Building Facades: Faces, Figures, and Ornamental DetailFaces, figures, and ornamental sculpture have been integrated into building forms since the dawn of humanity. In the past they adorned virtually every building and public plaza, humanizing architecture and enriching its "gift to the street". Even today, there are thousands of faces and figures on the facades of urban buildings nationwide. Yet because most of them are above street level, they often go unnoticed by the casual observer. This book brings them closer through a powerful telephoto lens. It also makes them a stirring case for the preservation, restoration, and continued use of the structures on which these elements appear. The main body of the book chronicles the elements and forms of architectural ornaments worldwide. It is devoted to highly detailed individual images, arranged in an "A-to-Z" format by their location on facades (such as cornices, lintels, or windows), and also by categories such as animal forms and human forms. A glossary and multiple cross-references make it easy to find information and trace influences. Renewal is also an essential theme. Many cutting-edge architects are currently reviving the use of faces, figures, and details on contemporary buildings. We witness the imaginative results, along with some innovative solutions regarding new facades. |
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Common terms and phrases
ANIMAL FORMS appears arcade arch architects architecture Art Deco Art Nouveau balcony bands Baroque bas-relief bottom center panel brackets brick building facades cade capital cartouche carved caryatids cast cast-iron center image center panel shows cherubs classical colors columns corbels corner cornice curtainwall curved decorative dome door doorway eagle elements entrance exterior facade flanking frame Frank Lloyd Wright frieze gable glass glazed Gothic grotesque half-figures head horizontal human face image shows interior keystone left image lion Louis Sullivan marble masonry medallions ment metal Million Dollar Theater modern moldings motifs museum namental original orna ornamental details painted Palace parapet Paris pediment Photographer Photos pilaster plaque relief Renaissance renovation restoration right image right panel roof sculpted sculpture soffit space spandrel sphinx stone structure style surface symbolic temple terra-cotta theater theme tion top center panel top right tower ture Venice vertical wall window winged York City
References to this book
Montréal vu de près: voûtons, frontons, façades et gargouilles Kirk Johnson,David Widgington No preview available - 2002 |