 1769, and was responsible for some of the great country houses of the period including Wimpole, Woburn Abbey and Wentworth Woodhouse. This is the first book which details his life and examines his complete body of work. It sets Flitcroft within his social context, providing insights into those for whom he worked as well as his fellow architects. Flitcroft waged fierce battles to maintain his professional positions at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s and the documents are revealed here for the first time. The book dissects the dramatic story of Flitcroft's insane son and the legal cases that ensued which link Flitcroft and G.E. Street, who inherited Flitcroft's own house in Hampstead. In addition, Flitcroft’s furniture designs are assessed and his notable churches and London buildings including Chatham House, Benjamin Franklin House and Pushkin House. Finally, his last great project at Stourhead is re-examined.Trade Review‘It is excellent that Lund Humphries has brought out a well-produced volume devoted to the oeuvre of Henry Flitcroft, arguably the most significant Georgian architect of whom most people have never heard. Carefully researched and conscientiously written, Gill Hedley’s new volume provides seemingly comprehensive coverage of every Flitcroft project, executed or not, that is currently known, so is most unlikely to be superseded.’ – Roger White, Country LifeTable of ContentsIntroduction by Sir Charles Saumarez-Smith. 1: Hampton Court, Apprencticeship and Lord Burlington. 2: Twickenham, Marriage and Bower House. 3: Amesbury, Montagu House and St Giles-in-the-Fields. 4: St Giles-in-the-Fields. 5: Wentworth Woodhouse and Ditchley. 6: St Olave’s, Savannah, Stoke Edith, Wimborne and Frognal. 7: Wimpole and Hampstead. 8: Shobdon, Windsor and Woburn. 9: Stourhead. 10: Stourhead, Redlynch and Kingston House. 11: Henry Flitcroft, Junior. 12: Reputation

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the collaborative process that produced the outstanding carving and sculpture on many of the most remarkable buildings of what was Britain's greatest period of wealth and global power. Investigating the processes and methodologies behind these shared artistic endeavours, it reveals the background, education and training of the sculptors, modellers and carvers involved and discusses the relationships between architects and sculptors, the varied nature of their artistic partnerships and the interplay between the two arts in their contrasting control of space and mass. Work by the major architects of the period, including George Gilbert Scott and Alfred Waterhouse, is discussed, as well as their relationship with architectural sculptors Farmer and Brindley. Likewise, the book examines the collaborations between John Belcher and Hamo Thorneycroft and Alfred Drury; Charles Holden and his work with Jacob Epstein and Eric Gill; and Edwin Lutyens, who worked with Derwent

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Book SynopsisFully updated and Illustrated with high-quality photographs throughout; discover the variety of historic pub interiors in the East of England, while informative articles explain their significance. It champions the need to celebrate, understand and protect the genuine pub heritage we have left with every pub described, highlighting its special historic features. * Includes Lord Nelson's local; one of the claimants for the smallest pub in the county; and two of only eight pubs still operating without a bar counter. * Visit genuinely old pubs, some 500 years old; the East of England has the largest number of ancient snugs formed by settle benches and we guide you to them all. * We also show you where you can play some of the most unusual pub games in the country. * Has contact details and information about the availability of real ale, accommodation, and food.

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Book SynopsisPublished to mark the reopening of the spectacular baroque interior of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich after a landmark conservation project, The Painted Hall is a wonderful celebration of what has been called `the Sistine Chapel of the UK’. The ceiling and wall decorations of the Painted Hall were conceived and executed by the artist Sir James Thornhill between 1707 and 1726 – years that witnessed the Act of Union during the reign of Queen Anne and Great Britain’s rise to become a dominant Protestant power in a predominantly Catholic Europe. The accessions to the throne of William III and Mary II in 1688 and George I in 1714 form the central narrative of a scheme that also honours Britain’s maritime successes and mercantile prosperity. The artist drew on a cast of around 200 figures – a mixture of historical, contemporary, allegorical and mythological characters – to tell a story of political change, scientific and cultural achievements, naval endeavours, and commercial enterprise against a series of magnificent backdrops. In the first part of the book, Dr Anya Lucas describes the history and architecture of the building and the background to Thornhill’s commission. The grandeur of his composition, which covers 40,000 square feet, reflects the importance of the space that the paintings adorn: the hall of the new Royal Hospital for Seamen. The Hospital was established in 1694 at Queen Mary’s instigation for men invalided out of the Navy, and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor. The Painted Hall was originally intended as a grand dining room, but it soon became a ceremonial space open to paying visitors and reserved for special functions. The last naval pensioners left the site in 1869, when it became home to the Royal Naval College, an officers’ training academy. The passage of nineteen years from the start of the commission to its completion, and the need to navigate contemporary political events, meant that Thornhill was required to rethink the design of his paintings several times. His preparatory sketches for the Painted Hall reveal how carefully he experimented with and planned the content. When he had finished his work, Thornhill wrote An Explanation of the paintings, which was published by the Hospital directors and sold to visitors. This guide is the subject of the second part of our book, by Dr Richard Johns. Johns also explores image and meaning in Thornhill’s decorative scheme, which stretches across three distinct but connected spaces: the domed Vestibule, the long Lower Hall, and the Upper Hall, together presenting a vivid and compelling picture of Britain’s place in the world according to those who governed it at the start of the 18th century. During the last 300 years, smoke and dirt built up on the fragile painted surfaces of the Hall, and varnish layers fractured under the effects of heat and humidity. In the final part of the book, the specialist conservators Sophie Stewart and Stephen Paine consider historic restorations of the Painted Hall from the 18th century to the Ministry of Works campaign of the late 1950s. The spring of 2019 sees the completion of a ground-breaking conservation programme that has reversed decades of decay and ensured the long-term preservation of the paintings. Now that every inch of decorated surface has been lovingly cleaned and conserved, new photography brings the colour, clarity and vibrancy of Thornhill’s masterpiece to life.

