Instant Architecture [Paperback]

Lynn Nesmith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 1995

REACHING FOR THE SKY: ARCHITECTURE FROM THE TOWER OF BABEL TO HOLLYWOOD BABYLON
Instant Architecture surveys the striking history of building and design from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the tip of New York's Empire State Building. Lively, informative, and vastly entertaining, this colorful chronicle explains how (and when) key architectural trends first arose, explores the major styles and movements in construction, and showcases the most famous designs and engineering marvels of all time.
What do Greek temples and Thomas Jefferson's home have in common? What are the technical wonders behind the Roman aqueducts and the Brooklyn and Golden Gate bridges? Why is Notre Dame one of the world's most famous structures--beyond its notorious resident? Instant Architecture leaves no stone unturned:
--Learn whether nature or tourism caused the campanile at Pisa to lean at that crazy angle.
--Discover which castle in Bavaria served as the model for Disneyland's famous icon.
--Find out how Vitruvius became the original spin doctor of design.
--Get the dirt on the constructive elements of Decontructivism.
--Determine why the Sony Building's roofline in Manhattan looks like a Chippendale highboy.
Instant Architecture is crammed with special features including listings of the pivotal projects of each time period, a glossary of architectural terms, pithy descriptions of building techniques, and a host of architectural drawings and photographs.
INSTANT ARCHITECTURE
It's in a class by itself.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

REACHING FOR THE SKY: ARCHITECTURE FROM THE TOWER OF BABEL TO HOLLYWOOD BABYLON
Instant Architecture surveys the striking history of building and design from the ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the tip of New York's Empire State Building. Lively, informative, and vastly entertaining, this colorful chronicle explains how (and when) key architectural trends first arose, explores the major styles and movements in construction, and showcases the most famous designs and engineering marvels of all time.
What do Greek temples and Thomas Jefferson's home have in common? What are the technical wonders behind the Roman aqueducts and the Brooklyn and Golden Gate bridges? Why is Notre Dame one of the world's most famous structures--beyond its notorious resident? Instant Architecture leaves no stone unturned:
--Learn whether nature or tourism caused the campanile at Pisa to lean at that crazy angle.
--Discover which castle in Bavaria served as the model for Disneyland's famous icon.
--Find out how Vitruvius became the original spin doctor of design.
--Get the dirt on the constructive elements of Decontructivism.
--Determine why the Sony Building's roofline in Manhattan looks like a Chippendale highboy.
Instant Architecture is crammed with special features including listings of the pivotal projects of each time period, a glossary of architectural terms, pithy descriptions of building techniques, and a host of architectural drawings and photographs.
INSTANT ARCHITECTURE
It's in a class by itself.

Product Details

• Paperback: 241 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (July 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044990699X
• ISBN-13: 978-0449906996
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,152,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eleanor Lynn Nesmith
A Carolina native who now calls the Florida Panhandle home, Lynn Nesmith spent her childhood summers along the Atlantic Ocean at Sunset Beach and graduated from the University of North Carolina. Lynn started her career with ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE and later served as architecture editor of Southern Living. Over the years, her words have appeared in Better Homes & Gardens, The Washington Post, Traditional Home, House Beautiful, Architectural Record and Coastal Living. Lynn is the author of Seaside Style and Instant Architecture. Lynn currently lives in Seagrove and writes from an office perched in a third-story office tower with a glimpse of the Gulf of Mexico. Lynn has recently completed another coffee-table book, 30A Style.