History of Western Architecture
By David Watkin
Translated by Shen Zaihong
Beijing Fine Arts Photography Publishing House
Price: 328 yuan
The book spans 5,000 years of the history of Western architecture.
The content covers the architectural development process of Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Byzantium, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Baroque, and up to modernism and postmodernism. Nearly 1,000 architectural pictures, involving five aspects: hand-drawn drawings, architectural exterior drawings, interior design drawings, floor plans and urban planning drawings. Architects, interior designers, art, architectural design students and enthusiasts, and travel experts have it, which is equivalent to owning an encyclopedia of Western architecture.
In the process of reading, readers can fully feel the beautiful artistic charm of Western architecture!
A History of Western Architecture: Interpreting the Story of 5,000 Years of Western Architecture
Text/Wei Zilun
Architectural aesthetics and beautiful architectural genres that run through ancient and modern times
● "History of Western Architecture" covers the entire development of the spirit of Western architecture, from the origin of architecture to classicism, then into modernism, and finally to the postmodernist architecture of the 21st century.
The source of Western culture and architecture comes from the Sumerians of the Two Rivers Basin and the ancient Egyptians of the Nile Valley. Ancient Greece absorbed the essence of their culture and built its own city. The romans that followed built a vast empire that turned the Mediterranean into an inland sea through years of conquest. The Romans not only achieved great achievements in urban planning and construction, but also invented plastic concrete materials, which made great contributions to the development of architecture. The dome building, represented by the Pantheon, was regarded as a model by future generations of architects, and architects who continued to use it as a source of creativity until the 21st century.
Pantheon, a fine example of ancient Roman dome architecture
Located in Rome, Italy (founded 27-25 BC)
The classical architectural language covering the entire ancient Greece and ancient Rome has a very strong vitality, which is reflected in the later Renaissance, Rococo and other architectural designs, and continues to the present. After the 20th century, architects from the Middle East, Japan and China have emerged, inheriting this architectural concept, and in the 21st century, they have shined.
Panoramic view of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, a classic Renaissance building
Located in Florence, Italy
In addition to the comprehensive content, the History of Western Architecture is also very systematic and perfect in its explanation of specific architectural schools. In the chapter on specific architectural genres divided according to historical chronology, the specific different styles and characteristics of various European countries are used to divide. The advantage of this is that in the same general school of architecture, the different understandings and manifestations of different countries are fully seen, which is convenient for readers to grasp effective information.
Tadao Ando: Church of Light, Osaka (1987–1989)
A well-polished version of the book
Bring readers a top aesthetic enjoyment
● The History of Western Architecture is an important work for the study and study of Western architecture. The author is Professor David Watkin (1941-2018), an expert in the history of architecture in the United Kingdom, who is Professor Emeritus of the History of Architecture at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Peter house College.
The History of Western Architecture has been revised and published for many years, and the edition of this book is the fifth and last revision and update of the author's life.
The latest additions to the book from the 20th century include architects from the Middle East, Japan, China and other countries and regions, including Zaha Hadid (1950-2016), Kengo Kuma (1954-), Tadao Ando (1941-), and I.M. Pei (1917-2019). The academic perspective of architectural history is broader and more inclusive.
Introduced to Laurence King Publishing, a well-known British art publishing house, The History of Western Architecture was founded in 1991 and is known for publishing professional fine arts books on topics such as architecture, art, design, fashion, film, photography and pop culture, and is headquartered in London.
Lawrence King's publishing house logo
The Chinese translation of this book was translated by Shen Zaihong, a scholar in the field of ancient architectural culture. She studied at the School of Architecture of Harbin Institute of Technology, Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Purdue University in the United States, taught the history of Western architecture at the City University of New York, and traveled to many countries around the world. In order to let readers better understand such a large number of works, Shen Zaihong specially made a translator's note, and made a comprehensive and detailed annotation of the proper nouns and historical events involved in the whole book, which is convenient for understanding the content of the article.
In terms of binding design, "History of Western Architecture" also shows the thickness and professionalism of a large tome. The whole book is made of 140 grams of offset paper, 16 open Western-style square ridge hardcover, and can be read flat at 180 degrees.
An excellent reading experience that can be used as a collection of art and design professionals, architects, interior designers, product designers, art lovers, and travel enthusiasts.
Source: Beijing Version North America
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