Australia

Reviews / Votes

a work of great academic rigor that provides a reliable account of the vicissitudes of architecture in Australia from the founding of the modern nation in 1901 to this day; a complex, interesting journey that zooms in on architects and styles but also on the urban and territorial problems that have been important down under. * Arquitectura Viva * Margalit is to be applauded for accepting the challenge inherent in this book . . .it should be essential reading in university studies of Australian architecture; and discussed and debated in architectural offices across Australia and beyond. An interested lay audience would equally enjoy learning about how the architecture and architects of this country have helped shape the stories of its past and future built landscapes. * Fabrications * serves well as an introduction to the subject, especially for those looking to figure Australian work . . . into their knowledge or teaching of architectural modernism. * JSAH * . . . engrossing: a perfect mix of architectural description with discussion of the wider forces in Australian society . . . Margalit's social history approach is masterfully executed, blended together into a narrative that never segues awkwardly or drags on too long. * Michael Moore-Jones * In this outstanding book, Harry Margalit explores how the history of Australian architecture is also the history of Australian society, and vice-versa. He recounts key events and complex ideas with clarity, shining a light on essential points, but never omitting 'the story behind the story'. An engaging narrator who is also an excellent scholar, Margalit leads us through the past and into the future, showing us why architecture continues to matter. * Tom Heneghan, Professor of Architectural Design, Tokyo University of the Arts * With the acumen of a cultural archaeologist, Harry Margalit unravels the state of architecture caught among the myriad forces of class interest, nation-building geopolitics, and above all allegories of continuity and change. A first-class account of the history of architecture in Australia. * Gevork Hartoonian, Professor of History of Architecture, University of Canberra *