No comments about Architectural Britain: From 1066 to the Present Day.

1 comments about The Eiffel Tower.

1. I love The Eiffel Tower. I'm amazed that iron can be so beautiful. This is a must have book for anyone that feels the way I do. No stone is left unturned in this book. I now know everything about the Eiffel Tower and love it even more. Beautiful photographs. Excellent information. I love this book.

2 comments about Buckingham Palace: The Official Illustrated History.

1. I found the book to be very informative, good selection of pictures. It was interesting to compare the different rooms as they were changed from Queen Victoria through Queen Elizabeth. It lacks pictures and descriptions of the rooms in the new wing of the palace, the one facing the Victoria Monument. I do recommend this book, though, I wish it had more pictures of other rooms.



2. A nice book on one of the most recognizable if not prettiest palace in the world. The text is highly informative and the images are well presented. Buckingham Palace's exterior style is not exactly aweinspiring, it looks like a government building, like the treasury or department of state, it's really the interiors that make this place special. It's a high Georgian tour de force, the interiors are quite simply spectacular; they are elegant and have elan. If you have any interest in the Windsor's or love Georgian style then i highly recommend this book, if you have never seen the interior of this building, you will be pleasantly surprised.

3 comments about American Victorian Cottage Homes.

1. Dover has published a number of books on Victorian and other period homes, and this is an honest entry in the series, though not the best. This is basically a catalog of available house designs, ranging from modest cottages, to row-houses, to mansions. What I really like about this book, and what most books don't offer, is a perspective view, at least two elevations, and plans for the first two floors of each house. If you have a hard time visualizing a house from just a set of plans, or if you look at a perspective and always wonder what the back of the house looks like, you will love this book. Occasionally extra details or sections are thrown in, and there's a price quoted for each house. The descriptions are very sparse however: "the plates are intended to tell their own story." If you fell in love with one of these houses, a good architect could produce a set of plans for you, though the room arrangements would have to be modernized to fit our expectations for kitchen size, open floor plans, number of bathrooms, etc.
   
   There's a sample Specification at the end that you may find fascinating. Painstakingly laid out, it gives the minimum standard for every material used, from lumber to paint. There is also a contract for the builder and client to sign, which looks to be pretty savvy for the period.
   
   This is the best book of its kind that I know of when it comes to allowing you to visualize exactly what a house will look like, inside and out. Only a somewhat constrained range of styles, and lack of details, keep this from getting 5-stars.



2. The title of this publication is a little misleading. While it displays elevation and perspective views of many buildings along with their floor plans, the vast majority of those buildings are of the larger, mansion variety, and not the smaller cottages it refers to in its title. It is very lean in detail drawings along with descriptions, and is non-existent when it comes to sectional views. It will not help you when it comes to information on how to build one of these plans, but it will tell you what it will look like when you are done.



3. This book is full of great illustrations and plans for victorian houses of the late 1800's, many perspective views and some detail drawings. Great to look at and perfect if you plan to build a traditional victorian home or duplex and need some ideas.

2 comments about Building the Empire State.

1. This is actually three stories in one. First, the discovery of a personal notebook documenting the construction of the ESB by an involved, but unknown author. Meticuously typed, with photographs, the manuscript was obviously a labor of love. Second, the written manuscript provides details of the construction which are engrossing, and the notebook's photos show the processes of constuction - not what was done but how they did it. Finally, the first 40+ pages provide a great summary of the ESB's history for the uninitiated. One of the most intriguing aspects of this book are the full-page photocopies of the notebook's actual pages, which only add to the historical sense and mystique of the manuscript. A great gift for the "construction-type" in your life, which is how I got mine...after numerous hints.



2. Based on actual records the construction company kept during the building process, this book gives an insight of how such an astonishing effort was completed. The whole process of buying the spot, finding an architect(!), tearing down the existing building, design, and building the Empire State took only 22 months. It's an outstanding example of how the management of a very complex project can be done and a must read for everyone in the software industry ;-). Fun to browse through yourself, a sure hit as a gift to anyone interested or working in architecture, construction or project management.

5 comments about The Grand Tour: Travelling the World with an Architect's Eye.

1. I'm an architect and I usually have my camera with me wherever I go, especially to take photos of landscapes and/or buildings that catch my fancy wherever I am.
   
