Reading Architecture Second Edition A Visual Lexicon

This innovative and unique book is a visual guide to the buildings that surround us. Architectural features are pinpointed and labelled on images of buildings so that, unlike with other architectural dictionaries, the reader doesn't have to know the name before looking it up. Clear line drawings and extensive colour photographs illustrate each of the main building types, from forts to churches, stately homes to skyscrapers. The individual structural elements and materials common to all buildings are then explained, whether in Classical, Gothic or Modernist style. A comprehensive glossary completes the book. This revised edition includes an expanded section on modern structures and materials, as well as the latest styles and concepts from the last ten years.

Owen Hopkins is Director of the Farrell Centre at Newcastle University. Previously he was Senior Curator at Sir John Soane's Museum and before that he was Architecture Programme Curator at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. He is the author of several books including Reading Architecture: A Visual Lexicon (2012), Architectural Styles: A Visual Guide (2014; both Laurence King), Postmodern Architecture: Less is a Bore (2020) and The Museum (2021).