Dictionary of Architecture

by James Stevens Curl, John Sambrook (Primary Contributor)

From Aalto to ziggurat, this new work offers an authoritative and accessible guide to architecture and its history. With over 5,000 entries--twice as many as its nearest competitor--it provides extensive coverage of all periods of Western architectural history, from ancient times to the
present day, in styles ranging from Assyrian architecture to Flemish Mannerism.
With entries spanning from the commonplace to the less well known, this dictionary aims to cover as wide a range of architectural terms as possible in an accessible style. Curl has included over 250 attractive illustrations, which add vital visual information to entries on topics such as the
arch or the cross. There are also longer entries which explain the different schools of architecture--from Bauhaus to the Federal Style--and put them in their historical context. Biographical entries are provided for a great number of architects from the ancients to leading figures of today. From
Brunelleschi and Gropius to Le Corbusier and Brunel, each entry outlines the architect's importance and gives examples of their most notable buildings.
Comprehensive and up to date, this book will prove to be an indispensable guide to anyone interested in architecture and its history. It is ideal for students and professional architects, as well as general readers.

Genres: Architecture, Reference

848 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 1999

About the author

Born in Ireland, where he received his early education, Professor Emeritus James Stevens Curl has held Chairs in Architectural History at two British Universities. Having graduated in Architecture at Oxford, he went on to study Town Planning, and wrote his Dissertation under the direction of the German architect, Arthur Korn. He later read for his Doctorate at University College London, and has twice been Visiting Fellow at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. He is a Member of The Royal Irish Academy, a Fellow of the Societies of Antiquaries of London and of Scotland, an Architect Accredited in Building Conservation, a member of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and a Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects . He worked for a number of years as an architect, with an especial interest in historic buildings and conservation, until he became a full-time academic in 1978, having already published perceptive articles and books which began to establish his reputation for impeccable scholarship, a fine prose-style, and penetrating insights.