Why We Build

In an era of brash, expensive, provocative new buildings, a prominent critic argues that emotions—such as hope, power, sex, and our changing relationship to the idea of home—are the most powerful force behind architecture, yesterday and (especially) today.
We are living in the most dramatic period in architectural history in more than half a century: a time when cityscapes are being redrawn on a yearly basis, architects are testing the very idea of what a building is, and whole cities are being invented overnight in exotic locales or here in the United States.
Now, in a bold and wide-ranging new work, Rowan Moore—former director of the Architecture Foundation, now the architecture critic for The Observer—explores the reasons behind these changes in our built environment, and how they in turn are changing the way we live in the world. Taking as his starting point dramatic examples such as the High Line in New York City and the outrageous island experiment of Dubai, Moore then reaches far and wide: back in time to explore the Covent Garden brothels of eighteenth-century London and the fetishistic minimalism of Adolf Loos; across the world to assess a software magnate’s grandiose mansion in Atlanta and Daniel Libeskind’s failed design for the World Trade Center site; and finally to the deeply naturalistic work of Lina Bo Bardi, whom he celebrates as the most underrated architect of the modern era.

History

Moore, Rowan

World

HarperDes

We are living in one of the most dramatic periods in modern architectural history: a time when cityscapes are being redrawn on a yearly basis, architects are testing the very idea of what a building is, and whole cities are invented overnight. In this bold and wide- ranging new work, Rowan Moore—former director of the Architecture Foundation, now a leading architecture critic—explores the reasons behind these changes in our built environment, and how they change the way we live in the world.
Provocative and personal, iconoclastic and transforming, Why We Build is that rarest of things: a book about architecture that is also, on every page, a book about people—those chosen few who design buildings, and the rest of us, who use them every day.

Why We Build: Power and Desire in Architecture

Harper Paperbacks

London remains one of the world's greatest cities; a thriving centre of international politics and commerce, with a unique heritage and fascinating history. Using a panoramic camera, Sampson Lloyd captures both the essence and variety of this most vibrant of cities. Only the sweep of the broadest view can do justice to the capital, whether seen from one of the spectacular bridges spanning the River Thames, or from the vantage point of its tallest buildings, or from the hills and parks that surround it. Together with the famous sights and landmarks the book reveals some of London's best-kept secrets - the wealth of beautiful, curious and historic buildings hidden in its fabric. Rowan Moore gives an insight into the places, their history and their associations in a lively and informative commentary. London emerges as a living city, a city still making its history and one that continues to surprise and inspire.

Panoramas of London

Travel

Europe

Phoenix Illustrated

Picador

London has become the global city above all others. Money from all over the world flows through it; its land and homes are tradable commodities; it is a nexus for the world's migrant populations, rich and poor. Versions of what is happening in London are happening elsewhere, but London has become the best place to understand the way the world's cities are changing. Some of the transformations London has undergone were creative, others were destructive; this is not new. London has always been a city of trade, exploitation and opportunity. But London has an equal history of public interventions, including the Clean Air Act, the invention of the green belt and council housing, and the innovation of the sewers and embankments that removed the threat of cholera. In each case the response was creative and unprecedented; they were also huge in scale and often controversial. The city must change, of course, but Moore explains why it should do so with a 'slow burn', through the interplay of private investment, public good and legislative action. Fiercely intelligent, thoughtprovoking, lucidly written and often outrageously and uncomfortably funny, Slow Burn City is packed with fascinating stories about the physical fabric of London in the twentyfirst century. But by seeing this fabric as the theatre of social and cultural struggles, Moore connects the political and architectural decisions of London's enfeebled and reactive government with the built environment that affects its inhabitants' everyday lives. In this urgent and necessary book, Moore makes a passionate case for London to invent new ways to respond to the pressures of the present, from which other cities could learn.

