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Art » Architecture

Browse book recommendations:

Art

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Looking for the best books on architecture? Browse our interviews to find excellent book recommendations on architecture, architectural history, urban planning and design for your own library, or as gifts to give to the architect or architecture obsessive in your family. Dan Cruickshank on architectural history, Jeremy Till on architectural context, Timothy Hyde on aesthetics and more. Five Books is a comprehensive library of knowledge, curating book recommendations on any topic you might want to read about. Art interviews explore themes in the visual arts from ancient times to the present day with historians, curators, critics and practitioners. Our interviews range from engaging introductions to specialist subjects — such as the Dutch Masters, the Art Market, Leonardo, the Renaissance, Typeface, Interior Design — to in-depth explorations of more personal themes and inspirations. Our archive covers a vast array of subjects, extending well beyond the best-seller lists. In contrast to other online reviews, Five Books content is timeless and our contributors authoritative – these truly are the best books on everything. Browse the archive, or create your own lists of the best books in any category close to your heart, to share with like-minded readers everywhere. Is there a subject that piques your interest that you don't see on the site? Let us know by getting in contact with the editorial team.

    The best books on Future Cities, recommended by Davina Jackson

  • Read
    The best books on Future Cities - City of Bits: Space, Place and the Infobahn by William J. Mitchell

    1

    City of Bits: Space, Place and the Infobahn
    by William J. Mitchell

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    The best books on Future Cities - The Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture: City, Technology and Society in the Information Age by Federico Soriano, Fernando Porras, José Morales, Manuel Gausa, Vicente Guallart & Willy Müller

    2

    The Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture: City, Technology and Society in the Information Age
    by Federico Soriano, Fernando Porras, José Morales, Manuel Gausa, Vicente Guallart & Willy Müller

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    The best books on Future Cities - Cities In Civilization by Peter Hall

    3

    Cities In Civilization
    by Peter Hall

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    The best books on Future Cities - The City of Tomorrow: Sensors, Networks, Hackers and the Future of Urban Life by Carlo Ratti & Matthew Claudel

    4

    The City of Tomorrow: Sensors, Networks, Hackers and the Future of Urban Life
    by Carlo Ratti & Matthew Claudel

  • Read
    The best books on Future Cities - Local Code: 3,659 Proposals about Data, Design and the Nature of Cities by Nicholas de Monchaux

    5

    Local Code: 3,659 Proposals about Data, Design and the Nature of Cities
    by Nicholas de Monchaux

The best books on Future Cities, recommended by Davina Jackson

We are a city-dwelling species. Our urban existence creates both opportunities and challenges, as the recent pandemic has illustrated. One thing seems clear, however. Understanding the way we interact with our built environment is becoming an increasingly data-driven enterprise, as Davina Jackson argues compellingly in her book, Data Cities. Here, she shares the five books that best explain the technology behind the urban planning of the future.

    Books on Social Housing in the UK, recommended by Mark Swenarton

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    Books on Social Housing in the UK - Municipal Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Council Housing by John Boughton

    1

    Municipal Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Council Housing
    by John Boughton

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    Books on Social Housing in the UK - Scheming: A Social History of Glasgow Council Housing, 1919-1956 by Sean Damer

    2

    Scheming: A Social History of Glasgow Council Housing, 1919-1956
    by Sean Damer

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    Books on Social Housing in the UK - Scotland's Homes Fit for Heroes: Garden City Influences on the Development of Scottish Working Class Housing 1900 to 1939 by Lou Rosenburg

    3

    Scotland's Homes Fit for Heroes: Garden City Influences on the Development of Scottish Working Class Housing 1900 to 1939
    by Lou Rosenburg

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    Books on Social Housing in the UK - State Housing in Britain by Stephen Merrett

    4

    State Housing in Britain
    by Stephen Merrett

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    Books on Social Housing in the UK - Non-Traditional Houses: Identifying Non-Traditional Houses in the UK 1918-75 by Harry Harrison

    5

    Non-Traditional Houses: Identifying Non-Traditional Houses in the UK 1918-75
    by Harry Harrison

Books on Social Housing in the UK, recommended by Mark Swenarton

How did the UK end up in a housing crisis? More than a century on from the 1919 Housing Act, a look back at the history of social housing with architectural historian Mark Swenarton provides some clues, and insights into the ennobling effect of architecture on peoples’ everyday lives.

    The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics, recommended by Timothy Hyde

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    The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics - Georgian London by John Summerson

    1

    Georgian London
    by John Summerson

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    The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics - Architectural Judgement by Peter Collins

    2

    Architectural Judgement
    by Peter Collins

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    The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics - Concrete and Culture by Adrian Forty

    3

    Concrete and Culture
    by Adrian Forty

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    The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics - Architecture's Historical Turn by Jorge Otero-Pailos

    4

    Architecture's Historical Turn
    by Jorge Otero-Pailos

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    The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics - Obsolescence: An Architectural History by Daniel M. Abramson

    5

    Obsolescence: An Architectural History
    by Daniel M. Abramson

The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics, recommended by Timothy Hyde

What’s at stake when we call a building beautiful or denounce it as ugly? MIT professor Timothy Hyde, author of Ugliness and Judgment, explores five books about the social, political and economic dimensions behind debates that often masquerade as arguments about style, but which deal with matters at the very heart of civil society.

