Update Your Travel Itinerary!
by Phaidon
Phaidon Press, $24.95, 469 pages
When traveling in Greece, most tourists stop to see the Parthenon, Acropolis and other ruins. The Phaidon Atlas Project challenges travelers to update their choice of destinations and include some contemporary buildings. One way readers can increase their awareness of current architecture is to get The Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture: Travel Edition. Each entry includes a photo of the front of the building as well as contact information and a short paragraph about noteworthy architectural aspects. The index is organized by architects and also by location. ||This is meant to be a pocket guide so it is a small book. Photos are tiny and the edition lacks inclusion of architectural elements such as floor plans, design photos, elevations and historical influences. Readers interested in a more detailed study of the buildings should check out the Comprehensive Edition. This is a great resource to have while planning a trip. Users can turn right to their destination and decide which sites to add to their itinerary. It is not, however, a travel friendly book due to the brief entries on each building. Rather than carrying it around in a backpack, readers should use it as a jumping off point in the planning and research stage. Keep in mind this is only one group’s list of must-see architecture. Nevertheless, it is a good start.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin
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