Buildings Across Time: An Introduction to World Architecture

by Marian Moffett, Michael Fazio, Lawrence Wodehouse

The expanded second edition of this heavily illustrated survey provides students of both art history and architecture with a worldwide introduction to the history of architecture.

Genres: Architecture, Reference, Nonfiction, Textbooks, School, Design, Art

592 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Servabo · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Byzantine and Islamic cultures were flourishing in eastern Europe and around the southern rim of the Mediterranean, those portions of western Europe that had been part of the Roman Empire entered a sustained period of decline. From the first centuries of the Christian era, outposts of the empire had been repeatedly besieged by waves of nomadic peoples migrating from Central Asia. These tribes, called barbarians by the civilized Romans, eventually overran the frontiers established by Rome and occupied the city of Rome itself by 476. Many place names across Europe preserve the memory of these nomadic tribes. The Franks settled in what eventually became France. The Burgundians in east-central France and the Lombards in northern Italy gave their names to Burgundy and Lombardy. The Goths and the Visigoths were memorialized in the architectural style called Gothic, and the behaviour of the Vandals, who went everywhere, is remembered in the word "vandalism." Gradually the nomads settled down, became converts to Christianity, and attempted to continue Roman governmental traditions, which they greatly admired although they lacked the necessary administrative expertise.

Medieval --> Gothic --> Baroque

[Found Object · Rating 1 out of 5]

When orientalists set off to write a history of world architecture, this is pretty much what you get.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite architectural history book. It's the most comprehensive and well written that I have found. I read it for school but now I pick it up every once in awhile just for fun. It is a book I will always have on my shelf.