    The best books on Architectural History, recommended by Dan Cruickshank

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    The best books on Architectural History - The Four Books on Architecture (I quattro libri dell'architettura) by Andrea Palladio

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    The Four Books on Architecture (I quattro libri dell'architettura)
    by Andrea Palladio

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    The best books on Architectural History - Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism by Rudolf Wittkower

    2

    Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism
    by Rudolf Wittkower

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    The best books on Architectural History - Architect and Engineer by Andrew Saint

    3

    Architect and Engineer
    by Andrew Saint

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    The best books on Architectural History - Modern Architecture Since 1900 by William Curtis

    4

    Modern Architecture Since 1900
    by William Curtis

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    The best books on Architectural History - Life in the English Country House by Mark Girouard

    5

    Life in the English Country House
    by Mark Girouard

The best books on Architectural History, recommended by Dan Cruickshank

Art historian and TV presenter Dan Cruickshank explains the beauty of Palladian proportions, takes us on a tour of some key English country houses and describes the poetry of Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Marseilles. He recommends the best books on ‘architectural history’

    The best books on British Buildings, recommended by Harry Mount

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    The best books on British Buildings - Summoned by Bells by John Betjeman

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    Summoned by Bells
    by John Betjeman

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    The best books on British Buildings - Pillar to Post by Osbert Lancaster

    2

    Pillar to Post
    by Osbert Lancaster

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    The best books on British Buildings - The Pattern of English Building by Alec Clifton-Taylor

    3

    The Pattern of English Building
    by Alec Clifton-Taylor

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    The best books on British Buildings - Architecture in Britain 1530 to 1830 by John Summerson

    4

    Architecture in Britain 1530 to 1830
    by John Summerson

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    The best books on British Buildings - The Pevsner Guide to London 4 by Nikolaus Pevsner and Bridget Cherry

    5

    The Pevsner Guide to London 4
    by Nikolaus Pevsner and Bridget Cherry

The best books on British Buildings, recommended by Harry Mount

Bestselling author Harry Mount thinks that the British sell themselves short when they fail to appreciate their architecture. He also expresses his thanks that Christopher Wren didn’t redesign London on a Parisian/New York grid system following the 1666 fire.

    The best books on Food and the City, recommended by Carolyn Steel

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    The best books on Food and the City - The Culture of Food by Massimo Montanari

    1

    The Culture of Food
    by Massimo Montanari

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    The best books on Food and the City - Man and the Natural World by Keith Thomas

    2

    Man and the Natural World
    by Keith Thomas

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    The best books on Food and the City - The Food of London by George Dodd

    3

    The Food of London
    by George Dodd

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    The best books on Food and the City - Provisioning Paris by Steven Kaplan

    4

    Provisioning Paris
    by Steven Kaplan

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    The best books on Food and the City - Paradox of Plenty by Harvey Levenstein

    5

    Paradox of Plenty
    by Harvey Levenstein

The best books on Food and the City, recommended by Carolyn Steel

The architect, writer, lecturer, and director of Kilburn Nightingale Architects says architecture should not be just about buildings, but about everything else in our environment

    The best books on The Context of Architecture, recommended by Jeremy Till

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    The best books on The Context of Architecture - How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand

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    How Buildings Learn
    by Stewart Brand

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    The best books on The Context of Architecture - S,M,L,XL by Rem Koolhaas and Bruce Mau

    2

    S,M,L,XL
    by Rem Koolhaas and Bruce Mau

  • Read
    The best books on The Context of Architecture - City of Quartz by Mike Davis

    3

    City of Quartz
    by Mike Davis

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    The best books on The Context of Architecture - Hungry City by Carolyn Steel

    4

    Hungry City
    by Carolyn Steel

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    The best books on The Context of Architecture - Modernity and Ambivalence by Zygmunt Bauman

    5

    Modernity and Ambivalence
    by Zygmunt Bauman

The best books on The Context of Architecture, recommended by Jeremy Till

Architecture depends at the building stage on money and politics, and later on users, time and weather. Jeremy Till picks five books to allow you behind the scenes of the building sites.

    The best books on Divided Cities, recommended by Jon Calame

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    The best books on Divided Cities - Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson

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    Imagined Communities
    by Benedict Anderson

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    The best books on Divided Cities - Survival in Beirut by Lina Mikdadi Tabbara

    2

    Survival in Beirut
    by Lina Mikdadi Tabbara

  • Read
    The best books on Divided Cities - Northern Ireland's Troubles by Marie-Therese Fay, Mike Morrissey, Marie Smyth

    3

    Northern Ireland's Troubles
    by Marie-Therese Fay, Mike Morrissey, Marie Smyth

  • Read
    The best books on Divided Cities - City of Stone by M Benvenisti

    4

    City of Stone
    by M Benvenisti

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    The best books on Divided Cities - Cyprus 1957-1963: From Colonial Conflict to Constitutional Crisis by Diana Weston Markides

    5

    Cyprus 1957-1963: From Colonial Conflict to Constitutional Crisis
    by Diana Weston Markides

The best books on Divided Cities, recommended by Jon Calame

The architectural teacher and writer explores the origins and consequences of urban partition along ethnic lines and selects five books that focus on divided cities such as Jerusalem, Belfast and Beirut

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