About the Book
What turns a building into an icon? What is it about some structures that makes their history and legend even more important than their original intended use, making them a part of American, and world, popular culture? Twenty four buildings and structures, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the White House, the Hotel del Coronado, and the Washington Monument are presented here, along with their roles in fiction, film, music, and the imagination of people worldwide. Approximately twenty five images are included in the set, along with sidebars featuring additional structures.
Table of Contents:
List of Photos
Series Foreword
Preface & Acknowledgements
Volume 1
The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas
Alcatraz, San Francisco, California
Brooklyn Bridge, New York City
Empire State Building, New York City
Fallingwater, Bear Run, Pennsylvania
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Califorina
Graceland Mansion, Memphis, Tennessee
Grand Central Terminal, New York City
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California
Hoover Dam, Colorado River, Nevada/Arizona
Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, California
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
Volume 2
Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia
Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
Sears Tower, Chicago, Illinois
Statue of Liberty, New York City
United Nations Headquarters, New York City
United States Capitol, Washington, DC
USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC
Washington Monument, Washington, DC
White House, Washington, DC
World Trade Center, New York City
Glossary
About the Author :
DONALD LANGMEAD is an adjunct professor at Louis Laybourne Smith School of Design, University of South Australia. Now retired, his primary training is as an architect, although he has spent most of his professional life in academia. He holds postgraduate qualifications in city planning, and the history of architecture. Langmead has published nine books in the field (four as joint author) in Australia and the USA, as well as many articles in Australian and overseas journals.
Review :
. . . once engaged, researchers will appreciate the thoroughness of the information and will find the stories compelling and satisfying. As with other selections in the Icons series, this offers a unique way to introduce the popular history of the U.S. to students and is recommended for most secondary collections. Collections supporting architectural programs will also want to consider it.
This two-volume encyclopedia of 'iconic' examples of American architecture, part of the Greenwood Icons series, discusses 24 of the most memorable structures such as Alcatraz Prison, the Empire State Building and the Washington Monument. Langmead (architecture and design, U. of South Australia) explains the historical significance of each icon by
exploring the reasons why it was built and how it became an icon. He provides an architect's view of the unique features of each structure and even provides details on the costs and challenges of construction. He provides plenty of illustrations and photographs of these icons—the images of the Golden Gate Bridge while under construction are particularly striking—and he includes a glossary that makes this reference equally accessible to architectural students and general readers.'
His guide is suitable for public and academic libraries.
