Architects' Dream Houses

How do great houses come to be? Here are the stories of 10 extraordinary homes and their creation. From London architect Sir John Soane's postneoclassical 18th-century abode--and his awareness of light as an element of design--to writer Curzio Malaparte's spectacular-yet-austere 1930s villa, perched atop a rocky spur in Capri, Architects' Dream Houses ably illustrates the influences that led to the emergence of modernism. Included are such notable homes as William Morris and Philip Webb's Red House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Hill House, Sir Edwin Lutyen's Mallet House, Victor Horta's house and studio, Antionio Gaudi's Guell Palace, Emmanuel Pontremoli's Greek villa for Theodore Reinach, and the interiors of writer Pierre Loti's home. This is an exquisitely photographed and splendidly written book.