Alabama Architecture is a lavishly illustrated book that interprets the state's rich architectural landscape in a fresh manner that is appealing to general readers as well as design professionals. With the use of spare, engaging text, careful building documantation, and artful photography, Alice Bowsher and Lewis Kennedy focus the reader's eye and understanding on the variety of ways ideas come to life in the hands of architects and builders.
With more than 150 original, full-color images, the book is organized into chapters devoted to basic design elements: place, form, space, balance, materials, light, movement, proportion, context, and delight. Featured are 100 Alabama sites from all regions of the state, dating from the antebellum period to the present day, both grand and modest. Ranging from the Greek Revival opulence of the Gaineswood mansion in Demopolis to the humble weathered logs of the Claybank pioneer church in Ozark; from the romantic profile of a medieval keep in the Lineville Water Tower to the flowing wave motif of the Mercedes-Benz Visitor Center at Vance; and from the pungent, dimly lit interior of Dreamland Bar-B-Que in Tuscaloosa to the modern, light-drenched lobby of the Southern Progress office building in Birmingham, Bowsher and Kennedy carry us on an exhilarating, educational, and aesthetic tour of the state.
Published in cooperation with the Alabama Architecutral Foundation, Alabama Architecture presents an original, compelling picture of Alabama and its broadly diverse architecture. Written for a popular audience, the book is an ideal gift for all readers interested in architecture, design, southern heritage, or Alabamiana. More than that, Alabama Architecture is a lasting tribute to the architects, designers, builders, and craftsmen who have enriched the state with their vision and art.
This project has been made possible in part by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Alabama Historical Commission.
