Story of Architecture

Witold Rybczynski is an architect and emeritus professor of urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of twenty-one books, including Home, How Architecture Works, and Charleston Fancy.

“Rybczynski’s expansive account traces the influence of social, technological, and economic shifts on architecture across centuries.”—New York Times Book Review“The Story of Architecture is a great treasure. What a rare gift Rybczynski has. Students lucky enough to immerse themselves in these pages will remember the experience forever.”—Ingrid Rowland, author of Vitruvius: Ten Books on Architecture“Ever the pragmatist, Rybczynski shares exactly what he sees and what he wants us to see. Simultaneously celebrating the power of architectural practice over many centuries and the humanness always inherent in the creation of great buildings, this remarkable book is accessible to a broad public yet full of wisdom for the practicing architect.”—William Rawn, founding principal, William Rawn Associates Architects“Rybczynski’s riveting narrative, in a voice both erudite and personal, illuminates an anthology of important buildings. He reveals not only the historical and intellectual roots but above all the beauty of the architecture.”—Peter Pennoyer, architect and author of A House in the Country“Witold Rybczynski is one of architecture’s most genial storytellers. His newest tome, The Story of Architecture—told primarily through the Western canon—is a wonderful and refreshingly readable primer on the development of the art of building.”—Deborah Berke, FAIA, dean, Yale School of Architecture