This text in the BCP Classical World series looks at Roman architecture.

This masterful history of the monumental architecture of Alexandria, as well as of the rest of Egypt, encompasses an entire millennium--from the city's founding by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. to the years just after the Islamic conquest of A.D. 642. Long considered lost beyond recall, the architecture of ancient Alexandria has until now remained mysterious. But here Judith McKenzie shows that it is indeed possible to reconstruct the city and many of its buildings by means of meticulous exploration of archaeological remains, written sources, and an array of other fragmentary...

A Companion to Roman Architecture presents a comprehensive review of the critical issues and approaches that have transformed scholarly understanding in recent decades in one easy-to-reference volume.

• Offers a cross-disciplinary approach to Roman architecture, spanning technology, history, art, politics, and archaeology
• Brings together contributions by leading scholars in architectural history
• An essential guide to recent scholarship, covering new archaeological discoveries, lesser known buildings, new technologies and space and...

Royal Gardens explores the development of Chinese imperial gardens, from the Shang dynasty to the Qing dynasty. In ancient China, garden architecture developed from a primitive state to to a highly sophisticated endeavor, with natural beauty reigning as the main theme of garden building. The size and opulence of imperial gardens increased dramatically as time passed. Gardens were conceived as hunting grounds for emperors, but gradually evolved into sanctuaries for rest, relaxation and meditation. Therefore, imperial gardens are generally located in or near seats of Imperial...

In about 35-25 B.C.E., the Roman architect Vitruvius produced his encyclopedic ten-book summary of the principles of Hellenistic architecture, De architectura (On Architecture). These ideas have stimulated architects ever since. In the mid-16th century, the architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) and the humanist Daniele Barbaro (1513-1570) looked to the city of Venice in order to understand and interpret Vitruvius's text - still in need of clarification - which would enable them to solve contemporary architectural problems. They found in the city's medieval and Renaissance streets,...