New London Architecture [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Kenneth Powell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

The year 2000 was memorable for the completion of a series of major millennium projects, but the huge range of other schemes completed or announced during the past year or so confirms the position of London as the architectural capital of the world. The London Eye, the Great Court at the British Museum, Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge, the Jubilee line extension, the Millennium Dome, and the extensions to or refurbishments of the National Portrait Gallery, Somerset House, the Barbican Centre, the Wallace Collection, and the Victoria and Albert Museum are just a few of the exciting architectural achievements that have grabbed the headlines; but the regeneration of the fabric of Britain's capital city is something that has also affected the design of houses, shops, and restaurants. New London Architecture offers a portrait of a city in the throes of a radical reinvention of itself, with critical texts, plans, and photographs of over one hundred of the projects -- both major and minor -- that are combining to reinvigorate the urban landscape.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This glossy, pictorial survey of recent and forthcoming modern architecture in London is organized by building type: social service buildings, entertainment centers, museums, etc. The largest section deals with urban infrastructures such as bridges and subway stations, of which Londoners are especially proud. Powell is an active critic and journalist in London who has published many books on recent English architecture, including major studies of Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, the twin pillars of English design. Unfortunately, Powell's introduction is aimed at a local audience, Londoners in particular, which places it out of the ken of modern American readers. Thus, this is recommended only for architecture libraries. Peter Kaufman, Boston Architectural Ctr.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Kenneth Powell is a journalist and critic who has written extensively on contemporary architecture. He is Director of the Twentieth Century Society, London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Merrell Publishers; illustrated edition edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858941504
• ISBN-13: 978-1858941509
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,833,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New London Architecture, February 12, 2002

By 

Michael Webb (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New London Architecture (Hardcover)

Ten years ago this would have been a slim and depressing volume, but London-so long mired in nostalgia and mediocrity-has become the most adventurous of the world's capitals for new architecture and design. Norman Foster bestrides the world like a colossus, but some of his best work is now rising in full view of his Thameside office. Younger practices are also flourishing, and-in contrast to LA-most of the building is in the public realm: from the new underground stations and museums to the unjustly maligned Millennium Dome and the popular London Eye. Powell, a leading London critic, infuses this sparkling selection with sharp, insightful comments.

4.0 out of 5 stars Book itself lets you down, September 5, 2006

By 

With Favourable Winds - See all my reviews

This review is from: New London Architecture (Paperback)

I'm not going to review the subject that this book addresses, as the above reviewer does. What one thinks about London's new architecture is a matter of personal opinion. For myself, I think this book shows some great work and some quite abysmal work too. To be quite honest, I personally prefer a more classical-postmodern aesthetic than that reflected in most of the buildings in this book. I happen to sympathize a great deal with the views of the Prince of Wales, and I am disappointed with a great deal of the architecture of 1990s-2000s London.

What I do want to critique is the book itself, especially its arrangement and presentation of information. It suffers from a wooden structure, usually devoting exactly two pages to a project. This inflexibility results in minimal coverage of some truly important buildings and too much on some minor projects.

An even more serious criticism, in my view, is that this book has very, very few plans and elevations. Instead, almost all illustrations are photographs, and the few plans that are given are all very, very small. Personally, I find plans extremely helpful in look at and analyzing a work of architecture, as they present a great deal of information in a compact form, but the editors apparently thought that this sort of presentation was unnecessary.

To its credit, this book does have some very fine photos. But it seems written for the more casual enthusiast than one who seriously wants to understand the buildings in this book.