The first global history of architecture to give equal attention to Western and non-Western structures and built landscapes, Architecture since 1400 is unprecedented in its range, approach, and insight. From Tenochtitlan's Great Pyramid in Mexico City and the Duomo in Florence to Levittown's suburban tract housing and the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, its coverage includes the world's most celebrated structures and spaces along with many examples of more humble vernacular buildings. Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 photographs, plans, and interiors, this book presents key moments and innovations in architectural modernity around the globe.

Deftly integrating architectural and social history, Kathleen James-Chakraborty pays particular attention to the motivations of client and architect in the design and construction of environments both sacred and secular: palaces and places of worship as well as such characteristically modern structures as the skyscraper, the department store, and the cinema. She also focuses on the role of patrons and addresses to an unparalleled degree the impact of women in commissioning, creating, and inhabiting the built environment, with Gertrude Jekyll, Lina Bo Bardi, and Zaha Hadid taking their place beside Brunelleschi, Sinan, and Le Corbusier.

Making clear that visionary architecture has never been the exclusive domain of the West and recognizing the diversity of those responsible for commissioning, designing, and constructing buildings, Architecture since 1400 provides a sweeping, cross-cultural history of the built environment over six centuries.

About the Author

Kathleen James-Chakraborty is professor of art history at University College Dublin. She is the author of German Architecture for a Mass Audience and Erich Mendelsohn and the Architecture of German Modernism and the editor of Bauhaus Culture: From Weimar to the Cold War (Minnesota, 2006).

Reviews

"Kathleen James-Chakraborty's Architecture since 1400 deserves the widest possible readership. This is a brilliantly conceived and beautifully written book that presents an original analysis of notable buildings around the world."-Dolores Hayden, Yale University

"Architecture since 1400 is a mature, impressive work-truly a global history of architecture. It is hard to imagine a more teachable book."-Nancy S. Steinhardt, University of Pennsylvania

"This book is a joy to read. As a scholar, James-Chakraborty has researched in depth, is able to condense her source material superbly, and offers intriguing insights into the buildings/projects under discussion."-ABE Journal

Book Information
ISBN 9780816673971
Author Kathleen James-Chakraborty
Format Paperback
Page Count 512
Imprint University of Minnesota Press
Publisher University of Minnesota Press
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 178mm * 51mm