100 Ideas That Changed Architecture
Author:Lindsey ShookFrom the arch to air conditioning, the 100 Ideas that Changed Architecture are at once brilliant, funny and full of “well, yeah, I never thought of it that way before” moments. The new book is the first in a series from Laurence King Publishers that will also include100 Ideas That Changed Fashion and 100 Ideas that Changed Film.
But of course it’s the architecture book that really piqued my interest, and I after flipping though it I have added one more thing to my endless to-do list: Read this thing cover-to-cover. But until then, if you find yourself pondering the events and innovations that led to the structure in which you are now sitting, here’s some food for thought:
No. 21: Ornament. “In traditional cultures, architecture, ornament, and construction were inseparable.”
No. 28: Architect. “The romantic idea of the architect as an embattled artist-hero struggling to create civilizations greatest achievements originated with writers such as Goethe…”
No. 49: The Elevator. “The first Otis passenger elevator was installed in a New York department store in 1857.”
No 64: Ornament is Crime. “The contemporary use of ornament on buildings, furniture, clothes and other everyday things was a means of masking the mediocrity of the culture.”
No. 95: Sustainability. “The consumption of natural resources grew exponentially in the last century, and with this came the growing scientific awareness of the interdependence of life…”
