Buy used:
$10.35
FREE delivery May 10 - 15. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by Better World Books: West
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Over 100 million books sold! 100% Money-Back Guarantee. Free & Fast Shipping!
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Kester Rattenbury
Follow
Kieran Long
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Architects Today: The 100 Greatest Living Architects Hardcover – October 1, 2004

by Kester Rattenbury (Author), Rob Bevan (Author), Kieran Long (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
See all formats and editions

An accessible, informative illustrated guide to the top names of modern architecutre.

  Report an issue with this product or seller
Previous page
  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Collins Design
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    8 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1856693694
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1856693691
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a series of engaging vignettes, British journalists Rattenbury, Bevan and Long (the author of The Essential Eye, the former editor of Building Design and the deputy editor of Icon, respectively) offer an A-to-Z look at some of the world’s best architects, from the Madrid-based team Abalos & Herreros to Peter Zumthor, one of the most important figures on the Swiss architectural scene. The authors’ two-page spreads combine analytical text with a selection of stunning photos that show the architects’ most famous works. Americans will recognize such luminaries such as Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Maya Lin and Richard Meier, but readers will also be impressed with the accomplishments of Japanese architects Kenzo Tange and Toyo Ito, Italian designers Renzo Piano and Vittorio Gregotti, and Dutch firms West 8 and UN Studio. Though the authors’ attitude is clearly reverential—they announce in their opening that all the 100 architects and firms that they profile "have changed the way in which their contemporaries and successors think and practice"—their tone is also unusually biting and amusing, making their book as fun to read as it to peruse. They call Meier, for example, "the rotund elder statesman of world architecture" and point out that I.M. Pei’s National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder "leaked, but looked lovely." The British firm Caruso St. John "deserves more major public buildings," they opine, while Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi "has become lost in his dream of bringing past and future together." Entries such as these give the book an undeniable appeal, making it an excellent choice for both architecture experts and laymen in the mood for a lively introduction.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Kester Rattenbury is teaches at the University of Westminster and is the author of The Essential Eye (2002) as well as a regular contributor to various architectural journals, including Building Design.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Collins Design; Edition Unstated (October 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1856693694
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1856693691
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 5 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Kester Rattenbury

    Kester Rattenbury

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
  2. Kieran Long

    Kieran Long

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
5 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ken Tso
5.0 out of 5 stars good introduction architectural book
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2014
Verified Purchase
its nice to have some influenced architect information inside their introduction work. its a good reference book for some architect.
Helpful
 Report
Tyrrhena
4.0 out of 5 stars a joy to read
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2005
as a lay person with strong interests in architecture, i found this book succeeds at informatively and practically presenting the landscape of today's architectural world.

first of all, it's not intended to be an in-depth analysis on any architect or style, but rather "a spotter's guide to the various breeds of architects", to quote the authors. there's only two pages (usually one full page of text and another page composed of three to four photos) dedicated to each architect, which is a format i happened to enjoy, for personally it served my goal of exploring the contemporary architectural scene at a relatively quick pace and without being blocked by abstract academic discourses.

secondly, according to the authors, the architects are chosen based on whether they are highly "influential", meaning, whether they "have changed the way in which their contemporaries and successors thing and practise". not being an architecture professional, i can not quite tell whether or not this book has done a fair job, but based on the introductory texts for each architect, i felt i was adequately introduced to their accomplishments and their influences.
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
ArchiZona
3.0 out of 5 stars Pointless
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2005
"Bizarre omissions, weird inclusions-we can hear you muttering now. Any book that attempts to take a broad look at the peculiar world of comtemporary architects and architecture is asking for trouble." (p.7)

This is a direct quote from the introduction of the book written by the three authors. Ironically, I think they made a correct judgment about their book.

My simple critique is: Who are the target readers of this book?

If you are a casual architecture reader, a lay person, the content of this book will not catch your heart. The information about each architect and their works is too brief. Without knowing their works and their idiosyncratic aesthetics, the content in the book will not make much sense to you, not to mention the quality and fairness of the authors' opinions and critiques on those architects.

I truly believe that sincere and true appreciation of architect is much much more important than acquainted you with Who's Who. There are tons of good books with great presentations of architectural works. If you are particularly interested in certain architects, go and find a volume solely dedicated to them, analyzing how they've matured and built their own style.

On the other hand, if you are a professional and quite familiar with the architectural community, then what's the point of getting this book?

So I don't really know what's the purpose of publishing this book? What kind of message do the authors want to convey to the reader? If they had a unique and thoughtful criteria of selecting the architects presented in this book, then they did not fulfill this goal by organizing the architects alphabetically. If they planned to have an overview of the influential living architects (that's actually what they said in the introduction), then their list is far from being complete and representative. If they wanted to highlight some promising young and upcoming talents, they still did not do their research adequately.

The only value of this book, as far as I am concerned, is poping up some interesting architects in front of you (even if you are not familiar with their works). Then you can get more info from other resources.

I thought about rating this book at 2 stars. But considering their hard work of compling all these stuff, a 3-star rating is fair.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report