The usual history of architecture is a grand narrative of soaring monuments and heroic makers. But it is also a false narrative in many ways; rarely acknowledging the personal failures and disappointments of architects. In Bleak Houses; Timothy Brittain-Catlin investigates the underside of architecture; the stories of losers and unfulfillment often ignored by an architectural criticism that values novelty; fame; and virility over fallibility and rejection. As architectural criticism promotes increasingly narrow values; dismissing certain styles wholesale and subjecting buildings to a Victorian litmus test of "real" versus "fake;" Brittain-Catlin explains the effect this superficial criticality has had not only on architectural discourse but on the quality of buildings. The fact that most buildings receive no critical scrutiny at all has resulted in vast stretches of ugly modern housing and a pervasive public illiteracy about architecture.
#2541960 in eBooks 2007-05-07 2007-05-07File Name: B00IC8NUFO
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. good book for those that like to decorate with ribbonBy K.StanfordI had bid on this book at an event Id attended and hadnt won. It is an interesting book. If you are interested in using ribbon to decorate anything; packages; clothes; hair; etc this is a good book to have in your library.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. prettyBy flowerchildbeautiful coffee table book- fantastic photos--but not much clue in producing items2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Beautiful BookBy Carol TaggartThis is a beautiful book and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who likes working with or just looking at pretty ribbon.
