Andrew Ballantyne qualified and practised as an architect, and then moved into academic work. He has held research
and teaching posts at the universities of Sheffield, Bath, and Newcastle, where he is now Professor of Architecture.
He has written on architectural history and theory, and his previous books are Architecture, Landscape and Liberty
and What is Architecture?.
Summary
This highly original and sophisticated look at architecture helps us to understand the cultural significance
of the buildings that surround us. It avoids the traditional style-spotting approach and instead gives us an idea
of what it is about buildings that moves us, and what it is that makes them important artistically and culturally.
The book begins by looking at how architecture acquires meaning through tradition, and concludes with the exoticism
of the recent avant-garde period. Illustrations of particular buildings help to anchor the general points with
specific examples, from ancient Egypt to the present day.
