Neil Parkyn Book order

St. Peter’s Basilica, the Taj Mahal, the Topkapi Palace, the Sydney Opera House, the Hoover Dam―the world’s greatest structures capture the imagination, whether they are places of worship, palaces of pleasure, skyscrapers, bridges, dams, or colossal statues. Many of these structures are the tallest, longest, or largest of their kind, but sheer size alone does not make a building one finds aesthetic power combined with structural virtuosity in the small chapel at Ronchamp in France or the temple of Byodo-in near Kyoto, with its elegant wooden roof. 352 illustrations, 267 in color

Chronicling the history of human ingenuity and creative design from A.D. 500 to the present day, this richly illustrated study captures a broad spectrum of remarkable architectural wonders, ranging from St. Peter's Basilica and the Taj Mahal to the Sydney Opera House, the Hoover Dam, and the Guggenheim Museum, accompanied by diagrams, reconstructions, and spectacular photography. 17,500 first printing.