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Adventures in Architecture
Architecture is an art, a science, and a craft. But buildings also have to fulfill a function, cater to human use, withstand the forces of nature, and be built to a budget. Following his popular Around the World in 80 Treasures , Dan Cruickshank presents a compelling, maverick history of architecture. This handsomely photographed guide navigates eager readers on a tour of the buildings Dan believes have changed the world, such as the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg and the Hanging Temple in Shanxi, China.
357 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Dan Cruickshank
39 books24 followersDan Cruickshank (1949 - ) is a British art historian and BBC television presenter, with a special interest in the history of architecture.
He holds a BA in Art, Design and Architecture and was formerly a Visiting Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Sheffield and a member of the London faculty of the University of Delaware. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgian Group and on the Architectural Panel of the National Trust.
He holds a BA in Art, Design and Architecture and was formerly a Visiting Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Sheffield and a member of the London faculty of the University of Delaware. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgian Group and on the Architectural Panel of the National Trust.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 24, 2019
I can’t say I actually didn’t like this, but there was plenty I was distractingly irritated by.
Fundamentally, this is a book-of-the-TV-series, and I don’t think it works. Why not?
The book covers Dan Cruikshank’s exploration of 37 sites of interesting buildings, and in the book at least they are divided into groupings such as Dreams, Connections and Pleasure. This makes for quite interesting comparisons, and Cruikshank’s reflections are those, on the whole, of the ordinary person rather than a guide whose knowledge and intellectual breadth and depth is exclusionary. Quite often he will ask a question such as ‘Why is there a grotesque face above the door of this humanist building?’ and answer it with a brief ‘I don’t know’ or a ‘Perhaps it signifies...’. I found however, that I usually wanted accessible expert analysis and answers rather than what came across often as whimsical musing.
For me the most successful features of each ‘visit’ were the opening few paragraphs in which the context and the history of the building or buildings were recounted. Then there was usually a less interesting blog about travelling to each site which didn’t have much in the way of ‘architecture’ to recommend it, though it satisfied the notion of ‘adventure’ proclaimed in the book’s title. Genuinely, some of these travels were adventures: the minaret at Jam in Afghanistan which required an army escort; the Hanging Temple at Shanxi in China; Yaxha in Guatemala; even modern Astana in Kazakhstan which lies in the middle of an otherwise empty steppe.
After this there was a certain amount of guided tour stuff: ‘I enter...’ ‘on my right...’, ‘ahead an unparalleled vista...’ etc etc. This I found hard to follow because it seemed pretty much a transliteration of the TV script reliant on camera shots, and it might have worked better for me if it hadn’t been in the present tense as a kind of verbal hand-holding commentary. I’d have preferred something less personalised, more Pevsneresque, more bookish.
The architectural features of interest were, however, often carefully pointed out and described well for a reader. In particular I liked the description of the Palladian system of beauty, in which the ‘seven proportions’ most likely to create a sense of beauty were listed: the circle, square, square and a third, diagonal of a square, square and a half, square and two-thirds, a double square.’ Notably, I thought, the rectangle wasn’t there, but then I realised that must be what’s meant by a ‘double square’. And on this occasion – the only one in the book – the photographs and the text were accompanied by a floor-plan of the building, the Villa Barbaro. I found this was what I had been longing for: I found it much easier to negotiate the guided tour, in which direct interpretative reference to a room’s proportions was often made, with this in view.
My major grouse about the book - and it is about the book rather than the copy – is that the point size and often the photographs are uncomfortably small. Moreover, the photographs often don’t illustrate some of the features that Cruikshank is most excited by, and the ones that are included are tourist-brochure ones rather than illustrating the architecture – and often not big enough – how can an eighth of a page amply illustrate the size of Ceaucescu’s Palace? In fact, this was largely the problem for me: this was a BBC book published on the back of a TV series in which architecture was being used as an excuse for yet another round-the-world trip, and it didn’t strike me that much thought had gone into how to produce a book that was focused on what purported to be its subject matter – architecture.
Having said which, the variety of buildings/sites that were explored was gratifyingly different. Sure, you get the biggies – Catherine Palace, Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple, Neuschwanstein, Pompeii – but you also get several things that you wouldn’t have expected: the Opera House in Manaus, St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Brasilia, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, the Church of the Transfiguration in Kizhi in Russia, and even an igloo. So I enjoyed that side of it all – being introduced to places I’d never heard of or thought about.
