From Aalto to ziggurat, this new work is an authoritative and accessible guide to architecture and its history. Ideal for students of architecture and professional architects, as well as a general readership, it contains over 5,000 entries and covers all periods of Western architectural history, from ancient times to the present day, in cultures ranging from Assyrian architecture to Flemish Mannerism. With its many entries, from the commonplace to the less well known, this Dictionary aims to cover as wide a range of architectural terms as possible in an accessible style. These terms are made more understandable with over 250 attractive illustrations, which help to differentiate between the various types of, for example, arches or crosses. There are also longer entries which explain the different architectural styles and put them in their historical context. Biographical entries are provided for a great number of architects from the ancients to leading figures of today. From Imhotep to Le Corbusier, each entry outlines the importance of the architect discussed and gives examples of his or her most notable buildings. Comprehensive and up to date, this book will prove to be an indispensable guide to anyone interested in architecture and its history.