On Architecture

A new, illustrated edition of a foundational work on architecture, engineering, and urban planning

The only treatise on architecture to have survived from Roman times, Vitruvius' On Architecture provides a fascinating picture of how the Romans planned and built their great structures and cities. Dedicated to Augustus, it sets out all the information an architect of the time needed-from plans for temples, public baths, government buildings, and private homes to the best materials and techniques for building-and introduces longstanding principles of architecture, from the use of nature's harmonies in design to the ideal modular proportions of the human body, which later inspired Leonardo da Vinci. This new translation, accompanied by 100 black-and-white images, captures the clear, pragmatic tone of Vitruvius' writings, showing why the ancient architect and engineer's theories have remained influential for two millennia.