Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #111632 in Books
• Published on: 1960-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 331 pages

Customer Reviews

A Classic
A book which was at the heart of architectural theory for over 1500 years can't be entirely outdated. Many of the issues and ideas which Vitruvius brings up are still relevant to modern architecture and, at the very least, give us an idea of the theory behind much architecture, both before and after Vitruvius' life. Of course, it can't be relied upon as a comprehensive guide to architecture and there are some points which are innacurate in terms of history or theory, but you take this book with a pinch of salt, and accept that this is where architectural theory started, and you have to respect it for that!

interesting perspective
Vitruvius's 10 books (or chapters) on architecture lets you view life through the lens of the 1st century BC builder. While Vitruvius does explain the principals of how to build various buildings and rules for the construction and use of columns, perhaps the most amusing part of the book is his description of life and the things that govern it. Throughout the book he describes certain materials that should be selected for building and their composition of the four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water. In some sections he spends an excessive amount of time making a point, and some points are glossed over. Many of the things he describes we are still doing to this day. A fascinating read all in all.

hard to follow
however, it is an ancient book... I used the dimensions and architectural scales to build my model of a greek temple. Very informative when it comes to that, cause not many books have to-scale drawings of the building.