The Most Beautiful House in the World"A winning book, a pleasure to read…a revelation about what architects actually do and how they go about doing it." –Los Angeles Times Witold Rybezynski takes us on an extraordinary odyssey as he tells the story of designing and building of his own house. Rybezynski’s project began as a workshed; through a series of "happy accidents," however, the structure gradually evolved into a full-fledge house. In tracing this evolution, he touches on matters both theoretical and practical, writing on such diverse topics as the distinguished structural descendants of the humble barn, the ritualistic origins of the elements of classical architecture, and the connections between dress and habitation, and between architecture and gastronomy. Rybezynski discusses feng shui, the Chinese art of placing a home in the landscape, and also considers the theories and work of such architects as Palladio, Le Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright. An eloquent examination of the links between being and building, The Most Beautiful House in the World offers insights into the joys of "installing ourselves in a place, of establishing a spot where it be safe to dream." |
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Abbotsford Alberti ancient appearance architect architectural bathroom became boat boatbuilding shed boatbuilding workshop brick builder building game Built Things called Carl Larsson cathedral Centre Pompidou century Chinese classical Clemens client concrete construction toys cottage country house cruck cruck barn decorated described domestic drawings English English barn façade Fallingwater famous farm farmhouse Farnsworth house feet feng-shui floor Formentera Frank Lloyd Wright front door function Gothic H. H. Richardson historian house of cards intended kitchen landscape Larsson later Le Corbusier least living Lloyd Wright located longhouse look meadow medieval models modern Montreal nails painted Palladio Penguin Books play porch portico produced Quebec resembled Roman shape shelter Shirley side sketches slope space Stevenson stone structure surroundings tall trees Vailima Victorian Villa Rotonda visitor Vitruvius walls window Witold Rybczynski wood workroom write to Penguin wrote