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Architecture Books: Art, Glory, and Physics
Books on architecture are a great choice for decorating any
coffee table or living room, as well as being instructional in and of
themselves. The history of architecture is very much the history of
humankind; buildings have always shaped man as much as men have shaped
buildings, and when you thumb through architecture books, you can see
why. The Great Pyramids looming over the Egyptian Empire imbued their
people and leaders with a sense of purpose derived from the gods and
their ancestors; and the elegance of Athenian architecture may have
shaped the later elegant thinking behind philosophy, just as much as
the math that rose out of early philosophy shaped the architecture.
Following it through history, you can see how history has been impacted
by architecture. How could medieval towns have held firm against the
Mongols without the support of town walls? And how could the Chinese
empire have held without the Great Wall of China to hold back its
enemies? Towns are shaped by the architecture of the houses within
them; the Great London Fire destroyed the overhanging buildings that
shaded most of the streets, and they were replaced with wider streets
and airier houses – which probably contributed to the freer thinking
that rose at about that time. And modern times would not be the same
without the terrible symbol of the World Trade Center’s destruction;
architecture can be just as influential in its destruction as in its
existence.
The physics behind architecture also makes for very interesting reading
– how did flying buttresses support walls that were suddenly filled
with stained glass in medieval churches and cathedrals? How can you
build a skyscraper with the tops under as much wind stress as many
ground-level buildings in a hurricane? The hows of architecture are as
much a wonder as the architecture is itself. Fortunately, there are
many, many books on architectural physics; look for a visual
encyclopedia to start.
