Experiencing Architecture

Written by Danish architect Steen Eiler Rasmussen and first published in English in 1959, this book is rich in illustrations of notable architectural and design work across many centuries. Its examples range from everyday objects such as teacups, riding boots and golf balls to an underwater sculpture, with Palladio's villas and a fish-feeding pavilion in the Peking Winter Palace also included.

Rather than focusing only on famous monuments, Rasmussen explores less familiar corners of design to show what makes something well made and pleasing to use. He contrasts earlier communities, which shaped their own homes and tools, with modern ordinary people who often live in houses that lack distinction.

His answer is that better architecture depends on public understanding of what architects do. In his view, good professional work needs a knowledgeable audience of non-specialist lovers of art.