Airports: A Century of Architecture: Amazon.ca: Hugh Pearman: Books

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From Publishers Weekly

With a text rich in information clearly presented, and with some of the 325 illustrations (175 in full color) rising above the usual stock and archival fare, one would think the results of this niche history would be satisfying. A clear knowledge of (and affection for) his subject informs the presentation by Pearman, architecture correspondent for London's Sunday Times, but the text lacks the spark of travel from the opening sentence: "We tend not to stop and look at airports." The layout is disjointed, with photos placed and bled in a perfunctory attempt at variety rather than a design suitable to its subject, which suggests speed, romance, the unknown—and the state of waiting for them. Still, Pearman is affable and voluble on the development of aircraft and the architecture that serves them, and he hits unexpected locales like Kuala Lumpur and Cape Town (though the overwhelming emphasis is on the U.S., U.K. and Europe). A sepia photo of a 1930s interior of France's Rochambeau flying boat, packed with stylish women at a bar and lounging on bunk beds, for example, is arresting after a parade of uninhabited interiors and exteriors from a variety of eras. The overall effect, while offering all the necessary amenities, falls short of charm and adventure, much as functionality defines the beginnings and ends of most flights.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Book Description

Since their emergence at the start of the 20th century, airports have become one of the most distinctive and important of architectural building types. Often used to symbolize progress, freedom and trade, they offer architects the chance to design on a grand scale. At the beginning of the 21st century, airports are experiencing a new and exciting renaissance as they adapt and evolve into a new type of building; one that is complete, self-contained, adaptable and catering to a new range of demands. As passengers are held in airports far longer than they used to be, they have also now become destinations in their own right. Airports celebrates the most important airport designs in the world. Beginning with an exploration of the first structures of aviation, and early designs such as the Berlin Tempelhof, the book explores the key airports of the century up to the present day, including Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal in New York, Renzo Piano's Kansai Airport and Norman Foster's Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong. Concepts and theories, from the imagery of flight to the vision of the airport as a city, are considered, suggesting that the likeliest outcome for the airport of the 21st century is continuing and everlasting change.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
We tend not to stop and look at airports. Read the first page

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Airports: A Century of Architecture [Hardcover]

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