100 Ideas That Changed Architecture chronicles the most influential ideas that have shaped architecture. Entertainingly written by an expert on architecture, it provides a concise history of the subject, and offers a fascinating resource to dip into for the general reader.

Starting with the basic building ‘components’ of door, window, column and beam and the Classical orders, it then goes on to explore historical movements such as the Picturesque and Beaux-Arts, innovative materials such as steel and reinforced concrete, technical innovations, such as the lift and electric lighting, through to modern movements such as Universal Design and Deconstruction. 

Arranged in a broadly chronological order, the ideas are presented through informative text and arresting visuals, exploring when each idea first evolved and the subsequent impact it has had up to the present day.

Other books in this series include 100 Ideas that Changed Fashion, 100 Ideas that Changed Art, 100 Ideas that Changed Design, 100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design, 100 Ideas that Changed Photography and 100 Ideas that Changed Film.

About the Author:

Richard Weston was Professor of Architecture at Cardiff University. His books include the monograph Alvar Aalto, winner of the 1995 Sir Banister Fletcher Prize; the definitive monograph on the Danish architect Jørn Utzon; Materials, Form and Architecture and Key Buildings of the Twentieth Century, 2nd edition. 

This inspiring book chronicles the most influential ideas that have shaped architecture. Entertainingly written by an expert on architecture, it provides a concise history of the subject, and offers a fascinating resource to dip into for the general reader.

Starting with the basic building 'components' of door, window, column and beam and the Classical orders, it then goes on to explore historical movements such as the Picturesque and Beaux-Arts, innovative materials such as steel and reinforced concrete, technical innovations, such as the lift and electric lighting, through to modern movements such as Universal Design and Deconstruction.

Arranged in a broadly chronological order, the ideas are presented through fascinating text and arresting visuals, 100 Ideas that Changed Architecture explores when each idea first evolved and the subsequent impact it has had up to the present day.

Featuring more than 100 of the most significant and influential buildings of the twentieth century, this second edition includes both classic works by such seminal architects as Le Courbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe and Alvar Aalto, as well as those by more recent masters, such as Norman Foster, Frank Gehry and Rem Koolhaas. Addtional buildings and images make this new edition even more comprehensive and up-to-date.

For each of the buildings included there are numerous, accurate scale plans showing typical floors, together with elevations, sections and site plans where appropriate. All of these have been specially commissioned for the book and are based on the most reliable information and sources. There is also a concise text explaining the significant architectural features of the building and the influences it shows or generated, together with full-colour images. Cross-references to other buildings in the book highlight the various connections between these key structures.

After a century dominated largely by discussions of space and form there is now renewed interest in the material aspects of architecture.

Backlashing against the digital and virtual wave, there is a fresh emphasis on the material qualities of buildings while, ironically, it is the information technologies that allow the architect direct control over what happens on the building site once more. The early chapters of the book survey the field historically and explore the theory of materials and form. These are followed by seven thematic chapters and a well-illustrated discussion of the future of materials, with examples chosen from contemporary architecture.

The book aims to encourage students and architects to take more interest in this often neglected aspect of architecture. It counters the tendency to think of materials as a technical issue by addressing the subject historically and critically, linking cultural ideas to technical means.

About the Author:

Richard Weston was Professor of Architecture at Cardiff University. His books include the monograph Alvar Aalto, winner of the 1995 Sir Banister Fletcher Prize; the definitive monograph on the Danish architect Jørn Utzon; Materials, Form and Architecture and Key Buildings of the Twentieth Century, 2nd edition.