Atlas of Amazing Architecture: The Most Incredible Buildings You've (Probably) Never Heard Of

by Peter Allen, Ziggy Hanaor

A truly inclusive celebration of architecture around the world and across the ages.

This atlas of architectural wonders eschews the classic children’s book fare of the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal, and instead takes a broader view of what constitutes amazing architecture. Buildings include: the Jameh mosque of Isfahan in Iran, Native American plank houses in New Mexico, Stave Churches in Norway, The Djinguereber Mosque in Mali, and extraordinary 18th century wooden churches on Kizhi Island, Russia.

Over 50 buildings span all the continents equally throughout history. Each of these buildings is visually striking and architecturally noteworthy; they introduce new engineering technologies or define a movement or capture the essence of a moment in human history. However, despite their significance, they are, for the most part, not part of the main Western architectural canon.

This book seeks out a more diverse, inclusive approach to what constitutes amazing architecture, and presents it with fresh illustration and clear, punchy text.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, History, Picture Books, Art, Childrens

88 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

Reviews

[Max Deacon-Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little book and new ideas for adventure destinations

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cool introduction to architecture from around the world! I found myself looking up every single one of them just to see how the artist's rendition and the real thing compared.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores beautiful architecture around the world. These are some lesser well-known buildings and structures that aren't as popular as the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben, but have been influential nonetheless.

I loved this cool book! It was so interesting to learn about these buildings, the architects who designed them, and the places where they were built. I like that the book doesn't just tell you about the building, but also about the history behind it and the culture of the country that influenced it.

The information is broken up into smaller paragraphs, making it very easy to read. I really liked the design of the two-page spreads for each building.

The illustrations are really cute! Every page is so bright and attractive. It's really fun to look carefully at the scenes and see little people walking around in the streets. I like the cartoony art style, but it doesn't always give a clear picture of what the building looks like in real life. It makes me want to look up photographs of these places and see what it actually looks like.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done to the makers of this book for including many contents I would not have predicted – I thought the subtitle of it concerning buildings I'd not heard of a bit of a challenge, but one they were more than up to. Starting with Newgrange, Avebury, Carnac etc and moving through time to the current day, we get a fine primer on superlative constructions around the world, introduced by vivid if cartoonish artwork and just four or five brief paragraphs. Sometimes the modern designer's disease has struck and it's impossible to work out which paragraph is to be read in which order, but at least the text is strong enough to not lose too much meaning. And what I was here for was the list of creations, from Nubian pyramids to pioneering Chinese bridges, and from the entirety of exotic, oriental Ayutthaya to the exotic, oriental Brighton Pavilion. Oh, and a modern marvel that never even got built – partly as we now know it never could have been. Not fully an actual atlas – the young student will probably need a real one to find out where exactly these things are – this still acts as a wonderful book to generate interest in the built environment.

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Für das Bilderbuch wurden wirklich außergewöhnliche Gebäude gewählt. Sie wurden sehr ansprechend illustriert und auch die Informationen sind interessant (nicht zu lang und doch ausführlich). Einen Stern ziehe ich ab, da mir zu jedem Gebäude eine kleine Fotografie gefehlt hat, damit man die gelungenen Illustrationen damit abgleichen und diese somit auch besser verstehen kann. Andererseits hat das Buch auf diese Weise dazu angeregt, dass man die abgebildeten Gebäude googeln musste und das Buch somit „zum Weiterforschen“ angeregt hat.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a glossary and index, this large atlas does exactly what its title proclaims, providing an introduction to several impressive types of architecture while avoiding the buildings with which most youngsters will be familiar. Starting with Neolithic monuments in northern Europe and concluding with modern hideaways, the book even covers architecture in airports and modern places of worship. Since the book is organized chronologically and ranges widely geographically, readers may be interested in noting some of the changes and then learning more about the time period in which certain types of building or building techniques were popular. It would be easy to add some of these structures to one's bucket list. I was fascinated by the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Sea Ranch in Sonoma, California, and the Shanxi Hanging Monastery in China, built upon oak crossbeams secured into a cliff. There is even an example of a prototype for a structure that was never built but sounded promising and quite complex: Tatlin's Tower. Browsable and intriguing, this book is perfect for armchair travelers as well as those who might want to venture off the well-trodden tourist paths. The illustrations on each page have clear labels and intricate details for those who enjoy looking closely at structures. My only wish for this book would be to have a reference list to support the information it contains, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and thinking way outside the box or frame that the buildings I've encountered have put me in.

