Stone Architecture

The limitations of the Modernist palette have long been recognized and contemporary architects are looking to the ancient values of stone to give new expression to their ideas. Its permanence is increasingly used to express a sense of civic stability or ground the fluid forms of contemporary architecture. This paperback version of the book New Stone Architecture, originally published in 2003, explores the special role of stone in a timely reassessment of the ideas that underpin today's stone renaissance. The introduction uncovers the expressive possibilities of stone, describes the new technologies which make the new forms possible and offers an interpretation based on the author's technical and theoretical understanding of material themes. This is followed by 33 case studies from around the world. Architects featured include Michael Hopkins, Kengo Kuma and Renzo Piano.