About Buildings + Cities

01:20:29

141 — Bruno Zevi's 'The Modern Language of Architecture'

About Buildings + Cities ·

2026/09/22

In the second episode of our 'Language' trilogy, we discussed Bruno Zevi's 'The Modern Language of Architecture', first published in Italian as 'Il linguaggio moderno dell'architettura' in 1978, partly in response to Summerson's 'The Classical Language of Architecture' the subject of our previous episode. Zevi is a fascinating figure in 20th century Italian culture and politics. From a Roman Italian-Jewish family, he studied under Walter Gropius at Havard during the 30s and 40s due to Mussolini's

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00:02:40

*Preview* — Piranesi's Heirs Bonus Episode

About Buildings + Cities ·

2026/07/17

This is a preview of a Patreon bonus episode. To listen to the rest, consider supporting the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/about_buildingsIn this penultimate bonus episode in our Piranesi series we talked about Piranesian vibes in literary and artistic culture, including forays into the work of Thomas De Quincey, Gustave Doré, Jorge Luis Borges, the graphic novels of François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters and the recent 'Backrooms' movie. Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show

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00:59:08

138 — Piranesi 3 — Ichnographiam Campii Martii

About Buildings + Cities ·

2026/05/26

In the penultimate episode of our series on Giovanni Battista Piranesi, we discussed his Ichnographia Campii Martii, one of his stranged and most inventive projects, a vast reconstruction of Ancient Rome, which blends together a little bit of archaeology with a massive injection of fantasy, plastering much of the open countryside around the city with endless, fractal Beaux Arts geometries. At around 30 minutes George can't remember the name of a large multi-vaulted commercial/light industrial

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00:56:31

137 — Piranesi 2 — The Antiquities of Rome

About Buildings + Cities ·

2026/04/23

In the second episode of our series on Giovanni Battista Piranesi, we discussed his multi-volume project, Le Antichità Romane de' tempo della prima Repubblica e dei primi imperatori, a deep study and representation of Roman Antiquity, channelled through his vivid imagination, mixing rigorous archaeological measurement and close attention to constructional details with romantic and fantastical visions of the ancient world.To follow along with the images, check out this episode on YouTube:

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00:53:57

136 — Piranesi 1 — Prima Parte

About Buildings + Cities ·

2026/03/27

In the first part of our new series on Piranesi we discussed his upbringing and background in Venice, his earliest travels to Rome and first work with Giuseppe Vasi and Tiepolo. We talked a little about the historical and cultural context of Piranesi’s work, before getting stuck into his Prima parte di Architettura e Prospettive (1743) and Varie Vedute di Roma Antica e Moderna (1745), and start to map out the rest of his oeuvre that will form the rest of the series.This is the first episode of a

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00:02:12

*Preview* Show and Tell Bonus — Santa Maria del...

About Buildings + Cities ·

2026/02/18

To get full access to this episode, please consider supporting us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/about_buildingsTaking cues from the 'Show and Tell' main episode, Editor Matt joined us for a bonus and brought along a couple of interesting buildings to discuss. The first, Santa Maria del Naranco, in Asturia Northern Spain, was built as a summer palace for King Ramiros I in 842 CE. It is a surprising building in many ways, precociously Romanesque and highly resolved by 9th-century standards, its

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00:48:49

131 — Sigfried Giedion's Space, Time and Architecture...

About Buildings + Cities ·

2025/10/15

In the second part of our discussion of Sigfried Giedion's 'Space, Time and Architecture' we covered the canalpunk aesthetics of cast-iron bridges, the transformation of material technology in the 19th-century and the Chicago School, completing his teleological march up to modernism which we will discuss in the next episode.To follow along with the images, you can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z2NCz-xl7V8 Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive

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01:02:41

*Patreon Bonus Unlocked* — WG Sebald's Rings of Saturn

About Buildings + Cities ·

2025/09/10

This is an unlocked Patreon bonus episode from our series on WG Sebald (episodes 77 & 78 in the main feed), if you enjoyed listening to this episode, please consider supporting the show on Patreon for access to our entire back catalogue of bonus episodes. In this final bonus episode from our series on WG Sebald, we discussed his two books 'The Rings of Saturn' (1995) and 'On the Natural History of Destruction' (1999). Both texts return to key themes of Sebald's writing: The Rings of Saturn is a

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00:47:03

*Patreon Bonus Unlocked* — Otto Wagner's Unbuilt...

About Buildings + Cities ·

2025/08/27

This is an unlocked bonus episode from our series on Otto Wagner, released to mark the end of our Plečnik series. You can listen to the whole of our Otto Wagner series, episodes 79–83 on the main feed. If you want access to our full back catalogue of bonus episodes, please consider supporting the show on Patreon!We are going on a summer holiday, but will be back at the end of September with new episodes on Sigfried Gidieon's 1941 book 'Space, Time and Architecture'. Edited by Matthew Lloyd

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00:47:19

128 — Jože Plečnik 5 — The River & the City

About Buildings + Cities ·

2025/06/30

More Plečnik in Ljubljana! Here we talked about his approach to the Ljubljanica, the river that runs through the middle of the city, including the weirs, bridges and sluices which control its flow, the iconic triple bridge, and the various market buildings which face onto the riverside.To follow along with images for this episode, check out the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jQknKgoaQKI Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every

