Architecture – serie

Lavishly illustrated and accessibly written, Classical Architecture takes the reader on a journey through the history of this iconic architectural genre, starting with an introduction to its origins in ancient Greece, through its resurgence across Europe during the Renaissance, to its influence on modern-day architectural design in locations as diverse as Shanghai and Washington DC.Written by Professor of Architecture and established author Andrew Ballantyne, and illustrated with over 100 photographs, this book will prove invaluable to anyone wanting to explore and understand this important and pervasive architectural style. Classical architecture has developed through many styles to become the backbone of western architecture. It was refined in ancient Greece mainly in sacred places. This architecture of finely modelled columns was taken up by the Romans and spread across their empire, changing on the way, so by the time the Roman empire collapsed it had become an architecture of arches and vaults. The monuments were impressive, even as ruins, and inspired imitation in later ages.

The postwar period in Milan was a time in which the transformational possibilities of the Lombard metropolis were palpable. Architects looked to the future in planning an ideal city onto a pre-existing one heavily damaged in World War II. In doing so, they looked back to the relatively young tradition of modern architecture in Italy, while simultaneously re-ordering its narratives. Concentrating on three major elements of the new city, skyscrapers, housing, and city planning, this book approaches Milan as an ideal city of the postwar period through architecture, film, and print media.