Trailer: An Introduction to...Stories of Architecture
Behind every great building is a story – of ambition, imagination, power, rivalry and sometimes extraordinary genius.
In Stories of Architecture, architectural historians Jonathan Foyle and Katherine Alcock and architecture critic Edwin Heathcote explore the people and places that have shaped the world around us. Some episodes follow the lives and careers of great architects, uncovering the influences, ideas and defining moments behind their work. Others tell the extraordinary stories of iconic buildings and monuments – from the Eiffel Tower to Windsor Castle – revealing how and why they were built, the people who created them and the events they have witnessed.
From architectural masterpieces and engineering triumphs to palaces, homes and buildings that changed the course of history, Stories of Architecture brings the human stories behind architecture to life – and reveals why the buildings of the past still matter today.
Katherine Alcock is an art historian and one of London’s celebrated Blue Badge Tourist Guides. With academic training in History and History of Art, Katherine has spent over 13 years teaching, touring and talking on the subject of architecture and Britain’s extraordinary buildings. Her ability to bring past worlds to life through vivid storytelling has seen her appear on several radio and television programmes, speaking on a wide variety of subjects, from tourism and travel to the history of toilets. She is a tutor and lecturer for the Institute of Tourist Guiding, and a former Chair of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers' Association.
Dr Jonathan Foyle is best known for presenting BBC series including the Broadcast Award-winning Climbing Great Buildings. He is author of seven books on English architecture, and wrote extensively on craft and domestic buildings for the Financial Times. With an academic training in Architecture, History of Art and a PhD in Archaeology, he was a Curator of Historic Buildings at Hampton Court Palace, and formerly led the UK office of World Monuments Fund through a series of major fundraising and conservation programmes. He presently lectures on Architectural History and Conservation in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath.
Edwin Heathcote is the Architecture and Design Critic of The Financial Times. He is a former architect and designer and the author of around a dozen books. He is the founder of Reading Design and the Keeper of Meaning at The Cosmic House. His most recent book is On the Street: In Between Architecture, HENI Books.
