The title of the new book by architect Charles Holland, How to Enjoy Architecture: A Guide for Everyone, might sound like an instruction but nothing could be further from the truth. The author takes us on a very personal journey and explains why certain buildings elicit a sense of joy and wonder, for a wide variety of reasons.  

Architects have often been accused of creating barriers when they describe buildings because the language they use can be impenetrable, relying on obscure phrases and sometimes inventing terms that would never be used outside of the profession. This book felt more like a series of friendly (and highly informed) conversations that might take place as you journey around a building, considering where and when it was built, and why. The text is extremely accessible and it resonates with a strong sense of the writer’s love for architecture and a lifetime of studying the different ways it can affect people.  

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Holland divides his book into a series of chapters that encompass Style, Composition, Space, Materials, Structure and Use. He uses each of these as a jumping off point to better understand the pressures and processes that go into the making of a building. Short essays at the start of each chapter clearly outline his thesis of why each term is so important to understand the work of the architect, which is then followed by case studies that support his main point. I’m not sure if this publication is meant to act as a tourist guidebook but I now want to make a series of pilgrimages to certain projects, such as the eccentric A La Ronde house in Exmouth or Adolf Loo’s American Bar in Vienna (both in the Use chapter).  

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I was particularly taken with the chapter on Style, as it has been the source of much recent controversy focused on the architectural community. He selects the Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery for the introductory example as it draws us into one of the most high-profile rows about style in modern times, when Prince Charles (now King) described the ABK project as “a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved friend.” This led to the selection of Venturi Scott Brown & Associates to design something more in keeping with its surroundings. Holland takes us on a detailed tour of the extension that was eventually built and encouraged me to reevaluate the chameleon-like nature of the design as it shifts and mimics.  

This book is international in scope but there are plenty of London-based treats to explore if you are seeking gorgeous buildings on a budget, ranging from the bombastic postmodern No. 1 Poultry by  James Stirling to the Georgian proportions set down by Robert Adam. This book should be kept about your person in case you happen to chance upon one of the case studies as you explore town and countryside, or to help plan your next architecturally-led visit.  

How to Enjoy Architecture is published by Yale University Books

Reviewed by Rob Fiehn, London Society director