Charleston fancy : little houses and big dreams in the holy city / Witold Rybczynski.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rybczynski, Witold, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Architecture--South Carolina--Charleston.

Architecture.

Sociology, Urban--South Carolina--Charleston.

Sociology, Urban.

South Carolina--Charleston.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (253 pages)

Place of Publication:

New Haven ; London : Yale University Press, 2019.

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

A captivating chronicle of building in modern-day Charleston, making a case for architecture based on historical precedent, local context, and the ability to delight Charleston, South Carolina, which boasts America's first historic district, is known for its palmetto-lined streets and picturesque houses. The Holy City, named for its profusion of churches, exudes an irresistible charm. Award-winning author and cultural critic Witold Rybczynski unfolds a series of stories about a group of youthful architects, builders, and developers based in Charleston: a self-taught home builder, an Air Force pilot, a fledgling architect, and a bluegrass mandolin player. Beginning in the 1980s, this cast of characters, exercising a kind of amateur mastery, produced an eclectic array of buildings inspired by the past-including a domed Byzantine drawing room, a fanciful medieval castle, a restored freedman's cottage, a miniature Palladian villa, and a contemporary Mediterranean street. In his careful profiles of these protagonists and the challenges they have overcome in realizing their dreams, Rybczynski compellingly emphasizes the importance of architecture and urban design on a local level, how an old city can remake itself by invention as well as replication, and the role that individuals still play in transforming the urban landscapes around them.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

PART I

ONE. George's House

TWO. Tully and Charles

THREE. The Unholy City

FOUR. Loving Charleston

PART II

FIVE. Palladio and Polystyrene

SIX. Turrets and Domes

SEVEN. Andrew's World

EIGHT. The Education of a Developer

NINE. New Urbanism in Old Charleston

TEN. Townscapes

PART III

ELEVEN. The Monopoly Game

TWELVE. Reid's Dream

THIRTEEN. Urban Ergonomics

FOURTEEN. Building Catfiddle

FIFTEEN. Keeping Charleston

Notes on Sources

Acknowledgments

Illustration Credits

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-300-24383-9

OCLC:

1101898544