The World of Architecture

An absolute bargain for the price, 1000 pages and over 2000 color photos (and some drawings). What I like about this book is the very comprehensive coverage of contemporary architecture, not only the well-known, Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur for instance, but the (perhaps) unknown, Grand Valley Woman's Prison in Ontario or the phosphate plant in Nordgraben, Germany or the Scottsdale, Arizona East Couplet Street urban improvement. There are five basic chapters, Urban planning and transport, Cultural facilities, Leisure facilities, Public buildings and institutions and finally Homes, these five areas are divided into thirty-nine sections in all. Each building gets a spread with usually one big and two, three or four smaller photos and some have architect's drawings (unfortunately the books small size means most of these are too tiny) a detailed technical description and a couple of hundred words about the building. For some odd reason the book does not have a building or architect index.This would be an ideal book for a student thinking of becoming an architect because it shows the very wide range of building styles that require design solutions. For others, like me, it is a super record of some of the best recent architecture around the world.

If like me you love the glossies, then this ones for you.Power packed with over thousands of photos covering a broad range of contemporary architecture- commercial,public,parks,land art,housing etc,its a visual tour of world architecure, all covered in one book(over 1000 pages!).Although the book is only approximately A5 in size ,this in no way detracts from its value,particularly if you consider the price.Another great book(better in fact) in the same series is 'houses of the world'.