The Architecture Reader: Essential Writings from Vitruvius to the Present

Intended to be at once accessible and thought-provoking, this volume is ideal for a general audience and beginning students of architecture. The carefully chosen texts provide a taste of the multiplicity that characterizes historical and contemporary views of architecture. Krista Sykes organizes the selections chronologically and introduces each with a helpful commentary, contextualizing the author and the salient issues covered in the piece.The excerpts appear in a variety of formats, including interviews, manifestos, lectures and treatises, and are representative of the varied—sometimes conflicting—approaches to building and design. In combination, they provide a fascinating overview of significant concepts within the field of architecture.

The Architecture Reader will be a valuable companion for introductory surveys of architectural history, novice students of architecture, and anyone interested in formative ideas underlying contemporary conceptions of architecture.