A rare glimpse behind the scenes of the world's most influential museumsWho are the people shaping the world's most renowned museums? In this captivating book, Donatien Grau offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of leading art institutions and their visionary directors. Through insightful conversations with some of the most influential figures in the museum world, he reveals how they opened their doors to ever-growing audiences w...

**A riveting story of how dueling ambitions and the power of prodigy made America the cultural center of the world—and Picasso the most famous artist alive—in the shadow of World War II“[Eakin] has mastered this material. . . . The book soars.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)**ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Vanity Fair, The New York Times Book Review, The New YorkerIn January 1939, Pablo Picasso was renowned in...

The director of the Design Museum defines the greatest artefact of all time: the cityWe live in a world that is now predominantly urban. So how do we define the city as it evolves in the twenty-first century? Drawing examples from across the globe, Deyan Sudjic decodes the underlying forces that shape our cities, such as resources and land, to the ideas that shape conscious elements of design, whether of buildings or of space. Erudite and entertaining, he considers...

This new account of international modernism explores the complex motivations behind this revolutionary movement and assesses its triumphs and failures. The work of the main architects of the movement such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Adolf Loos, Le Corbusier, and Mies van der Rohe is re-examined shedding new light on their roles as acknowledged masters. Alan Colquhoun explores the evolution of the movement fron Art Nouveau in the 1890s to the megastructures of the 1960s, revealing the often cont...

Do you want to maximise your short stay in the historical city of Prague?If so ... this could be the guide for you!This ebook travel guide:* Gives daily itinerary's which you can follow, or tailor to suit yourself* Has a map, pictures and information on locations and attractions (including address, opening times, web address, how to get there, history &/or other pertinent information)* Is suitable for all age groups and nationalities* Gives tips o...

One of the most widely read books on modern design, Nikolaus Pevsner's landmark work today remains as stimulating as it was when first published in 1936. This expanded edition of Pioneers of Modern Design provides Pevsner's original text along with significant new and updated information, enhancing Pevsner's illuminating account of the roots of Modernism. The book now offers many beautiful colour illustrations; updated biographies and bibliographies of all major figures; illustrated short ...

In the first volume of Makers of Modern Architecture (2007), Martin Filler examined the emergence of that revolutionary new form of building and explored its aesthetic, social, and spiritual aspirations through illuminating studies of some of its most important practitioners, from Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright to, in our own time, Renzo Piano and Santiago Calatrava.Now, in Makers of Modern Architecture, Volume II, Filler continues his investigations into t...

In an era of brash, expensive, provocative new buildings, a prominent critic argues that emotions—such as hope, power, sex, and our changing relationship to the idea of home—are the most powerful force behind architecture, yesterday and (especially) today.We are living in the most dramatic period in architectural history in more than half a century: a time when cityscapes are being redrawn on a yearly basis, architects are testing the very idea of what a building is, and whole citi...

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Gothic and Gothic Revival, or how to distinguish between Baroque and Neoclassical? This guide makes extensive use of photographs to identify and explain the characteristic features of nearly 300 buildings. The result is a clear and easy-to-navigate guide to identifying the key styles of western architecture from the classical age to the present day.

Modern Architecture began with the advent of electric power; once harnessed the power of electricity produced steel for structure, drives to operate elevators, and even telephones to comunicate specifications instantly. With electric power modern architecture was free to separate from classical architecture as clearly defined by Rushkin who claimed that: "... once metal touches stone it is no longer classic architecture." No definition has ever been concieved to describe what modern archit...

The design of bars and cafes has played an important role in the development of architecture in the twentieth century. This influence has been felt particularly strongly over the past thirty years, in a time when these social spaces have contributed significantly to the rediscovery and reinvention of cities across Europe and North America.This volume presents and examines this significant urban architectural production, and discusses it against a background of the design of cafes a...

The sketch is a window into the architects mind. As creative designers, architects are interested in how other architects, particularly successful ones, think through the use of drawings to approach their work. Historically designers have sought inspiration for their own work through an insight into the minds and workings of people they often regard as geniuses. This collection of sketches aims to provide this insight. Here for the first time, a wide range of world famous architects' sketc...