Materials, Form, and Architecture

by Richard Weston

• ISBN13: 9780300095791
• ISBN10: 0300095791
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2003-08-11
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

After a century largely dominated by discussions of space and form, there is now renewed interest in the material and tectonic aspects of architecture. This richly illustrated and handsomely designed book takes a detailed and timely look at the importance of materials in architecture, focusing particularly on modern and contemporary buildings. Noted architecture expert Richard Weston begins with a brief cultural history of major building materials--such as timber, earth, stone, steel, and glass--exploring how they have been produced, considered, worked, and used in a variety of buildings and cultures. He then explores the ways that architects, theorists, and critics have articulated the relationship between materials and architectural forms and spaces throughout modern history. Other featured topics include the importance of place, time, junctions, finish, and meaning; the proposition that in an increasingly global and virtual world, many architects emphasize the material qualities of buildings to ensure a heightened sense of reality; and a comprehensive survey