Editor’s Foreword
Architecture is unquestionably one of the arts, and certainly not a lesser one, but dealing with it purely as an art would be very incomplete. For, more than other arts, it depends heavily on technology as concerns materials used, construction techniques, and new technological possibilities in other fields. There is also a commercial aspect, as cost matters in many—if not quite all—cases. Meanwhile, broader trends in society and politics impinge on just what will be built, while aesthetic currents and even fads determine what style will be adopted. Thus a multifaceted approach is essential, one that is applied here and makes this historical dictionary particularly useful. This being said, it starts at the beginning, with Ancient Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek and Roman architecture, and others, does not forget the middle with the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo, and again others, and goes right up to PostModernist and High-Tech architecture and, yet again, others. While much of the coverage is “western,” other areas are not forgotten, such as China, India, Japan, or Mesoamerica and, for the last time, others. So it covers all the historical periods from the oldest to the most recent and all the major regions of the world.
This makes the Historical Dictionary of Architecture a welcome addition to the pool of information on the subject even in this age of the Internet when so much can be found on the Web. However, unlike the Web, this is all written by one person who has gone out of her way to integrate the material, so that one dictionary entry relates to another, and there are few gaps and little duplication. This is most obvious from the extensive dictionary section, which covers the periods and styles mentioned above, and the various regions, and also has entries on notable architects, landmark buildings, technical terms, and various building materials. The progression over time and to some extent geographically
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can be traced in the chronology, which also refers readers to specific entries. Meanwhile, the introduction puts architecture in its broader context, and is worthwhile reading in its own right but also as a preliminary to looking up dictionary entries. The bibliography then directs readers to other sources of literature on the topic and even to some websites where further information can be found.
This book was written by Allison Lee Palmer, who is an associate professor of art history at the University of Oklahoma, a place where architecture is particularly appreciated. There she teaches in the School of Art, giving courses on Renaissance art through the art of the 18th century. Obviously she has a specialization, which is Renaissance and Baroque art, on which she has written extensively. This is quite normal for an academic. What is less so is that she has such a broad view of architecture that in this book she can cover the whole field competently, a less common achievement in this age of academic specialization. There is no doubt that an awful lot of work went into writing this historical dictionary, and there is also no doubt that it fills an important gap in this series on Literature and the Arts. It will serve as an unusually helpful and handy guide to many students, teachers, and the general public with an interest in one of the more unique arts.
Jon Woronoff
Series Editor
Preface
The entries in this encyclopedia include architectural developments, major structures, primary materials, and noted architects. By developments, I mean historical eras like the Renaissance, for example, or movements such as Art Deco. Structures include not only major achievements such as the Alhambra, but also diverse architectural inventions including the arch and the skyscraper. Materials discussed range from concrete to stone, and glass to wood. Noted architects include theorists from the Ancient Roman engineer Vitruvius to many current architects like Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava. Nevertheless, this volume is neither a history of architecture nor a comprehensive cataloging of movements, architects, and their creations. Like other encyclopedias, the organization here is alphabetical. However, unlike encyclopedias that aim to include more comprehensive but less detailed information, I have tried to provide more substantial commentary in fewer entries. I have especially aimed to make the historical entries capable of standing alone and, if taken all together, of providing a sufficient history of architecture for the general reader. I realize that my method overlooks a number of extremely gifted artists and outstanding structures. In lieu of comprehensiveness, however, I trust that the contexts provided in this book will enable the reader not only to identify and examine those aspects of architecture that lie outside this volume but also to find a richer appreciation of the basic human urge to build both functional and beautiful structures.
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