The only resource of its kind, this oversized book presents 1,037 of the world's most outstanding 21st century architectural designs with 2,500 color photographs, 2,100 schematic drawings, and essays written by experts in the field of architecture. Each building was selected by a panel of designers, architecture curators, and historians, resulting in an unprecedented collection that includes the Beijing National Aquatics Center (the Water Cube from the 2008 Summer Olympics) and lesser-known masterpieces like Too Tall Teahouse, a 67' sq. tea hut built around three massive logs and suspended 20' above the ground in Chino, Japan. The essays detail the design and construction methods used to build each edifice and explore the structures' geographical contexts. Fifty specially commissioned maps and data researched by the London School of Economics allow you to compare the cost, size, and geographical coordinates of each structure. Published by Phaidon Press, renowned publishers of visual art books for 75 years, the book organizes the buildings into six world regions and has extensive indexes that enable easy cross-referencing. Hardcover; 800 pages. 17 3/4" H x 12 1/4" W. (18 lbs.)