50 Buildings You Should Know

by Isabel Kuhl

The fifty buildings presented here in chronological order represent the most compelling, intriguing, and awe-inspiring structures from all over the world. Along with the Pyramids of Cheops, the Parthenon, and the Colosseum, readers will learn about other masterpieces such as the Hagia Sophia in Turkey; Cambodia's Temple Complex at Angkor Wat; the Potala Palace in Lhasa; and the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Each entry features full color photographs of the structure along with informative text presented in a dynamic format. Readers can find basic information about each building's artistic relevance, style, and contextual history while timelines and sidebars offer additional notes about architectural periods and techniques.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Art, Reference

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2007

About the author

Isabel Kuhl is an art historian living in Cologne, Germany. Her books include Andy Warhol and Vincent van Gogh (both by Prestel).

Dr. Isabel Kuhl ist Kunsthistorikerin, freie Lektorin und Autorin, die schon zahlreiche Publikationen bei Prestel veröffentlicht hat. Sie lebt und arbeitet in Köln.

Reviews

[Emily Bragg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Standard list-of-things book. Good photographs, though I would have liked about 2x as many. Of the 50, have visited 31, and have seen another 2 in person. I imagine the author would be somewhat depressed, driving by and seeing the abandonded Birds Nest in Beijing, barely visible through the smog.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of buildings but the writing is poor and the descriptions are haphazard.

[Rosechelle Natividad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read this book for my academic decathlon, I LEARNED SO MUCH.

[Rachel Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. It had a lot of information in it but it wasn't all facts and figures. The information given on each building and architect was personal and interesting. It discussed the architects hardships and triumphs while building.

Very helpful. Each building section had enough info to keep me interested but so much that I got bored. The book also had a handy timeline with other important world dates so there was a context in history for every building.

I would highly recommend this book for any one even slightly interested in architecture.

[Luciana Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta que haya una línea cronológica que te ubique en el contexto mundial. Me pasa que habla y explica cosas que no muestra en imágenes y tenés que googlearla para saber de qué está hablando, es como si te explicasen un cuadro pero sin mostrártelo, me lo imagino pero no es la realidad.

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to quit buying books, so I can check things off, like, how many of the 50 I have seen already. The answer was 28, which means I need to visit Spain soon to see the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.