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Overview
The Oxford Companion to Architecture is a unique and indispensable two-volume resource for all who wish to enrich their passion and knowledge of architecture. 1,500 A-Z entries cover all aspects of architecture, from architects, building types, and movements and styles to materials, aspects of design, and definitions. High-quality illustrations complement and enhance the text, and in-depth cross-referencing and a thematic table of contents enable readers to find information easily.
Embracing the world of architecture in all its variety, the Companion offers complete coverage of architecture from around the world, giving equal weight to architecture in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America as to the more familiar examples from Western Europe and the United States, and of both modern and vernacular architecture. It covers all periods, from the beginnings of architecture in ancient Egypt to the present day, and yet is strongly rooted in an approach to architecture that looks at its social, technical, and practical aspects, beyond an art-historical perspective. Written by a team of over 150 distinguished contributors, The Oxford Companion to Architecture is one of the most authoritative, up-to-date and accessible architecture reference books available.
Synopsis
The Oxford Companion to Architecture is a unique and indispensable two-volume resource for all who wish to enrich their passion and knowledge of architecture. 1,500 A-Z entries cover all aspects of architecture, from architects, building types, and movements and styles to materials, aspects of design, and definitions. High-quality illustrations complement and enhance the text, and in-depth cross-referencing and a thematic table of contents enable readers to find information easily.
Embracing the world of architecture in all its variety, the Companion offers complete coverage of architecture from around the world, giving equal weight to architecture in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America as to the more familiar examples from Western Europe and the United States, and of both modern and vernacular architecture. It covers all periods, from the beginnings of architecture in ancient Egypt to the present day, and yet is strongly rooted in an approach to architecture that looks at its social, technical, and practical aspects, beyond an art-historical perspective. Written by a team of over 150 distinguished contributors, The Oxford Companion to Architecture is one of the most authoritative, up-to-date and accessible architecture reference books available.
Library Journal
This set examines the social, technical, and practical aspects of architecture from around the world and throughout history. Editor in chief Goode, a historian formerly at the University of Greenwich, has previously edited several reference works for Oxford. He was assisted by two consultant editors: Stanford Anderson, professor and former head of history and architecture at MIT, and Sir Colin St. John Wilson, who served as professor of architecture at Cambridge University and Yale and is honored in the foreword of the work. The 1500 alphabetically arranged entries were written by more than 150 scholars and practitioners in the field. Entries are cross-referenced and often illustrated with black-and-white photos or plans. Generally less than a page in length, the entries are remarkably concise (as with most "Oxford Companion" works) and encompass such terms and concepts as "concert halls" and "architectural composition" as well as hundreds of geographical and biographical examples. BOTTOM LINE Because of the abbreviated entries, not much detail or context can be given here. However, the coverage of the historic and geographic aspects of architecture is strong. Overall, these two volumes serve as a good, basic introduction to architectural concepts and history around the world and excellent ready reference for general undergraduate studies.—Samantha Schmehl Hines, Univ. of Montana-Missoula Lib.