I bought this for £1.50 in a charity shop. I’m glad I didn’t pay £20.00 for it. Bit of a damp squib of a coffee table item without being impressively large enough to be the real thing. Two and a half stars rather than three.
Fundamentally, this is a book-of-the-TV-series, and I don’t think it works. Why not?
The book covers Dan Cruikshank’s exploration of 37 sites of interesting buildings, and in the book at least they are divided into groupings such as Dreams, Connections and Pleasure. This makes for quite interesting comparisons, and Cruikshank’s reflections are those, on the whole, of the ordinary person rather than a guide whose knowledge and intellectual breadth and depth is exclusionary. Quite often he will ask a question such as ‘Why is there a grotesque face above the door of this humanist building?’ and answer it with a brief ‘I don’t know’ or a ‘Perhaps it signifies...’. I found however, that I usually wanted accessible expert analysis and answers rather than what came across often as whimsical musing.
For me the most successful features of each ‘visit’ were the opening few paragraphs in which the context and the history of the building or buildings were recounted. Then there was usually a less interesting blog about travelling to each site which didn’t have much in the way of ‘architecture’ to recommend it, though it satisfied the notion of ‘adventure’ proclaimed in the book’s title. Genuinely, some of these travels were adventures: the minaret at Jam in Afghanistan which required an army escort; the Hanging Temple at Shanxi in China; Yaxha in Guatemala; even modern Astana in Kazakhstan which lies in the middle of an otherwise empty steppe.
After this there was a certain amount of guided tour stuff: ‘I enter...’ ‘on my right...’, ‘ahead an unparalleled vista...’ etc etc. This I found hard to follow because it seemed pretty much a transliteration of the TV script reliant on camera shots, and it might have worked better for me if it hadn’t been in the present tense as a kind of verbal hand-holding commentary. I’d have preferred something less personalised, more Pevsneresque, more bookish.
The architectural features of interest were, however, often carefully pointed out and described well for a reader. In particular I liked the description of the Palladian system of beauty, in which the ‘seven proportions’ most likely to create a sense of beauty were listed: the circle, square, square and a third, diagonal of a square, square and a half, square and two-thirds, a double square.’ Notably, I thought, the rectangle wasn’t there, but then I realised that must be what’s meant by a ‘double square’. And on this occasion – the only one in the book – the photographs and the text were accompanied by a floor-plan of the building, the Villa Barbaro. I found this was what I had been longing for: I found it much easier to negotiate the guided tour, in which direct interpretative reference to a room’s proportions was often made, with this in view.
My major grouse about the book - and it is about the book rather than the copy – is that the point size and often the photographs are uncomfortably small. Moreover, the photographs often don’t illustrate some of the features that Cruikshank is most excited by, and the ones that are included are tourist-brochure ones rather than illustrating the architecture – and often not big enough – how can an eighth of a page amply illustrate the size of Ceaucescu’s Palace? In fact, this was largely the problem for me: this was a BBC book published on the back of a TV series in which architecture was being used as an excuse for yet another round-the-world trip, and it didn’t strike me that much thought had gone into how to produce a book that was focused on what purported to be its subject matter – architecture.
Having said which, the variety of buildings/sites that were explored was gratifyingly different. Sure, you get the biggies – Catherine Palace, Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple, Neuschwanstein, Pompeii – but you also get several things that you wouldn’t have expected: the Opera House in Manaus, St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Brasilia, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, the Church of the Transfiguration in Kizhi in Russia, and even an igloo. So I enjoyed that side of it all – being introduced to places I’d never heard of or thought about.
I bought this for £1.50 in a charity shop. I’m glad I didn’t pay £20.00 for it. Bit of a damp squib of a coffee table item without being impressively large enough to be the real thing. Two and a half stars rather than three.
March 25, 2019
Great Cruikshank book as usual. Nice quality print, colour photos and in depth description of the architecture for the given themes as outlined in the book.
April 14, 2023
Really nice book of short chapters on different places of interest around the world. Sadly the 2nd and 3rd set of photos in the book were the same in my edition.
September 11, 2015
I received this copy from a friend for my birthday in 2014 and only got to reading this a few days ago, even if I attempted to start doing so ages ago. It wasn't until I was revising a manuscript on architecture that Dan Cruickshank's Adventures in Architecture came in handy.
Among the architectural narratives that I've come across recently, this one integrates the environment around the structure and eases into the history of the place. And while there is a generous amount of "I" perspective in the chapters, the author situates himself in the larger scheme of things. Using divisions of influences such as Power, Pleasure, and Religion, among others, the book is able to represent such sentiments through selected architectural spaces. With a note on the back cover stating that this book is a transposition/compilation of Cruickshank's BBC TV series, the narratives could have been lengthier and the selection of the spaces more concrete as it seemed quite random. Also, it is noticeable how the structures are limited to Western areas, and the farthest in the East only included South and East Asia (with one each). I only hope to get a hold of another one of his books to see how it differs from this one.
Among the architectural narratives that I've come across recently, this one integrates the environment around the structure and eases into the history of the place. And while there is a generous amount of "I" perspective in the chapters, the author situates himself in the larger scheme of things. Using divisions of influences such as Power, Pleasure, and Religion, among others, the book is able to represent such sentiments through selected architectural spaces. With a note on the back cover stating that this book is a transposition/compilation of Cruickshank's BBC TV series, the narratives could have been lengthier and the selection of the spaces more concrete as it seemed quite random. Also, it is noticeable how the structures are limited to Western areas, and the farthest in the East only included South and East Asia (with one each). I only hope to get a hold of another one of his books to see how it differs from this one.
June 3, 2012
This is a tie-in book to the bbc tv series presented by Dan. He writes in a very accessible style which very much resembles the way that he talks. Each section is essentially a summary of the associated tv episode so if you watched the series you won't find anything majorly new here. Having said that, this books provides an enjoyable way to recall the show and fill in the gaps if you missed any episodes.
Each chapter covers 4 or 5 buildings / locations relating to a theme such as Power or Beauty. You get a nice variety although unfortunately there is no attempt made to justify the reasons why a place was chosen. Indeed, some of the places could be assigned to more than one category. The result is a very episodic but enjoyable read. It is a nicely produced book too with many high quality colour photographs. Definitely worth a look if you are a fan of Dan.
Each chapter covers 4 or 5 buildings / locations relating to a theme such as Power or Beauty. You get a nice variety although unfortunately there is no attempt made to justify the reasons why a place was chosen. Indeed, some of the places could be assigned to more than one category. The result is a very episodic but enjoyable read. It is a nicely produced book too with many high quality colour photographs. Definitely worth a look if you are a fan of Dan.
June 10, 2016
Dan Cruickshank has a very personal writing style. In many ways, reading this book is almost like having him describe the television series on which it is based, down to him mentioning the expression on his face and the noise of the traffic. Coupled with his breathless awe and enthusiasm, this can become a little wearing. In addition, the book is filled with incidents where he suddenly understands the purpose of a building, or makes assumptions about the intentions of the architect. Cruickshank is an expert in his field, so you have to accept that these sudden flashes of inspiration are in fact based on research and evidence, but this is far from the impression he gives. But despite all this, the book is an amazing read, as the range of buildings included and the quality of the pictures are both quite unexpected and very rewarding.
April 30, 2015
De insteek van Dan Cruickshank, om opmerkelijke gebouwen en steden en plaatsen te bezoeken en ze vanuit een architecturele hoek te benaderen, levert interessante informatie op, maar waar hij heel lang (te) lovend schrijft, is hij in het laatste hoofdstuk ("Power", waarin onderzocht wordt hoe architectuur samenhangt of verbeeldt welke macht er huisde) juist overdreven kritisch. Wel interessant dus vaak maar toch ook niet al te best.
Er zitten foto's bij, maar jammer genoeg niet van alle behandelde onderwerpen
Er zitten foto's bij, maar jammer genoeg niet van alle behandelde onderwerpen
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July 11, 2009Inimitable style of a real enthusiastic. A good book to dip into with short chapters on about 30 architectural buildings or sites. Random selection with no compelling narrative.
October 17, 2014
Interesting book. Needs loads more pictures though.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews