Architect and Engineer: A Study in Sibling Rivalry

摘要

This long, rich, profusely illustrated book is both rewarding and maddening. Beautifully produced in an oversized format, it explores the interactions of architects and engineers over four centuries-chiefly in Britain, France, and the United States. Befitting that breadth of aspiration, Andrew Saint has read deeply in dozens of specialist literatures. He deploys that knowledge with verve and assurance. His topic has an inherent fascination as well. Surely these "siblings" have, in their collaborations and rivalries, driven each other's evolution in varying degrees. But in reaching for breadth, Saint delivers up endless narratives. His chapters lack effective framing, and ultimately the book seems a Herculean feat that accomplishes little.