This book covers the wide spectrum of subjects relating to obtaining and using building stones, starting with their geological origin and then describing the nature of granites, volcanics, limestones, sandstones, flint, metamorphic stones, breccias and conglomerates, with emphasis being placed on how to recognise the different stones via the many illustrated examples from Great Britain and other countries. The life of a building stone is explained from its origin in the quarry, through its exposure to the elements when used for a building, to its eventual deterioration. The structure of stone buildings is then discussed, with explanations of the mechanics of pillars, lighthouses and walls, arches, bridges, buttresses and roof vaults, plus castles and cathedrals. The sequence of the historical architectural styles of stone buildings is explained—from the early days through to postmodern buildings. Special attention is paid to two famous architects: the Roman Vitruvius and the English Sir Christopher Wren who designed and supervised the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. To demonstrate many of the concepts presented, two exemplary stone buildings are described in detail: the Albert Memorial in London and Durham Cathedral in northern England. The former building is interesting because it is comprised of a cornucopia of different building stones and the latter building because of its architecture and sandstone decay mechanisms. In the final Chapter, ruined stone buildings are discussed—the many reasons for their decay and the possibility of their ‘rebirth’ via digital recording of their geometry. The book has over 350 pages and is illustrated with more than 450 diagrams and colour photographs of both the various stones and the associated stone buildings. Readers’ knowledge of the subject will be greatly enhanced by these images and the related explanatory text. A wide-ranging references and bibliography section is also included.

This book covers the wide spectrum of subjects relating to obtaining and using building stones, starting with their geological origin and then describing the nature of granites, volcanics, limestones, sandstones, flint, metamorphic stones, breccias and conglomerates, with emphasis being placed on how to recognise the different stones via the many illustrated examples from Great Britain and other countries. The life of a building stone is explained from its origin in the quarry, through its exposure to the elements when used for a building, to its eventual deterioration. The structure of stone buildings is then discussed, with explanations of the mechanics of pillars, lighthouses and walls, arches, bridges, buttresses and roof vaults, plus castles and cathedrals. The sequence of the historical architectural styles of stone buildings is explained—from the early days through to postmodern buildings. Special attention is paid to two famous architects: the Roman Vitruvius and the English Sir Christopher Wren who designed and supervised the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. To demonstrate many of the concepts presented, two exemplary stone buildings are described in detail: the Albert Memorial in London and Durham Cathedral in northern England. The former building is interesting because it is comprised of a cornucopia of different building stones and the latter building because of its architecture and sandstone decay mechanisms. In the final Chapter, ruined stone buildings are discussed—the many reasons for their decay and the possibility of their ‘rebirth’ via digital recording of their geometry. The book has over 350 pages and is illustrated with more than 450 diagrams and colour photographs of both the various stones and the associated stone buildings. Readers’ knowledge of the subject will be greatly enhanced by these images and the related explanatory text. A wide-ranging references and bibliography section is also included.

The widely acclaimed and beautifully illustrated Understanding Architecture is now revised and expanded in its fourth edition, vividly examining the structure, function, history, and meaning of architecture, from prehistory to the present, in ways that are both accessible and engaging. Significant features of the fourth edition include: Expanded global essays outlining the encounters and interchanges, conflicts and accommodations, between disparate global communities A brand-new final chapter addressing the twenty-first century during which Western and global architectural developments have increasingly become one broad, interwoven expression. This chapter includes sections on CAD, Contemporary Architecture of the Twenty-First Century, Starchitects, Contemporary Architectural Prizes, Architecture and Energy Consumption, and Architecture Integrated with Nature New sections on Frank Lloyd Wright and Late Twentieth-Century Expressionism Thoroughly revised and expanded illustration, including over 700 images, over half of which are in full color, and 120 original line art drawings Understanding Architecture continues to be the only text in the field to examine architecture as a cultural phenomenon as well as an artistic and technological achievement with its straightforward, two-part structure: The Elements of Architecture and the History and Meaning of Architecture. Comprehensive and clearly written, Understanding Architecture is both a primer for visual environmental literacy and a classic survey of architecture. This is an essential book for anyone interested in our built environment and the layered historical meaning embodied within it.

