Elements of architecture, from form to place + tectonics - Pierre von Meiss

Modernity has opened the way to a richer pluralism of forms. Yet even if architecture is a cultural phenomenon, this does not mean that it is a product of fashion.

Architecture's principles are enduring, and its foundations less tangible than the novices who try to undermine them might suspect. In order to begin this journey to its foundations, one must first grasp the basics: be aware of the permanence of the architectural field and appreciate its time-tested certainties. This book will act as a guide for the reader. Neither encyclopaedia nor dictionary, it aims to fill in the gaps identifiable from the perspective of our times, serving as a contemporary introduction to architectural design and criticism.

As a result of the critical acclaim it has received, the first edition has been adopted as a reference text in numerous schools and translated into several languages. This new translation, made from the 3rd edition in French, presents a revised content with the addition of three chapters devoted to tectonics.