A photographic survey of the world’s most innovative contemporary skyscrapers. Jam-packed with hundreds of specially commissioned photographs accompanied by a lively, authoritative text by internationally renowned architectural experts, this essential resource on the world’s most important new structures traces the evolution of these lofty behemoths. Whisking readers around the world, New Urban Giants tells the story of the design and building of 31 remarkable structures, from corporate headquarters to residential towers to state-of-the-art luxury hotels. The text places each in its historical context, revealing the technological advances that made each building possible, and the social and economic climate that made each necessary. Hundreds of close-up photographs, panoramic shots, and architects’ plans demonstrate the innovations that make each of these structures a pivotal element of their city’s skyline and in the ever-evolving history of the skyscraper. Readers tour the HSB Turning Tower in Malmö, Sweden, the design of which is based on a sculpture by Santiago Calatrava. Photographs reveal the unique incremental angles that occur from the ground floor to the top floor, resulting in the top floor twisting 90 degrees from the ground floor. Other ground-breaking structures highlighted include the sleek New York Times Tower in Manhattan, Highcliff—a 75-story residential tower in Hong Kong, and Aurora Place in Sydney, Australia with its unusual geometric shape wherein no panel is parallel to any grid. Taking readers from Dubai to Tokyo to Vienna, this is an architectural tour not to be missed by professional architects and design enthusiasts alike.

This volume unveils marvelous historical treasures, mysterious archaeological sites and significant artistic remains to the reader. This invaluable guide explores the ancient ruins of Petra in the light of old and recent excavations and researches, it gathers in-depth descriptions, comprehensive scientific charts, detailed topographic maps, three-dimensional reconstructions and unpublished photographs. This volume is a perfect manual for the understanding of the mysterious lost civilisations.

Throughout the book, archival photographs showcase the remarkable architecture that has survived earthquakes and the ravages of nature. Readers are given the opportunity to explore al-Khazueh, "The Treasury," one of the most impressive of Petra`s monuments and to learn the legend of the treasure hidden by pirates in an urn of this vast royal tomb. Other remarkable sights include the 8,000-seat amphitheater, Petra Church with its beautifully preserved mosaics, and al-Deir or "The Monastery" perched high on a cliff, all vividly depicted in the photography of this handsome volume. With text contributed in part by the distinguished American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, this authoritative resource is essential reading for archaeologically-minded travellers and anyone interested in ancient history.

L`occasione giusta per unire un rilassante passatempo con fotografie di grande bellezza. I puzzle da 1000 pezzi sono ideali per gli appassionati del genere.

This volume explores the most important city – and town – squares in the world.

Combining an authoritative text with hundreds of superb photographs, this richly illustrated volume presents a comprehensive survey of the historical development of the city square through a selection of striking examples. Organized geographically, this presentation of the most important city squares and squares in smaller towns worldwide offers a concise overview of the Italian and European conception of public space, as well as its export and reinterpretation elsewhere. The book retraces the pivotal moments in the history of the square, from the 14th to the 21st century, ranging from the austere Gothic style to the harmonious proportions of the Renaissance, from the Baroque quest for the spectacular to the restraint of Neoclassicism, and from 19th-century urban planning to modern day. The squares the author presents are those that have most significantly served as models both in their own times and in subsequent centuries. Spotlighting St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Tian’anmen Square in Beijing, Red Square in Moscow, Place Vendôme in Paris, New York City’s Times Square, and Pershing Square in Los Angeles, this book showcases some of the world’s best known, most influential public spaces. This important resource belongs on the bookshelf of architecture students, architects, and urban planners and anyone interested in global architecture.

Exhaustive and updated descriptions, hundreds of wonderful pictures, excellent color reconstructions and maps of the excavations evoke ancient Pompeii in all, its splendors, revealing numerous aspects of daily life in the ancient city.

Apart from having aesthetic and symbolic values, bridges have for centuries represented the essence of civil and military engineering. Moreover, they have always been one of the criteria by which the achievements of cultures have been measured. This volume is a journey through the centuries of bridge-building, from the stone bridges of the Roman Empire, the iron structures of the Industrial Revolution and the first suspension bridges, to the latest high-tech constructions. They are all fully documented with photographs and diagrams, and with texts written by experts.

Chapter by chapter, this book accompanies visitors around the monuments of ancient Rome, bringing history and its makers to life. Precise, accurate texts, spectacular color images and numerous aerial views promote a visual understanding of the various archaeological areas while maps and three-dimensional graphic reconstructions help to complete the complex picture of what was for so many centuries once the "Capital of the World."