"Michael Lewis deploys his gifts as a storyteller to convey the ideas,
aspirations, vanities and struggles that gave form to Philadelphia's
most important buildings. Written with ferocious passion and deep
scholarship, these architectural histories frequently charmed me,
occasionally provoked me, and ultimately left me with a richer
understanding of the city I thought I already knew."--Inga Saffron,
architecture critic, Philadelphia Inquirer, and author of Becoming
Philadelphia
In Philadelphia Builds, architecture critic Michael J. Lewis explains
why Philadelphia has produced so many extraordinary architects,
including Louis Kahn, Frank Furness, and Robert Venturi. Lewis has
written about the architecture of his native city for over three
decades, and Philadelphia Builds brings together twenty-two of his
best essays―including one about Kahn's little-known project to design a
memorial for Vladimir Lenin and another which is the first substantial
profile of Willis G. Hale, cult hero of Philadelphia hipsters.
Other essays treat William Penn's plan for his new Quaker city, the
fierce competitions that gave the city its greatest civic monuments, and
also contemporary buildings such as the Barnes Foundation. Richly
illustrated with drawings and photographs throughout, Philadelphia
Builds is an engaging account of the people and forces that shaped the
city from the 1700s to the present day. Includes 120 b/w photographs and
images.
