TEMPLE ANGKOR CAMBODIA
ARCHITECT UNKNOWN A vast and magnificent temple complex at the heart of Angkor, the capital of the powerful Khmer dynasty that ruled Cambodia from the 9th to the early …
Category: Great Buildings
THE PARTHENON GREECE
KALLIKRATES AND IKTINOS By the middle of the 5th century bce Athens was the most powerful city in Greece and one of the major cultural centers of the ancient …
CONTRASTING HOUSES
While the Villa La Rotonda, Italy (left), has a compact, self-contained plan centered on its dome, Blenheim Palace in the UK (above) extends over an enormous site and is …
COMPACT OR EXTENDED FORMS
Even two buildings with a similar purpose two country houses, for example can take radically different forms because their owners and architects had different priorities. Some houses, such as …
FORM AND EFFECT
It is always worth walking around a building before entering, since this can tell you a lot about its form and what its builders wanted to achieve. On most …
SIMPLE AND COMPLEX SPACES
Some buildings are relatively simple in spatial terms. When you open the door and walk inside, you can take in the whole interior in one glance. This is the …
GREAT PYRAMID
ARCHITECT UNKNOWN The first great monumental structures in the world, the pyramids of Egypt were built as tombs for the rulers of the Old and Middle Kingdoms between about …
STYLE AND SUBSTANCE
Secular buildings, from houses to palaces or seats of government, can be equally lavish in detail. A palace may be full of paintings that glorify its royal patron, or …
Belem Tower FORTRESS LISBON, PORTUGAL
FRANCISCO DE ARRUDA This fortified tower near the mouth of the Tagus River was a key part of Lisbon’s defense system. Although the original idea came from King John …
King’s College Chapel CHAPEL CAMBRIDGE, UK
REGINALD ELY King’s College, which is part of the University of Cambridge, was founded in 1441 by Henry VI, and the jewel at its heart is the college chapel, …