Brick is a fresh, insightful and surprising look at one of the world’s most familiar and popular building materials. From the strange remains of the Ziggurat of Ur dating from 2100 BC, to formidable mills of the industrial revolution, the humble brick has been an architectural staple for centuries.

The world’s best architects have explored the qualities of brickwork. Alvar Aalto, Antoni Gaudi, Jørn Utzon, Frank Gehry, and Mies van der Rohe all built with the material, and bricks were integral to Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision for an American vernacular in his Prairie Houses.

Lesser‐known newcomers have created some equally striking and memorable structures, from the stunning Winery Gantenbein – built by robotic arm – to the audacious Kantana Institute, an unprecedented vision in a Thai rainforest.

Brick is a beautiful and informative visual exploration of a material that is often overlooked, and sometimes considered limiting, but is actually full of spectacular potential.

本书的主题是建筑中很常用的材料之一——砖头。书中展现了早期的一些特殊的构造，像是2100（BC）至今还保留着的奇怪的乌尔塔，216（AD）在罗马的卡拉卡拉浴场； 20世纪很多出众的建筑家像是阿尔瓦.阿尔托，凡德罗，莱特等用砖头打造出了很多叹止的作品。

21世纪弗兰克·盖里，彼得.祖尔母，妹岛和世还有很多不太知名的建筑师用砖头构建出了很多创新的，机具有纪念价值的作品。

用对比与讨论的方式，书中选出了全球中一些惊人，奇特的构造：在一座英式教堂附近的美国艺术中心，一个在俄罗斯教堂附近的法国战争纪念碑，还有在一座学校附近的乌拉圭教堂。展现的作品都用高清的精致的图片展示，来自BBC电视主持人与历史学家的文字介绍带着我们去窥探这个迷人的建筑材料。