Encyclopedia of Architectural and Engineering Feats

by Christine Garnaut

Overview

Encyclopedia of Architectural and Engineering Feats presents more than 200 achievements in architecture and structural engineering in all the inhabited continents, from prehistory to the present.

An architect once described the built environment as "the manifestation of the human spirit in stone, wood, and steel." In this new volume, readers can explore the most innovative and magnificent architectural expressions of the human spirit, from pre-history to the present, from all parts of the world.

Readers can visit the Acropolis and Chartres cathedral, along with less familiar places like the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, once the greatest city in sub-Saharan Africa, and China's 71 meter high, 1,200 year old Grand Buddha, carved from stone. They'll learn the secrets behind audacious engineering feats like the Panama Canal, the U.S. interstate highway system, and the Deltaworks in the Netherlands. They will discover that many of these awe-inspiring projects were not the work of trained architects and engineers, but of "underdeveloped" communities, where unified will, tight social organization, and shared commitment to a spiritual ideal were more important than the inventions of the Industrial Age.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576071120
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/06/2001
Pages:	396
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Donald Langmead is professor of architectural history at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.

Christine Garnaut is research associate in the Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture and Design at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.

Editorial Reviews

[T]his encyclopedia is international in coverage and chronologically vast, and many of the topical essays will not be found in other architectural encyclopedias . . . overall the essays are extremely informative and well written, providing not just architectural details but also social and cultural information to help explain why the building, site, material, or group is important . . . Recommended for most public and academic libararies.” —Library Journal

“This work is highly recommended for general and academic collections.” —American Reference Books Annual

From the Publisher

Gr 9 Up-Cities, tents, teepees, tunnels, tombs, rapid transit systems, bridges, gardens, cathedrals, skyscrapers, and even a space station are just some of the "feats" included in this authoritative survey. From prehistory to the present, high-tech to low, more than 200 architectural and engineering achievements have been selected that reflect "humanity's propensity to `just do it'- against the odds" and the "social imperatives that stimulated people to push the available technology to its limits." The volume includes articles on structures that are frequent subjects of reports ("Empire State Building," "Great Wall of China") and lesser-known works, as well as selected design movements ("The Bauhaus," "Postmodern architecture") and building technologies ("Curtain walls," "Geodesic domes"). Each alphabetically arranged entry is covered in two pages or less. The book concludes with a poignant, up-to-date entry for the World Trade Center. The text is occasionally relieved by average-quality, black-and-white photographs. The dearth of illustrative material is, alas, a major impediment to readers' understanding and appreciation of the text. The index lacks cross-referencing, which is especially helpful for students. It is unfortunate that there is no listing of entries by country or a chronology. Though flawed, Encyclopedia is a valuable resource for serious students of structures and the man-made environment.-Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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