This book offers an explanation of why scale models are important to the design process. Albert Smith takes the reader through the history and significance of models in architecture from the magic of the Egyptian scale model to the present day.Through this description of the relationship between architecture and the scale model; Smith demonstrates the most effective process between concept and machine; between the idea and the final building. The great value of this book is to reveal the nature of the scale model and to unlock the tremendous potential of this design tool as a thinking and communicative advice.His chronological analysis goes on from Egypt through Rome to the relationship between the Greek paradigm scale model and then on to Medieval and Renaissance models. It concludes with the models of the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi; the Russian Constructivists; the American architect Louis Khan and finally looks at the role of scale models in the present day through the work of the Polish/American architect Daniel Libeskind and the American Frank Gehry.
#1873502 in eBooks 2012-04-27 2012-04-27File Name: B00846X0JU
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding catalog of this Canadian gemBy Jon L AlbeeVancouver is a stunning city. Here is a place that has grown up entirely in the 20th and 21st centuries that rivals the beauty of many other more ancient places. Undoubtedly. much of that has to do with the natural setting but. as this books shows. it has to do with Vancouvers beautiful built environment as well.Heres a book written in standard architecture guide fashion made great by superb content. The book is arranged into walking (or driving) tours by neighborhood. and features most of the exceptional structures within each. There are about 500 entries. each with a small color photograph and a descriptive essay. The essays make reference to other notable structures nearby. so the effective coverage of the entire book is quite comprehensive. The descriptions for each building are surprisingly insightful for their brevity. The author has done an outstanding job of distilling the citys buildings down into a manageable presentation.Vancouver is a very young city. and the vast majority of the architecture we see today was built within the last 50 years. While important classical buildings are included. there is a sizable chunk of the book dedicated to modernism and postmodernism. Being a classicist. theres more modernism here than I prefer. but thats a matter of my personal interest and not a criticism of the book. Modernists will love its attention to specific examples of many styles within the genre.If youre visiting Vancouver and you have an interest in buildings. this book is a must. Not a travel guide or coffee table book. it is a solid reference work. and would be of real use to architectural historians and local historians.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting content. Probably better as a coffee table book than an eBookBy Charles Nowell Clark JrI bought this because I live in Vancouver and was pleasantly surprised to even find my building highlighted in it.I bought the eBook version so I could follow some of the routes on my iPhone and see the buildings in person as I read about them. The eBook satisfies that. However. the presentation of pictures and typesetting as is the case with so many books when they move from physical to digital leaves something to be desired. I think this would probably be a pretty cool coffee table book but in the eBook version it is just about the content.
