Robert Adam was born in England in 1948 and received his architectural education at Westminster University. He was a Rome Scholar in 1972–3 and in 1977 became a Director of the architectural and urban design practice now known as Adam Architecture. Adam is a Visiting Professor in Urban Design at Strathclyde University. He has published numerous papers and articles on architecture, urban design, heritage policy, design philosophy and history; has appeared in television and radio broadcasts; and has conducted lecture tours in Europe, Asia and the Americas. He has sat on English government design review bodies, and was an elected councillor and honorary secretary of the Royal Institute of British Architects. As well as contributing to several books, Adam co-edited Tradition Today and was the author of Classical Architecture: A Complete Handbook, Buildings by Design and The Seven Sins of Architects.
Since 1990, globalisation has driven shifts in global power. As design follows social, political and economic change, this book casts a new light on recent architecture, exploring the tension between universal iconic buildings and the need for local identity.
Through the lens of time, this book offers a new perspective on modern architecture. It challenges our understanding of modernity, sustainability, and tradition with original theories on longevity, conservation, and collective memory.
