160 pages, paperback,191 x 260 mm,120 illustrations
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ISBN: 978 0 952975 57 1
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It was the 1960s, just when the Smithsons were writing, that conservation emerged in Britain as a mainstream aspect of architecture, introducing precisely those issues about social purpose, urbanism and ecology that were central to architecture's participation in the counterculture and its resistance to global capitalism.
This collection of essays looks at individual heroes such as Ian Nairn, Lionel Esher and Wayland Kennet whose convictions about the spiritual value of a good environment inspired public policy. It also explores early successes and failures in Scotland, Newcastle, York, Coventry, Plymouth and Kent, which demonstrated the potential for imaginative conservation and for public participation.
The Heroic Period of Conservation reveals the significance of conservation in British architectural and cultural history of the last fifty years, recapturing a valuable legacy that is now once more under threat.
“I am not a modernist but ... I agree with the modernists in every way except that I think their brand of modernism is not very good.” Raymond Erith looked to achieve what he called the true “economy of means”, using traditional means to create original buildings with progressive ideas behind them. More
Lucca's location has meant the city has always been able to adapt itself to the various historical cycles. Though undoubtedly affected by the spirit of each age, Lucca's culture and institutions remain deeply rooted in the traditions and character of its people. More
The lagoon in which the city of Venice rises is no more than a few thousand years old - not much older than the city itself. And it may not last another hundred, such is the damage that not only the city but also the lagoon have suffered during the twentieth century. This book succinctly examines the severe threat from human intervention and incursions on the one hand and on the other from climate change and natural erosion, and the oprions for the future. More
The necropolis of Shah-e Zende at Samarkand represents a summit in the art of ceramic wall coverings in the Islamic world. Despite the recent increase of interest in this region, this book is the first study to describe these monuments in all detail of their decoration and its techniques and motifs, as well as the different types of ceramics used and their composition. More
The Unesco World Heritage site of Lalibela in Ethiopia is one of the most extraordinary places in the world. It contains thirteen churches, all of them hewn or carved from the native tufa rock in imitation of buildings. This is the first book to consider this extraordinary site in all its many dimensions – historical and cultural, archaeological, architectural, art historical and documentary. It is, not least, a fascinating detective story! More
The architectural writings, recordings and films of the poet Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984) are here celebrated in this catalogue accompanying a major exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum. Marking the centenary of Betjeman's birth, the catalogue and exhibitions will bring together rare archive material, both photographic and textual, in celebration of his life-long passion for architecture. More
This book presents an overview of the restoration Venice has undergone in the last two hundred years. It is a mistake to think that Venice has been preserved in aspic. A great deal changed after the Fall of the Republic in 1797, and continues to change. Having read this book, you will never look upon Venice’s streets, houses and canals in the same way again. More