The Classical Language of Architecture

Sir John Summerson's classic book on classical architecture, originally published in 1896, has been revised and updated. It explains how classical language has been employed by different periods to make their statement, and is essential reading for all students of architecture.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 152 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2023
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

A revised and updated edition of Sir John Summerson's classic book, this timeless masterpiece delves into the principles of Greek and Roman architecture in antiquity, which have long dominated the history of Western architecture from the Renaissance to the present. Sir John Summersons profound text, as relevant today as it was when first published, distills the visual language of architecture into its core classical elements, showcasing how buildings throughout history have expressed an awareness of the 'grammar of style and its rules, even if they vary, break, or poetically contradict them.

From the original edifices of Greece and Rome to the recapitulations and innovations of the Renaissance; the explosive rhetoric of the Baroque to the grave statements of Neo-classicism; and finally, the exuberant eclecticism of the Victorians and Edwardians to the stripped Neo-classicism of some of the moderns; Summerson explains how every period has employed classical language to make their statement.

With a new introduction by academic and architectural historian Alan Powers, this introduction continues to be one of the defining texts on the subject and is essential reading for all students of architecture.

Weight: 330g
Dimension: 150 x 210 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780500297346