One distinct feature of human society since the dawn of civilization is the systematic use of inorganic building materials, such as natural stone, unburnt and burnt soil, adobe and brick, inorganic binders like lime and cement, and reinforced concrete. Our heritage has cultural, architectural and technological value and preserving such structures is a key issue today. Planners and conservation scientists need detailed site surveys and analyses to create a database that will serve to guide subsequent actions. One factor in this knowledge base is an understanding of how historic materials were prepared and the crucial properties that influence their long-term behaviour. Any assessment of the way such materials perform must crucially be based on an understanding of the methods used for their analysis. The editors here add to the knowledge base treating the materials used in historic structures, their properties, technology of use and conservation, and their performance in a changing environment. The book draws together 18 chapters dealing with the inorganic materials used in historic structures, such as adobe, brick, stone, mortars, concrete and plasters. The approach is complex, covering material characterisation as well as several case studies of historic structures from Europe, including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia and Spain, and the My Sõn Temples in Vietnam. An equally important component of the book covers the analysis of materials, together with a treatment of sustainable development, such as the protection of monuments from earthquakes and climate change. The authors are all leading international experts, drawn from a variety of backgrounds: architecture, civil engineering, conservation science, geology and material science, with close links to professional organisations such as ICOMOS or universities and research centres throughout Europe. Audience: This book will be of interest to geologists, engineers, restorers, consulting engineers, designers and other professionals dealing with cultural heritage and sustainable development. Also graduate students in applied geo-science (mineralogy, geochemistry, petrology), architecture and civil engineering will find interesting information in this book.

First published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Stone buildings and monuments form the cultural centres of many of the world's urban areas. Frequently these areas are prone to high levels of atmospheric pollution that promote a variety of aggressive stone decay processes. Because of this, stone decay is now widely recognised as a severe threat to much of our cultural heritage. An interdisciplinary approach between geologists, environmental scientists, chemists, material scientists, civil engineers, restorers and architects aims to strengthen the knowledge base dealing with the causes, consequences, prevention and solution of stone decay problems.

In this volume scientists from different disciplines present their experience and their scientific work in progress. These concern the properties of a series of stones that have been used for the erection of some of the most important stone monuments of international cultural heritage and are also used today for substitution of missing parts or completion of damaged ones. It deals with the subject globally and contains unpublished research results.

This bestselling book has been fully revised and updated to include valuable new case studies and examples which help to demonstrate the common problems found in older buildings. It features many additional photographs illustrating the decay mechanims and individual issues associated with damp, timber decay, masonry defects, roofing problems and many other aspects. The book begins by summarizing the basics of surveying practice, including the inspection, assessment, defect diagnosis and monitoring of defects. It then examines the building elements, discussing their construction, typical faults and their diagnoses. This section provides specific advice on assessing industrial monuments and features concise inspection checklists for ease of reference. In the final section, the author looks to the future, considering the specific challenges faced by property professionals when employed to survey historic buildings. The book is accompanied by comprehensive appendices, including sample survey forms, and a list of useful contacts is followed by an extensive bibliography. This book will be of particular interest to conservation officers, surveyors, architects, archaeologists and planners.

Written by a geologist rather than an art historian, Inigo’s Stones has a down to earth narrative which reveals Inigo Jones as a stone expert who dealt with masons to became a shrewd businessman, bringing Portland stones to London, and founding the modern Portland stone industry.Why are so many of London’s famous buildings, for example Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, the Bank of England, the government offices in Whitehall, faced with stones from the Isle of Portland, more than a hundred miles away? Until now the reasons that prompted famous architect Inigo Jones to bring blocks of this creamy limestone all the way by sea from the Royal Manor of Portland and thereby found the modern Portland stone industry had been something of a mystery.Working with archival research specialist James Derriman, geologist Tom Williamson has now reconstructed a scenario that solves the mystery. It is a complex tale that involves the marriage of Inigo’s chief Banqueting House mason Nicholas Stone to the daughter of the City Mason of booming Amsterdam, a nasty incident at the stone-loading pier at Portland and Inigo Jones’s struggles to pay stone workers from King James’s bankrupt Treasury.The new findings presented in Inigo’s Stones also see Inigo Jones studying Roman stones and marbles in Italy with Lord and Lady Arundel, initiating the first geological study of Stonehenge, searching for Portland stones big enough to replicate the Carystian marble monoliths of the Roman temple of Antoninus and Faustina in London and procuring Irish marbles to reflect imperial glory on his friend King Charles I. Inigo emerges not just as a Court propagandist and Vitruvian architect, but also as a resourceful businessman doing his best to cope at a time when the government was even shorter of cash than it is today.Reflecting on the questions raised by Inigo’s work for the Stuart kings, the author Tom Williamson extends the story to cover the whole field of how rulers have used stones and marbles to project imperial power. Focusing on the stones of three once-mighty empires, the Roman, the Mughal and the British, the book ends with a surprising twist.

First published in 1996, this volume has been substantially updated to reflect new research in the conservation of stone monuments, sculpture, and archaeological sites.