American architecture, 1607-1976

About this book

Vincent Scully, our foremost architectural historian, defines architecture as a "continuing dialogue between generations which creates an environment across time." In this expanded edition of his classic work on American architecture, Scully considers the full range of building design and city planning, from the settlements of the Pueblo Indians to the latest skyscrapers. Illustrated with more than 600 photographs, drawings, and maps, American Architecture and Urbanism is a tour de force, an authoritative exploration of our architectural heritage. Scully shows that architectural style and urban planning are inseparable in both immediate effect and ultimate significance. His book traces the evolution of American design from European roots through today's Post-Modernist counterrevolution, which has released Modernism from the reductionism of the recently dominant International Style. Important works in all the major styles are included - from the Beaux-Arts ideal to the New Bauhaus, and the Prairie School to the Shingle Style. The significance of all the major architects, including Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis I. Kahn, Robert Venturi, Robert Stern, Michael Graves, and Frank Gehry, are analyzed. This remarkable illustrated architectural documentary takes you on a rewarding journey through American architecture.