Slow Burn City: London in the Twenty-First Century

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

London has become the global city above all others. Money from all over the world flows through it; its land and homes are tradable commodities; it is a nexus for the world's migrant populations, rich and poor. Versions of what is happening in London are happening elsewhere, but London has become the best place to understand the way the world's cities are changing. Some of the transformations London has undergone were creative, others were destructive; this is not new. London has always been a city of trade, exploitation, and opportunity. But London has an equal history of public interventions, including the Clean Air Act, the invention of the green belt and council housing, and the innovation of the sewers and embankments that removed the threat of cholera. In each case the response was creative and unprecedented; they were also huge in scale and often controversial. The city must change, of course, but Moore explains why it should do so with a "slow burn," through the interplay of private investment, public good, and legislative action. Fiercely intelligent, thought-provoking, lucidly written, and often outrageously and uncomfortably funny, Slow Burn City is packed with fascinating stories about the physical fabric of London in the 21st century. But by seeing this fabric as the theater of social and cultural struggles, Moore connects the political and architectural decisions of London's enfeebled and reactive government with the built environment that affects its inhabitants' everyday lives. In this urgent and necessary book, Moore makes a passionate case for London to invent new ways to respond to the pressures of the present, from which other cities could learn.

Politics & Government

Book by Moore, Rowan, Ryan, Raymund

Building Tate Modern: Herzog & De Meuron

Arts & Photography

Ryan, Raymund

Architecture

Tate

Standing on the south bank of the Thames opposite the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's vast brick edifice, with its tower of 325 feet, dominates the scenery and ranks among the most imposing structures of central London. Yet, after its closure in 1981, the Bankside Power Station was rendered invisible to the public eye by its redundancy and the frequent threat of demolition. The reopening of Bankside in May 2000 as London's first national gallery of modern and contemporary art restores the grandeur of Scott's design and regenerates a much neglected area of the city.
 The conversion to art gallery by the Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron is marked by its extreme simplicity, at once enhancing the physical presence of the original architecture and completely transforming its derelict and impenetrable interior into an accessible, light-filled exhibition center. The tremendous affinity of contemporary art with ex-industrial settings has inspired a design that retains the monumental scale of the Turbine Hall and skillfully offers a range of spaces for widely differing types of art on the multiple floors of the Old Boiler House.
 This publication follows the story of the Bankside project and presents a stunning photographic account of every stage of its transformation. Including an interview with Jacques Herzog and Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate, it provides a detailed analysis of Herzog and de Meuron's design and redefines the Tate's role within contemporary culture.

They're the famous sights that have stirred the imagination for centuries--the River Thames, bordered by palaces and pubs, and bounded by bridges; St. Paul's Cathedral; the towers of Parliament and Westminster Abbey; and Trafalgar Square. Never before have London's architectural treasures, verdant parks, skyline, and streets been so beautifully and panoramically displayed. Gaze at spectacular vistas of the city's different neighborhoods, including some quite rustic areas, as well as its best-known streets and some hidden wonders. 160 pages (all in color), 11 3/4 x 7 1/2.

Lloyd, Sampson

Photography & Video

Seven Dials

Hawkins\Brown are London based architects who have been described as "... one of the most exciting young practices of today." (Architecture Today). This extensively illustrated book considers key projects in terms of contemporary architecture, exploring their creativity, diversity and tenacity. Projects covered include the acclaimed new gallery for the Henry Moore Foundation, studio space for the sculptor Rachel Whiteread, as well as projects that focus on sustainability in architecture, as with the Women's Pioneer Centre, London. Hawkins\Brown are at the forefront of British architecture with an established reputation for combining imaginative design with pragmatism. Whether they are breathing new life into existing structures or building anew, each of their schemes are unique, focusing on the needs of the client and the community.

&/Also

Black Dog Publishing

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Moore, Rowan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Moore, Rowan

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Moore, Rowan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Why We Build

Why We Build: Power and Desire in Architecture

Panoramas of London

Why We Build

Slow Burn City: London in the Twenty-First Century

Slow Burn City: London in the Twenty-First Century

Building Tate Modern: Herzog & De Meuron

Building Tate Modern: Herzog & De Meuron

Panoramas of London

&/Also