Customer Reviews

New Classicism: The Rebirth of Traditional Architecture

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My issue isn't so much with this physical book itself - the pictures are big and colorful, although often blurry for some reason - as much as it is with the architecture. Palladian windows and columns are classical elements, and building with brick and stone are classical materials, but architecture is all proportion. With the exception of the Julian Bicknell work, this book is largely haphazard attempts at making new buildings look old by throwing a lot of money at them. What is missing is the understanding of proportion - not just in the Palladian sense - but in the sense of the early 20th century American architects - Lindeberg, Delano & Aldrich, Trumbauer, Mellor, Meigs & Howe, Pope, Platt, and later Adler, etc. And you can throw Lutyens in the U.K. in there as well. Anyway, I guess I would say - you're not likely to learn much from this book, and that if you are interested in the houses that inspired this "new" Classicism, just stick with the aforementioned work.

This is a really good book, with vivid, crisp images and interesting and informative text, the other review on this page really has little to do with this book and more to do with the subject, of which they have a very strong opinion..fine..but to give this book two stars is just plain obtuse, i mean granted these present day architects may not be mckim, mead, and white, or carrere and hastings, or Trumbaur..but christ, does that mean their work should not be given a fair assessment, I really think that review is very infair to this book, take on present day high end residential architects fine, but this is suppose to be a review of this book book, not a diatribe on the state of high end residential architects..good grief, we all can agree, that Quinlin Terry, nomatter how good he is, is no Horace Trumbaur or Stanford White, anyway back to the book, lord, i gave it five stars, just to bring it up a notch to four..i think it's really a strong four star. I especially appreciated the images of that massive mansion built by harrison designs out of atlanta, that house looks like something out of the guilding age it is simply spectacular in everyway, the images of it alone are worth the price of this book. All the big names in grand residential architecture are present, i especially appreciated the section on Quinlin Terry, I love his work. Overall, i highly recommend this book to anyone with a love for grand residential architecture, you won't be disappointed, just don't expect to ever see work like that of Traumbaur or Delano and Aldrich, all the great masons are long gone, and nobody is going to spend the kind of time and money it would take to build another Whitmarsh or Biltmore, those days are washed up on the shores of history.

That somebody be the author of this architectural publication is inspirational! I bought a copy through [...] and am very pleased that I did.Besides the interesting photographs, there is also very interesting reading about the subject.It's a pity that here in South Africa we don't get to see much of this type of work as it is very appropriate for Democratic Societies, even today!

As an architectural (and photo) enthusiast, I ordered this book and was immediately and severely dissapointed. The photos throughout the book don't showcase architecture very well, nor do they highlight "new classicism" in my opinion. The worst thing is the quality of the photos and printing. I returned this book immediately and would not recommend it, not even for a coffee table book.

I love the fact that we're in something of a classical revival in American architecture. We desperately need exposure to these traditions after 60 years of northern European-derived, cheap, pseudo-modernistic schlock. Most of the architects featured in this volume are at the leading edge of the classical revivial in the United States and Great Britain, but the book is really not put together well at all. The photography, critical to a book like this, is good is some places and horrible in others. The text is dull as dirt, despite the noble intentions of the author, and one can't help but think that a few of the author's favorites are in here that, otherwise, would not really meet the standards of a study like this. There's a pretty strong line between fine classical design and overblown tastelessness. To me, classicism is about refinement and delicacy of detail and proportion. This book and some of the entries included within lack those qualities.

I'd like to see more new classicism, but this book should only be considered a "first draft." I know Elizabeth Dowling can do better.