Structures of Our Time: 31 Buildings That Changed Modern Life

The 31 buildings in question are recipients of the American Institute of Architects' 25-Year Award, granted annually to a structure whose impact has stood the test of a quarter century of time. Going beyond appreciation, Shepherd's book is a search for meaning, exploring each building's conception, design process, and impact on community, users, architecture, and the culture itself.Featuring work by immortals such as Frank Lloyd Wright; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Louis Kahn; Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; Eero Saarinen; and Charles and Ray Eames, Structures of Our Time takes you behind the drawing boards where historic breakthroughs first occurred. Less well-known architects and structures are also examined, bringing a rare balance to the story of 20th Century architecture.The book’s 400 lush images are a mix of historic and more recent photos, some iconic and some never before published. Preliminary plans and drawings fill out the rich visual array and tell as much as the text itself. Structures of Our Time is the first in a series of Architectural Record Books.A traveling exhibition will premiere at Shepherd's book signing at the Octagon Museum in Washington, D.C. on January 10, 2002. The show will then be at the annual "Accent on Architecture" Gala at the National Building Museum in DC (organized by the American Architectural Foundation) on March 1, 2002 and be featured at the AIA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina in May, 2002. The exhibition will be available for travel to sites around the country for 6 week bookings in 2002. Venues under consideration include public libraries, AIA Chapters, and smaller museums and galleries.