Neil Parkyn (Eds.)
The Seventy Wonders of the Modern World
1500 Years of Extraordinary Feats of Engineering and Construction
authors
data
Product: Book
ISBN-10: 0-500-51047-4
ISBN-13: 9780500510476
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Country:
Year: November 2002
Edition: illustrated edition
Size: 21.01 x 26.80 x 3.61cm
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 1,619gr
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0-500-51047-4
ISBN-13: 9780500510476
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Country:
Year: November 2002
Edition: illustrated edition
Size: 21.01 x 26.80 x 3.61cm
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 1,619gr
Binding: Hardcover
order
catalog
description
Product Description
St. Peter's Basilica, the Taj Mahal, the Topkapi Palace, the Sydney Opera House, the Hoover Damthe world's greatest structures capture the imagination, whether they are places of worship, palaces of pleasure, skyscrapers, bridges, dams, or colossal statues.
St. Peter's Basilica, the Taj Mahal, the Topkapi Palace, the Sydney Opera House, the Hoover Damthe world's greatest structures capture the imagination, whether they are places of worship, palaces of pleasure, skyscrapers, bridges, dams, or colossal statues.
How was the Empire State Building erected in the middle of the crowded city of New York? What machines were used to dig the Channel Tunnel? Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa leanand why does it not fall over? How can the Akashi Kaikyo suspension bridge in Japan span 1.4 miles yet withstand earthquakes and typhoons? And what supports the soaring, lofty vaults of Chartres Cathedral? Such questions are answered by an international team of architects, engineers, and architectural historians who chart the progress of human ingenuity and creativity from AD 500 to the present day.
Many of these structures are the tallest, longest, or largest of their kind, but sheer size alone does not make a building impressive. Aesthetic power is combined with structural virtuosity in the small chapel at Ronchamp in France or the temple of Byodo-in near Kyoto, with its elegant wooden roof. The ability to harness or overcome the forces of nature is equally spectacular, as seen in China's Three Gorges Dam or the Jungfrau Rail System in Switzerland. While some buildings, including Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and the Potala Palace in Lhasa, were erected using traditional methods and materials, others represent the latest in computer-aided design and space-age technologies, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and Kansai Airport in Japan.
Diagrams, reconstructions, and spectacular photographs explain and celebrate these masterpieces of design and engineering. All the structures manage to transcend mere utilitythey have changed landscapes and can encapsulate the identity of a city or a nation, becoming iconic forms that are instantly recognizable and infinitely memorable. 352 photographs and illustrations, 267 in color.
reviews
Got me through Survey of Architecture class 
This book was a HUGE resource for me for my survey of architecture class. Combined with The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World provided me with enough information to ace the class. Strongly recommended.
This book was a HUGE resource for me for my survey of architecture class. Combined with The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World provided me with enough information to ace the class. Strongly recommended.
Stunning photos, interesting info about architectural wonder
Book has photos and information about seventy architectural wonders of the modern world: buildings, bridges, etc. Some I was unfamiliar with-for example, my favorite of the entire book, a very unusual cathedral (Unbelievable!) in progress in Barcelona. Would be a great gift for architects, engineers, and all inquisitive people.
Book has photos and information about seventy architectural wonders of the modern world: buildings, bridges, etc. Some I was unfamiliar with-for example, my favorite of the entire book, a very unusual cathedral (Unbelievable!) in progress in Barcelona. Would be a great gift for architects, engineers, and all inquisitive people.
A fascinating look at man's engineering accomplishments.
This well organized, informative and concise volume offers a clearly written collection of essays on the complete history of seventy of the world's greatest engineering and construction achievements from the year 1500 A. D. to the present. Each structure is carefully detailed in a well-researched, short entry of two to four pages long. Basic facts like who built it, where, when and why are covered, and additional information is also provided like its basic statistics, the politics associated with its construction, accounts of the project's development and other fascinating data. Moreover, for quick check-ups, each wonder is accurately placed in one of the seven categories into which the book is divided: Churches, Mosques, Temples & Shrines; Palaces & Castles; Public & State Buildings; Towers & Skyscrapers; Bridges, Railways & Tunnels; Canals & Dams; and Colossal Statues. This reference is handsomely presented in a sturdy binding, printed in top-quality paper, and beautifully illustrated with over 350 spectacular photos, explanatory diagrams, magnificent reconstructions and historical drawings. Featured among the showcased selection are The Statue of Liberty, The Panama Canal, The Eiffel Tower, The Taj Mahal, and The Forbidden City, and the rest of the masterpieces included are equal testimony of man's unending imagination and its application beyond mere aesthetic power, structural virtuosity or plain utility. As a bonus, the book includes an introduction that explains the criteria used to pick the selected structures. A comprehensive bibliography especially useful for further research and a thorough index, for specific consultations, are also included. This is a fact-filled compendium that readers of all ages will undoubtedly refer to again and again. --Reviewed by Maritza Volmar
This well organized, informative and concise volume offers a clearly written collection of essays on the complete history of seventy of the world's greatest engineering and construction achievements from the year 1500 A. D. to the present. Each structure is carefully detailed in a well-researched, short entry of two to four pages long. Basic facts like who built it, where, when and why are covered, and additional information is also provided like its basic statistics, the politics associated with its construction, accounts of the project's development and other fascinating data. Moreover, for quick check-ups, each wonder is accurately placed in one of the seven categories into which the book is divided: Churches, Mosques, Temples & Shrines; Palaces & Castles; Public & State Buildings; Towers & Skyscrapers; Bridges, Railways & Tunnels; Canals & Dams; and Colossal Statues. This reference is handsomely presented in a sturdy binding, printed in top-quality paper, and beautifully illustrated with over 350 spectacular photos, explanatory diagrams, magnificent reconstructions and historical drawings. Featured among the showcased selection are The Statue of Liberty, The Panama Canal, The Eiffel Tower, The Taj Mahal, and The Forbidden City, and the rest of the masterpieces included are equal testimony of man's unending imagination and its application beyond mere aesthetic power, structural virtuosity or plain utility. As a bonus, the book includes an introduction that explains the criteria used to pick the selected structures. A comprehensive bibliography especially useful for further research and a thorough index, for specific consultations, are also included. This is a fact-filled compendium that readers of all ages will undoubtedly refer to again and again. --Reviewed by Maritza Volmar
Interesting and fascinating
The detailed information, with dimensions and plans included, along with magnificent photography make it a must, both for reference and normal reading purposes.
The detailed information, with dimensions and plans included, along with magnificent photography make it a must, both for reference and normal reading purposes.
keywords
related products
Chris Scarre, Christopher Scarre (Eds.)
Thames & Hudson; 1999
Hardcover
Brian M. Fagan (Eds.)
Thames & Hudson; 2004
Hardcover
Brian M. Fagan (Eds.)
Thames & Hudson; 2001
Hardcover
Editors of Time Magazine
Time; 2004
Hardcover
© 1994–2010 Sascha Hendel
last update: 3/18/2010
URL: http://www.book-info.com/isbn/0-500-51047-4.htm
- search