Jean Dethier

The essential purpose of a staircase is utilitarian: to facilitate ascent and descent. Yet the design of even the simplest stair is complex, requiring great knowledge, skill and ingenuity. This volume showcases the astonishing diversity of staircases over the centuries, from the stepped pyramids of the Maya to the exquisitely proportioned stairs of the Renaissance, to the elaborate balustraded confections...

For almost 10,000 years, man has built in unbaked earth, creating not only simple dwellings but also palaces, temples, and fortresses of the utmost grandeur and durability. This encyclopedic work shows the extreme diversity of this type of architecture from a technical, cultural, and historical point of view. After presenting the various types of raw earth constructions (adobe and rammed...