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Book SynopsisThe Crystal Palace was built in Hyde Park to house the treasures of the world for the Great Exhibition of 1851. It became a microcosm of Victorian life, industry and leisure, reflecting every aspect of its age. Designed by Joseph Paxton as a temporary structure its success meant that when it closed it was moved to Sydenham and rebuilt.Trade Review... widely regarded as the most authoritative book written about the history of the famous glass Crystal Palace ... * Kentish Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Alhambra, the 'red fort' on its rocky hill above Granada, with its fountained courts and gardens, and intricate decoration, has long been a byword for exotic and melancholy beauty. In a stimulating new book in the 'Wonders of the World' series Robert Irwin, Arabist and novelist, examines its engrossing and often mysterious history. Built by a bloody and threatened dynasty of Muslim Spain, it was preserved as a monument to the triumph of Christianity. Much of what we see is the invention of later generations. Its highly sophisticated decoration is not just random but full of hidden meaning. Even its purpose - palace or theological college - is not always clear. Its influence on art, and on literature, orientalist painting and Granada cinemas, Washington Irving and Borges, has been significant. Robert Irwin enables us to understand that history fully. The Wonders of the World is a series of books that focuses on some of the world's most famous sites or monuments. Their names will be familiar to almost everyone: they have achieved iconic stature and are loaded with a fair amount of mythological baggage. These monuments have been the subject of many books over the centuries, but our aim, through the skill and stature of the writers, is to get something much more enlightening, stimulating, even controversial, than straightforward histories or guides.Trade ReviewThis highly readable study provides both a welcome demystification and a fascinating reinterpretation * The Scotsman *For those who know his work, it will confirm his genius and to others it will act as an excellent introduction * Observer *Fascinating -- Malise Ruthven * Sunday Times *A lively, yet clear-headed introduction encouraging a more thoughtful and critical approach to the monument * Literary Review *Irwin's book is both a perfect introduction to the place and a first-rate account of its history * Guardian *He brings the majestic ruins to life' * Newsweek *This book captures and conveys the mysterious attractions of the Alhambra * Doris Lessing *It is ... greatly to Robert Irwin's credit that he has written a book on the subject that is sensible, scholarly, astringent and witty. It is a fine addition to what promises to be an outstanding series on the world's great monuments. * Sunday Telegraph *Entrancing ... an excellent guide, full of fascinating characters and juicy anecdotes ... Having been to the Alhambra many times, after reading this wonderful book I wished to go back - and see it for the first time. -- Susha Guppy * Independent *

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Book SynopsisThere are few more historic and evocative places in the world. Caesar was cremated there. Charles V and Mussolini rode by it in triumph. There Napoleon celebrated his festival of liberty. In this radical reappraisal David Watkin teaches us to see the Forum with new eyes and helps us to rediscover its rich history. This is as stimulating to the armchair traveller as it is useful as a guide to the Forum itself. 'With verve, authority and no little humour, Watkin tells the detailed and complex story of this great but mutilated landmark ... it is an almost impossible task, superbly done' Peter Jones, BBC History Magazine 'In this sprightly volume ... the distinguished architectural historian David Watkin charts the shifting fortunes of the site ... he has an engagingly romantic feeling for the place... deploying a good deal of sharp wit, he reveals how the relatively recent obsession with recovering the Forum's classical past has led to much unhappy destruction and much less scarcely happy invention' Matthew Sturgis, Country LifeTrade ReviewThis charming and erudite book not only reveals much about the history of its subject; it stands as a humanist reproach to the scientific philistinism of our times. -- Allan Massie * Literary Review *An excellent, handy new book... More successfully than any author before him, Watkin makes his reader aware of the multilayered, fascinating history of the site -- Masolino D'Amico * TLS *Professor Watkin has an engagingly romantic feeling for the place ... Deploying a good deal of sharp wit, he reveals how the relatively recent obsession with recovering the Forum's classical past has led to much unhappy destruction -- Matthew Sturgis * Country Life *Watkin provides a challenging new perspective on Rome's ancient heart. -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *David Watkin's short, polemical, brilliant history...the painstaking explanation of the true history and origins of all visible fabric, in clear, authoritative but enjoyable and lively language that makes this an invaluable guide...read this: it will help to tell you who you are. -- Timothy Brittain-Catlin * The Tablet *Learned but lively... Informative... -- Christopher Hirst * Indepedent *

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