The Most Beautiful House in the World

Witold Rybczynski takes us on an extraordinary odyssey as he tells the story of the designing and building of his own house. Rybczynski's project began as a workshed; through a series of "happy accidents," however, the structure gradually evolved into a full-fledged house. In tracing this evolution, he touches on matters both theoretical and practical, writing on such diverse topics as the distinguished structural descendants of the humble barn, the ritualistic origins of the elements of classical architecture, and the connections between dress and habitation, and between architecture and gastronomy. Rybczynski discusses feng-shui, the ancient Chinese art of locating a home in the landscape, and also considers the theories and work of such architects as Palladio, Le Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright. An eloquent examination of the links between being and building, The Most Beautiful House in the World offers insights into the joys of "installing ourselves in a place, of establishing a spot where it would be safe to dream."

Publishers Weekly

As a young architect, Rybczynski felt trapped inside a paper world of blueprints and cardboard models and itched for the nitty-gritty experience of building with his own hands. He soon devised a plan of escape. It was modest enough--to design and build a boatshed--but it was the beginning of a creative journey that questioned the nature of architecture and the architect's role: What makes a cathedral but not, say, a boatshed architecture? When should an architect design iconoclastic solutions to old problems, when to apply traditional principles? As Rybczynski writes of how his concept of a shed evolved into a full-fledged house, he discusses his wide-ranging research, meditates on the varied sources of his inspiration and on the ``game'' of architecture. He also incorporates the kind of historical tidbit that keeps the reader turning pages--the ritualistic origins of the elements of classical architecture; the not-quite-tongue-in-cheek parallels between architecture and gastronomy; the distinguished structural descendants of the humble barn. Written with the easy-going charm that marked his Home: A Short History of an Idea , this delightful ramble through the creative process will beguile architecture buffs and general readers alike. Illustrated. (May)

Witold Rybczynski of Polish parentage, was born in Edinburgh in 1943, raised in Surrey, and attended Jesuit schools in England and Canada. He received Bachelor of Architecture (1960) and Master of Architecture (1972) degrees from McGill University in Montreal. He is the author of more than fifty articles and papers on the subject of housing, architecture, and technology, including the books Taming the Tiger, Paper Heroes, The Most Beautiful House in the World, Waiting for the Weekend, and Looking Around: A Journey Through Architecture (all available in Penguin), and most recently, City Life. He lives with his wife, Shirley Hallam, in Philadelphia and is the Martin and Margy Myerson Professor of Urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania.