Fifty of the world’s most important buildings seen through specially commissioned isometric illustrations and detailed photographs and plans, providing the perfect introduction to architecture for students and anyone interested in buildings.

Taking readers behind architecture’s facades and finishes, this charmingly illustrated book explores how some of the most important buildings in the world were constructed. Specially commissioned isometric drawings present the essential structural elements of the world’s masterpiece buildings that are not visible to the naked eye. These illustrations are displayed alongside plans, details, and photographs, all of which are clear and accessible, yet accurate and elegant enough to satisfy the most discerning eye.

This fascinating book explores the thinking and expertise behind architects’ designs and offers a means by which to better understand buildings already visited as well as those on the must-see list. Selections range from domestic structures such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and skyscrapers such as the Chrysler Building, to iconic classics such as the Louvre and Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia Cathedral. The buildings have been chosen for their importance and interest, their role in the development of architectural thinking, and the structural secrets that intricate 3-D drawings can reveal.

About The Author

John Zukowsky is an architectural and design historian with more than four decades of experience. While curator of architecture for the Art Institute of Chicago from 1978 to 2004, he organized a number of award-winning exhibitions accompanied by major books. He has recently authored Building Chicago: The Architectural Masterworks. Robbie Polley is an architectural illustrator with more than twenty-five years of experience. His drawings have been featured in thirty books.