The Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius declared firmitas, utilitas, and venustas - firmness, commodity, and delight - to be the three essential attributes of architecture. These qualities are brilliantly explored in this book, which uniquely comprises both a detailed survey of Western architecture, including Pre-Columbian America, and an introduction to architecture from the Middle East, India, Russia, China, and Japan. The text encourages readers to examine closely the pragmatic, innovative, and aesthetic attributes of buildings, and to imagine how these would have been praised or criticized by contemporary observers. Artistic, economic, environmental, political, social, and technological contexts are discussed so as to determine the extent to which buildings met the needs of clients, society at large, and future generations.
- ISBN10 1856693538
- ISBN13 9781856693530
- Publish Date 22 September 2003
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 25 June 2005
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Laurence King Publishing
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 608
- Language English