[Barbara Band · Rating 4 out of 5]

As expected from the title, this book looks at an eclectic mix of structures avoiding the obvious covered by other books; for example, there’s no pyramids at Giza, instead the reader is introduced to the Meroc Pyramids in Sudan, built a thousand years later. The book is arranged in chronological order covering historical and contemporary works from Neolithic monuments in Northern Europe, built in 4000 BCE, to the SGAE headquarters in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, constructed in 2008. The buildings span all continents and each is visually striking and significant for introducing a new technology or defining an architectural movement, with most recognised by UNESCO or another agency. Each structure is given a double page spread, the illustrations are bright and visually appealing with details that bring the building alive, and there are small paragraphs of text with information about why the building has been included in the book, why it was built and points of particular interest. For example, we learn that legend says that Master Nestor, the lead builder of Kizhi Pogost, a wooden religious structure that stands on an island in the centre of Lake Onega in northern Russia, is said to have used a single axe and thrown it into the lake on completion of the buildings. There are pages devoted to World Fairs, Hideaways and airport architecture. Finally, a glossary of architectural terms and an index complete this fascinating book.

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle of this book was The Most Incredible Buildings You've probably never heard of, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that was true. Many of the books I had not heard of, and I enjoyed learning things about the buildings I had. Most of the book was about individual buildings, but in some cases it was a category such as Worlds Fairs or Airports

Of the ones I had never heard of, some of my favorites were:

Tatlin's Tower - This was never actually built, but it was conceived. A tall tower that would have shapes inside it that would revolve in the rhythms of the sun, moon and Earth.

Chief Waka's House - He was a member of an Indigenous Nation in Canada and his house, and the Totem pole outside it, reflected his family, heritage and history.

Of the ones I had heard of:

Casa Batllo - The house that Gaudi designed. He was a devout Catholic, but the house has dragon elements in it because of the story of St. George

The Doge's Palace - Learning about it's design techniques was interesting.

If you love architecture, travel or history check this book out.

[Ashley vH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am grateful to have received a review copy of this title from Edelweiss.

This book is a beautifully-illustrated architecture primer for kids. It introduces historical and contemporary works of architecture in age-appropriate language, introducing young readers to architectural concepts around light and shadow, conveying meaning and pursuing ideals through the built environment, construction methods and links to architectural movements in various cultures.

The colourful illustrations bring the buildings to life. These include the essential building as well as the context. It successfully communicates interpretations of the projects' core concepts and contexts.

The placement of the text around the page makes it digestible, but I might have preferred these in slightly tighter groupings.

Overall, this book would be a valuable addition to a young person's library. It is ideal for perusing when curiosity strikes.

[Victoria Whipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

This visually stunning book does just what it claims, highlighting some incredible buildings from around the world and across centuries. It starts with neolithic structures and proceeds chronologically to enlighten the reader on the art, history, and use of each structure. Most double-spread entries are about one structure, but there are some that highlight a region (Traditional Japanese Architecture) or a movement (Hideaways). Includes a glossary and index. I just wish it had a world map so that I could more easily plan a world tour of this fascinating architecture.
Review copy-final edits not seen.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unique architecture book is organized chronologically and is truly global in scope. The text provides brief explanations about each building or structure's history and purpose, and the author is mostly neutral, without making value judgments about the different cultures, ideologies, and religions involved.

My main critique is that I wish the author had included photographs of each building at the end. The cartoony illustrations are colorful and appealing, but they're not realistic, and their two-dimensional nature makes it difficult to interpret the real shape of some of the more complex and unusual structures in the book.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating collection of buildings around the world that challenge, inspire, and bring joy.

[Prateek Vasisht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, with beautiful illustration and just the right level of explanation for this kind of book.