If you’re interested in reading more about Bruno Zevi’s work, you can find “Architecture as Space: How to Look at Architecture” in PDF format online. This book remains a essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the fundamental principles of architecture and the built environment.

Zevi’s concept of “architecture as space” was influenced by the work of architects such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, who had already begun to experiment with new forms and spatial arrangements in their designs. However, Zevi’s work went beyond the specific designs of individual architects, seeking to establish a new theoretical framework for understanding architecture as a whole.

For centuries, architects and architectural theorists had focused on the formal and aesthetic aspects of buildings. The emphasis was on the visual appeal of structures, their symmetry, proportion, and ornamentation. Buildings were seen as static objects, frozen in time, and evaluated solely on their visual impact. This approach to architecture was rooted in the Renaissance tradition, which prioritized the creation of beautiful and harmonious forms.