Of all the arts in the world, none is more fundamental to the way we live than architecture. It is a mirror of our own time and of times gone by, a diary that is written in mud and timber, in brick and stone, in iron and steel, in concrete and glass. Our homes, our public buildings and cities reflect what we are, what we once were – and what we hope to become.
Great buildings and structures are much more than powerful works of architecture and engineering: they capture the spirit of their time. The unchanging of the structure of the Egypt of the pharaohs is present in the timeless simplicity of the pyramids.
You do not need to be an architect to experience the creative genius of a building.
– Trevor Howells, 2003