   That's the concept behind this lovely coffee table styled book from Taschen publishers. It's a collection of vivid photos of structures that caught the eye of architect Henry Seider. Taken all over the world (every continent is represented), they include the rock structures of Petra in Jordan, the gothic cathedral at Ulm, and the museum für Moderne Kurnst both in Germany, Isfahan mosque in Iran, works by Le Corbusier, Mies Van De Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, to mention a few, with minimal notes (and in a few cases, sketches) describing each project.
   
   Structures range from historical (Petra, the pyramids and temples of Egypt), to classic, to modern, so there should be something for everyone.
   
   As with every other book on architecture from Taschen which I own, this is a delight.



2. Some travellers notice people, others notice the differences in landscapes and natural formations, still others notice weather and climate and how it differs from their home, and yet others are hungry for the living culture of food and music they find in foreign places. And then there are those travellers who notice the architecture in each place they visit. Harry Seidler was the latter type. He travelled the world, and with his architect's eye, he noticed and photographed the famous and not-so-famous structures and buildings that appealed to him. These photos were then compiled into this pretty book.
   
   Both Taschen and Phaedon, as publishers, are noted for their beautiful niche art and coffee-table books. This book is no exception; providing a series of beautifully photographed famous and/or architecturally significant buildings from around the world. This is not a theoretical nor an analytical book - and thank god, as there are plenty of those in the market already. This is an art book (i.e. a colour glossy photo book).
   
   This is a book produced for the joy of looking at beautiful or significant buildings from across the world, across cultures and across the centuries. Apart from a brief written introduction accompanying each section, the reader is left free to enjoy the pictures, to travel in the imagination, to marvel at the architectural richness of the world, and most importantly, to make up our own minds as to the historical and aethetic worth of the different constructions on offer.
   
   One need not be knowledgeable in architecture to enjoy this book. You only need an eye for beauty and an appreciation for human ingenuity and engineering. Enjoy!



3. Harry Seidler is Australia's greatest living architect. His award winning domestic and international works are represented in a number good books. This book however, is a personal photographic journey through more than 50 years of travel. The photos are taken by Harry himself and the wily observer will even notice family members in some. It is a book that prompts the desire to travel to see unknown (to me at least) buildings that represent great architectural achievements of their time. Of course it also includes the famous and well known architectural wonders. When I am feeling nostalgic for travel and good architecture it is one of the first books I pick up.



4. An amazing and wonderful image collection of the greatest architectural master pieces from around the world.

   I can only hope to be able to visit a fraction of these places in my own time. Great to be able to see them here!

   A must for anyone interested in great architecture and photographs.




5. I've previewed some pages of this book on the official site of Taschen. Then I bought this book with the thought that there would be good analysis about those great architectures,since this book entitled with "...an architect's eye". When I got this book I feel a little bit of dissapointment because this book is merely a collection of mostlt "western" architecture photos. With few analysis on these masterpieces,I suggest those who interest in real architectural books go browse Google for pics rather than buying this book.

2 comments about The Houses of Key West.

1. Excellent pictures of great Key West houses including addresses. No interior pictures. Book fell apart at binding after very little viewing.



2. I love this book. If you enjoy the unique look of Key West Conch architecture you will enjoy this book. Color full page and full page plus photographs fill the book. Most pictures are full close-ups of the front of the house. It is a nice reminder of time spent in Key West. If you are interested in architecture it contains examples of the various unique Key West styles used. I enjoyed looking at picture of the famous houses and reading about why they are famous. Almost forgot it, contains the addresses of the houses in case you want to see them for yourself.

1 comments about Architecture and Its Sculpture in Viceregal Mexico.

1. Jacket and book design: Heidi A. Haeuser. This book received Award of Excellence in dust jacket design at Southern Books Competition (1997-98).

No comments about The American Mosaic: Preserving a Nation's Heritage.

1 comments about Medieval Architecture in Western Europe: From A.D. 300 to 1500 Includes CD.

1. As a student in Professor Calkin's Medieval Architecture course at Cornell, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource. Professor Calkins has intimate knowledge of all of the buildings described, and the majority of the photos presented are his own. The book takes you from pre-Christian Rome, to the Pyrenees in Catalunya, and through the French countryside as you explore every corner and hidden space of the great and lesser-known churches of Western Europe. A must for anyone who loves architecture, student or not.