Great Public Squares: An Architect's Selection By Robert F. Gatje
W.W. Norton & Co., New York, N.Y.; 2010
224 pp; hardcover; profusely illustrated with full-color images and 35 ground plans;
ISBN 978-0-393-73173-62
What makes one open space a great public square, while another space of equal size is an urban wasteland? This new book by architect Robert F. Gatje addresses that question through detailed examination of 40 of the world's great "outdoor rooms."
The full-page CAD plans are drawn in exquisite detail and to uniform scale, so it's easy to compare layouts of the various plazas (see illustration). In addition to the plans, the author provides a table of basic physical data about each square that will interest designers, including: Plan dimensions; ratio of width to length; area; typical height of walls to skyline; ratio of width to skyline height; and angle of view from the short side to the skyline. -- reviewed by Clem Labine, traditional-building.com
No comments:
Post a Comment