This book is a one-stop guide to the world’s greatest architectural achievements. Comprehensive and concise, it contains reviews of the most influential structures ever built worldwide. Covering a diverse array of architectural traditions and construction styles–from the bold and brash to the spiritual and reserved, from Angkor Wat to the Parthenon, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater to Frank Gehry’s Bilbao Guggenheim–the book celebrates the vision and achievement of world architecture. Entries are organized chronologically and include essential information on the featured building, as well as the social, political, cultural, and geographical considerations that influenced the design. Stunning illustrations and photographs highlight the technical feats and aesthetic brilliance of architects past and present. This comprehensive collection is an accessible reference for anyone interested in the history of architecture.

馬剋·歐文（Mark Irving）是藝術專欄和建築專欄的撰稿人，為很多報紙和雜誌供稿，其中包括《泰晤士報》、《金融時報》、《星期日獨立報》、《衛報》和《蘇格蘭人報》等報紙，以及《Domus》、《藍圖》、《展望》、《時代》、《快報》、《新政治傢》和《周末攻略》等雜誌。他所創作並齣演的三集電視係列片《裝飾藝術的故事》於2003年播齣之後廣受好評。馬剋還在多本書籍和手冊中發錶文章，並為2006年在蛇形畫廊舉行的“談話馬拉鬆”構思和製作瞭最新的手翻書。