The Observer's Book of Architecture (Observer's Pocket)

The Observer's Book of Architecture - Architecture in any age is conditioned by the contemporary system of economy, methods of production, and requirements of society; but it has its roots in the past. This is not to say that any great architecture is a reproduction of the work of an earlier period, but that the sense of scale and proportion and the handling of the texture and colour of building materials are not invented afresh by every generation. They come partly from the inspiration we get from new demands and the new methods we have for meeting them, and partly from the rich legacy of building tradition. It is important, if we are to get a full enjoyment from observing the architecture of this or any former time, that we should know something of the conditions on which the style is founded. In this stimulating and extraordinarily well-balanced book Penoyre and Ryan have traced quite clearly-so clearly that I found it possible to understand the text without the diagrams-the development of English architecture from Saxon times, and have provided just the background that the observer needs to help him follow, without confusion or bogging down in unnecessary detail, the development of building, planning, and technique through the centuries; and that should help, too, to get rid of some of the misgivings he may have about the architecture of today. About the Book Architecture is a synthesis of art and technology, deriving its many forms from the needs and skills of the builders and the materials available to them. This book describes the development of British architecture from Saxon times to the present day and is designed to provide the observer with a background to the changes in building forms and techniques through the centuries. The text has been completely revised and updated for this edition which incorporates some new illustrations whilst retaining most of the original ones together with the unique Visual Index. About the Authors Both authors have travelled