Havana has always been a dynamic city, and its unique architecture makes it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Until recently, the closed nature of contemporary Cuban society has frozen and preserved much of Havana's urban design and simultaneously prevented many visitors from experiencing its wide range of architectural influences, which cross-reference to create a stunning, unified "work of art." In this documentary-style history of old Havana, readers are invited to tour the city's buildings alongside its culture, people, plazas and parks, pedestrian environment, monuments, food, music, dance, colonial history, and iconic traditions, from cigars to the Tropicana Supper Club. Learn why Havana has the classic order, neighborhood balance, architectural elegance, and pedestrian harmony that urban planners long for, and discover the ways in which it is not just a city but a celebration of the Cuban way of life and its Creole roots.

Havana Forever: A Pictorial and Cultural History of an Unforgettable City

Arts & Photography

Treister, Kenneth

Préstamo, Felipe J.

Garcia, Raul B.

History & Criticism

Schiffer

Treister, Kenneth, Prestamo, Felipe J., Garcia, Raul B.

History

Americas

University Press of Florida

Viewing the sprawling city of Uxmal or the sweeping Great Plaza at Tikal, one can sense the enormous pride of the people who conceived and built such places. The grandeur of these Maya cities fascinates all who gaze upon them, and the totality of the Maya architectural statement—its harmony, cohesiveness, and inspiring beauty—has rarely been matched. In this illuminating volume, acclaimed architect Kenneth Treister brings a unique perspective to the physical remains of the ancient Maya cities. In the numerous color photos that accompany the text, taken by the author over many years of travel, we see powerful, compelling examples of harmony and gracefulness through the ruins and reconstructions of architectural composition. Though one can only imagine how magnificent these cities appeared during their heyday—brightly painted and adorned by sculpture and colorful murals—Treister fills in the blanks with his knowledgeable treatment of construction methods and materials. He discusses the balance of form and function in Maya buildings, and their integration of art, architecture, and society. He also reveals how Maya structures have influenced current forms of design and construction, inspiring his own work as well as that of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Maya seldom destroyed older buildings but built over them in successive layers. Because the existing structures served as the foundation for new construction, we can literally peel back these layers and trace the development of Maya building practices. By examining what remains of Maya cities, Treister seeks to discover how their dynamic society, in a hostile environment and in a relatively short time, was able to blossom and create such harmonious architectural masterpieces. Informed by a lifetime spent observing how people interact with their built environments, he also seeks to unlock the secret of the Maya’s mysterious collapse. He argues that the energy, enterprise, and pride that enabled these people to create such majesty hold the key to the seeds of their destruction. In their magnificent buildings, Treister finds not only the mortar that held their civilization together but the competitiveness that was the cause of its ruin as well. His insights reveal much about Maya architecture and the impact it had on Maya society as a whole.

Maya Architecture: Temples in the Sky

It may be the most interesting and yet loneliest spot on earth: a volcanic rock surrounded by a million square miles of ocean, named for the day Dutch explorers discovered it, Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722. Here people created a complex society, sophisticated astronomy, exquisite wood sculpture, monumental stone architecture, roads, and a puzzling ideographic script. And then they went about sculpting amazing, giant human figures in stone.
This richly illustrated book of the history, culture, and art of Easter Island is the first to examine in detail the island's vernacular architecture, often overshadowed by its giant stone statues. It shows the conjecturally reconstructed prehistoric pole houses; the ahu, the sculptures' platform, as a spectacular expression of prehistoric megalithic architecture; and the Easter Island Statue Project's inventory of the colossal moai sculptures.
This publication is made possible in part by a generous contribution from Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund.

Easter Island's Silent Sentinels: The Sculpture and Architecture of Rapa Nui

Vargas Casanova, Patricia

Cristino, Claudio

University of New Mexico Press

The first book on Bok Tower Gardens, the exceptional National Historic Landmark in central Florida designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and Milton B. Medary. Built in 1929 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993, Bok Tower Gardens is not only an architectural and landscape masterpiece, it is also the embodiment of a fascinating moment in American history. Publisher, philanthropist, and naturalist Edward Bok commissioned two esteemed designers, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and architect Milton B. Medary, to create a sanctuary that would preserve the natural beauty of the state. Located on 600 acres, the historic garden is centered on the beautiful Pinewood Estate and the 205-foot-high marble and coquina Singing Tower, which houses one of the world’s finest carillons. One of the great achievements of America’s golden age of architecture, Bok Tower Gardens is a complete work of art that is also an extraordinary public monument.

Bok Tower Gardens: America's Taj Mahal

PRICE, DAVID

Skira/Rizzoli

Cherubim & Palm Trees: The Judaic Art of Temple Emanu-El

Cunsolo, Carmelo

Ktav Pub & Distributors Inc

In this rare view of six projects, award-winning architect and artist Kenneth Treister expresses the importance of uniting architecture and art to create sacred spaces. His poetic sensibility combines with the vast wingspan of his creative vision to produce exceptional works for those interested in Judaism, architecture and art.The impressive photographic skills of architectural photographer Laszlo Regos allow us to share in the beauty of these rich spaces. There is also a compelling Foreword by the world-renowned scholar and author Rabbi Yitz Greenberg. This book includes: Temple Israel’s award wining Gumenick Chapel; the restoration of Temple Emanu-El; the hand-carved murals at Beth David Congregation: the Synagogue at Miami’s Jewish Home; the University of Florida’s Judaica Suite at the Smathers Libraries; and his most important work, Miami Beach’s Holocaust Memorial.

The Fusion of Architecture & Art: The Judaic Work of Kenneth Treister

Architecture

Books & Books Press

Frank Lloyd Wright at the University of Florida

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the world's greatest contemporary architects. While Fallingwater is his best-known work, Wright designed over 1,000 buildings during his lifetime. Yet none of the three fraternity houses he planned during his career, in 1934, 1941, and 1952 were ever built. This book chronicles the genesis, development, and ultimate abandonment of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house Wright created for students of the University of Florida, as told by a then-architecture student and member of the ZBT fraternity who assisted Wright. Containing detailed prints of Wright's drawings for all three planned fraternity houses in addition to his completed buildings at Florida Southern College, Frank Lloyd Wright at the University of Florida offers a fascinating view into Wright's frustrating struggles to complete these projects.

Library Press at UF

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