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00:51:50

126 — Jože Plečnik 3 — More Churches and a Cemetery

About Buildings + Cities ·

2025/05/27

In the third episode of our Plečnik miniseries we talked about a couple more churches and the cemetery of Ljubljana. Specifically we discussed: the Church of St Michael, Črna Vas or the Church of St Michael in the Marsh (Cerkev sv. Mihaela na Barju); the Church of St Anthony of Padua, Belgrade (Црква Светог Антуна Падованског) and Žale Central Cemetery, Ljubljana (Centralno pokopališče Žale).Watch this episode on YouTube to follow along with images: https://youtu.be/m2Lhu-3TpuE Edited by Matthew

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00:50:34

125 — Jože Plečnik 2 — Four Churches

About Buildings + Cities ·

2025/05/08

In the second episode of our miniseries on Jože Plečnik, we discussed four of his early church buildings, each representing a unique interlacing of early Christian architecture, 20th century classicism, and his idiosyncratic approach to style, detailing and planning which give all his buildings such a unique atmosphere. In this episode we discussed: St. Bartholomew's Church, Ljubljana (cerkev sv. Jerneja) Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord, Prague (Kostel Nejsvětějšího Srdce Páně) Church

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01:43:15

124 — Jože Plečnik 1 — From Sezessionstil to Deep Time

About Buildings + Cities ·

2025/04/24

This is the first episode in a new series about the Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik, who blended inspiration from deep antiquity with the modern sensibilities he learnt as a student of Otto Wagner (subject of a previous ABC miniseries episodes 79–83). Here we discussed his upbringing and education, time in Italy and his idiosyncratic classical sources from Etruscan deep time and late antiquity. Later his career and earliest commissions in Vienna and Prague, especially the Zacherlhaus, Church of the

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01:48:03

117 — John Soane 7 — The Museum

About Buildings + Cities ·

2024/10/02

In the final episode of our series on Sir John Soane we discussed his house and museum on Lincoln's Inn Fields in the centre of London, where the museum kindly allowed us to record this episode. We also talked about Pitzhanger, his country house in Ealing, and the development of his unique collecting practice. To follow along with the images we discussed and see clips from our visit, check out this episode on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/gOzIg5kB2Hg You can see the full length video tour

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00:09:26

*Preview* — Soane's Reputation Bonus Episode

About Buildings + Cities ·

2024/08/27

This is a cilp from our latest Patreon bonus episode, a discussion of Soane's contemporary reputation, particularly satirical and critical writing in the periodical press, not least by his estranged son George!You can listen to this episode in full on our Patreon feed: https://www.patreon.com/about_buildings Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow

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00:39:10

116 — John Soane 6 — Monuments

About Buildings + Cities ·

2024/07/30

In the sixth part of our series on John Soane, we discussed some major monumental buildings in and around London. We began with Dulwich Picture Gallery, perhaps the first purpose-built public art gallery in the world. Then we discussed his church buildings in Marylebone, Southwark and Bethnal Green respectively.Watch on YouTube to see the images as we discuss them: https://youtu.be/8IFQjALMaW8 Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every

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00:57:46

112 — John Soane 2 — Rustic / Classical

About Buildings + Cities ·

2024/03/25

In episode 2 of our series on John Soane, we discussed the projects he worked on after returning from his Grand Tour of Italy, but before he got his career-defining job as surveyor to the Bank of England. These include several built and unbuilt schemes for country houses, a proposal for a pair of enormous prisons in strict geometrical manner, and several rural outbuildings in a rustic classicism that draw upon the founding myths of architecture.Images for this episode can be found on our YouTube

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01:09:26

111 — John Soane 1 — 'Visions of Early Fancy'

About Buildings + Cities ·

2024/03/05

We're back!! In this first episode of our new series on John Soane (1753–1837) we discuss his origins: the child prodigy draughtsman, son of a bricklayer, apprentice of George Dance, winner of a studentship at the Royal Academy, and later with his Design for a Triumphal Bridge, winner of the Royal Academy and a travelling scholarship to Italy, enabling him to join the aristocratic young men of Britain on their Grand Tour. Over the rest of this series we will discuss is iconic works: the Bank of

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00:49:08

110 — Rem Koolhaas's Delirious New York — 3/3

About Buildings + Cities ·

2023/11/28

The final part of our series on 'Delirious New York'! We discussed the culture clash between European high modernism and Manhattanism. We also discussed the Appendix at the end of the book, a set of speculative, wry, ironic and beautiful visions of where next for the retroactive manifesto, featuring the work of Madelon Vriesendorp, Zoe Zenghelis, Elia Zenghelis and Richard Perlmutter.Hope you enjoy it! Watch this episode with images: https://youtu.be/ouVLzj-292s Edited by Matthew Lloyd

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00:59:24

109 — Rem Koolhaas's Delirious New York — 2/3

About Buildings + Cities ·

2023/11/06

In our second episode on Rem Koolhaas's Delirious New York, we covered his discussion of three heroic skyscrapers of Manhattanism's golden age: The Empire State Building, The New York Athletic Club and The Rockefeller Centre. We also tried to further explain Koolhaas's unique way of thinking about history, and the particular emphases of his project. For images, follow along on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tmOfxCU3dvA Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content

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