'A wonderful read' DOUGALD O'REILLY

Discover ancient stone wonders and architectural preservation secrets in the hands of one of the world’s greatest stonemasons.

Across the world and across time, the buildings of the gods and royalty have mostly been made of stone, towering over the homes of us lesser beings who have had to make do with mud, wood or brick. When civilisations wish to create beauty to last – for veneration of the gods or mortal men – it is to stone they turn. Crossing oceans and hauling blocks across thousands of kilometres, to quarry and sometimes plunder pillars and statues to stand sentinel for glory.

As one of the world’s most pre-eminent stonemasons and conservators Simon Warrack has worked in more than thirty different countries and with all major religions. In this book, Simon explores ten different places where he has learnt and plied his trade. From the Trevi Fountain to Angkor Wat, via Great Zimbabwe, Canterbury Cathedral and many more, he takes us to some of the greatest buildings and monuments in the world. Everywhere he goes, despite vast cultural diversity, he finds a communality through stone – a shared desire to conserve and maintain heritage that has spanned continents, cultures and millennia.

The story he tells is of the beauty of stone, restored and accompanied by the sound of chisels. He captures both the joys, skills and the challenges of conservation, as well as how easily restoration can damage the values and traditions it seeks to preserve if conducted with insensitivity. Underlying all his work is his passionate belief that stonemasons and conservators must be guided by the spirit with which people built, carved and cared for their monuments. Without this, monuments may have form and beauty, but they lose the essence and spirit of everything that caused them to be created.

This is the first book to expand the scope of Art Nouveau beyond its traditional canon, covering 23 countries and featuring newly commissioned photography. With special access to many iconic buildings–including renowned Art Nouveau landmarks rarely open to the public–author Paul Greenhalgh and photographer Pete Huggins together provide an unprecedented visual and scholarly exploration of this widely recognized and beloved style. Offering fresh theoretical and intellectual perspectives, this study redefines our understanding of Art Nouveau, uniquely examining its architectural heritage and exploring how it is preserved and presented today, as well as its lasting impact on contemporary design. The concluding chapter highlights Art Nouveau’s enduring influence, showcasing its presence in contemporary architecture.
Paul Greenhalgh is a widely recognized specialist on Art Nouveau. He organized the largest exhibition ever on the subject, Art Nouveau 1890-1914, at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2000, which later toured to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the Metropolitan Art Museum in Tokyo. His professional roles have included President and Director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Inaugural Director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation.

This book uncovers the overlooked material practices that were crucial to architectural production in the eighteenth century. Centred on the architecture of England and Ireland, it examines the facing materials that define the distinctive character of cities and regions.

Focusing on the final stages of construction-the external façade and interior finishes in stone, plaster, and wood-Architecture and Artifice combines archival research with insights from architectural conservation to reveal the hidden techniques behind these structures. It explores the lives of craftsmen, uncovering the unwritten standards that guided their work and argues for the agency of materials and craft in shaping the meanings of eighteenth-century buildings.

Featuring a cast of lesser-known craftsmen alongside new perspectives on iconic structures such as Chatsworth, the Cambridge Senate House, and Dublin’s Parliament House, the book introduces a wealth of previously unpublished archival material uncovering the intricate processes and people behind the era’s most enduring buildings.

?Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

Written by acclaimed architecture expert Jonathan Glancey, Modern Architecture is a beautifully illustrated guide to the key styles, architects and movements that have defined our skylines since the dawn of the twentieth century. From the dizzying heights of the Shard to the exquisite curves of the Sydney Opera House, and from Frank Lloyd Wright to Sir David Adjaye, this is the essential handbook to the creative discipline that shapes our world.

‘His comments are always informative, unashamedly partisan and often enjoyably tart’ – Sunday Telegraph

‘One of the finest architectural writers in contemporary Britain’ – Scotland on Sunday

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, with:

– 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.

Its exposed position makes it an extreme place – a viewing station for the shifting sea, the passing clouds and the changing seasons. Design writer Dominic Bradbury is your guide to this border landscape both natural and manmade, from shingle beaches to black houses.

Dungeness is a crucible for exciting architecture; the local vernacular includes fishermen’s cottages, lighthouses and ex-industrial structures. This mix has attracted leading architects including Rodic Davidson, Fiona Naylor and Brian Johnson, Simon Conder, Guy Holloway and others to complete projects in the area. The book includes sixteen stunning case studies of homes both converted from non-domestic buildings and exciting new builds.

Many piers were originally built as wharfs for ships to load and unload goods. Then, as the railways expanded and people were able to travel further afield for trips and holidays, they became destinations in their own right: places to promenade, to meet and to be entertained. Innovative Victorian engineering created piers that could better withstand the vigours of the sea yet still provided elegant spaces to be enjoyed. This historical development was mirrored around the world.

Researched and executed over five years, 100 Piers includes historic postcards, concert programmes and newspaper articles about the piers. Many piers are no longer in their prime, some have gone completely, lost to the tides of time. But through the paintings, with their dynamic lines, varying perspectives and bold colour combinations, Tracey successfully captures the vibrancy and vitality of these structures. His work ensures their place in history is not forgotten and that the many piers which remain may continue to be cherished as much as ever.