Free Daily Podcast Summary
About Buildings + Cities: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Luke Jones & George Gingell Discuss Architecture, History and Culture
A podcast about architecture, buildings and cities, from the distant past to the present day. Plus detours into technology, film, fiction, comics, drawings, and the dimly imagined future. With Luke Jones and George Gingell.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago1h 20m
141 — Bruno Zevi's 'The Modern Language of Architecture'
In the second episode of our 'Language' trilogy, we discussed Bruno Zevi's 'The Modern Language of Architecture', first published in Italian as 'Il linguaggio moderno dell'architettura' in 1978, partly in response to Summerson's 'The Classical Language of Architecture' the subject of our previous episode. Zevi is a fascinating figure in 20th century Italian culture and politics. From a Roman Italian-Jewish family, he studied under Walter Gropius at Havard during the 30s and 40s due to Mussolini's anti-semitic fascist regime. He returned after the war and became a professor in Venice and Rome, a fervent advocate of a particular form of humanist modernism against rectilinear standardisation, symmetry and a classicising return to the past, which he viewed as a symptom of fascist continuity in Italian society. In later years he served as a politician in various heterodox leftist parties. In the final episode of this trilogy, out soon, we will discuss 'The Language of Post-Modern Architecture' by Charles Jencks. To follow along with the images of this episode, you can watch it on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/HY3yZs9KbQ8 Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
- Jul 31, 20261h 11m
140 — John Summerson's 'The Classical Language of Architecture'
In this episode, the first of a trilogy, we talked about John Summerson's best-selling 1965 book 'The Classical Language of Architecture', developed out of a series of lectures he gave to the BBC. We talk about Summerson, one of the titans of mid-20th century British architectural history, his attitude towards classicism and his patrician tone. In the next two episodes we will be discussing Bruno Zevi's 'The Modern Language of Architecture' (1978) and Charles Jencks's 'The Language of Post-Modern Architecture' (1977), which were both partly inspired by Summerson's rhetorical assertion of the linguistic character of classical architecture. Follow along with the images by watching this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3JYroYY_wek Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
- Jul 17, 20262 min
*Preview* — Piranesi's Heirs Bonus Episode
This is a preview of a Patreon bonus episode. To listen to the rest, consider supporting the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/about_buildings In this penultimate bonus episode in our Piranesi series we talked about Piranesian vibes in literary and artistic culture, including forays into the work of Thomas De Quincey, Gustave Doré, Jorge Luis Borges, the graphic novels of François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters and the recent 'Backrooms' movie. Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
- Jun 9, 202654 min
139 — Piranesi 4 — The Prisons
In the final part of our Piranesi miniseries we talked about his only building, the church of Santa Maria del Priorato, his theoretical writings, his proposals for interior design and furniture and his Carceri, the imaginary prisons which defined his legacy. If you'd like to follow along with the images of this episode, try watching it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Rd2nwMAAx2E Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
- May 26, 202659 min
138 — Piranesi 3 — Ichnographiam Campii Martii
In the penultimate episode of our series on Giovanni Battista Piranesi, we discussed his Ichnographia Campii Martii, one of his stranged and most inventive projects, a vast reconstruction of Ancient Rome, which blends together a little bit of archaeology with a massive injection of fantasy, plastering much of the open countryside around the city with endless, fractal Beaux Arts geometries. At around 30 minutes George can't remember the name of a large multi-vaulted commercial/light industrial antique building, it is in fact the Porticus Aemilia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porticus_Aemilia Follow along with the images by watching this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zqTH3-GPyzQ Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Mixing by Lewis Todd. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
- Apr 23, 202656 min
137 — Piranesi 2 — The Antiquities of Rome
In the second episode of our series on Giovanni Battista Piranesi, we discussed his multi-volume project, Le Antichità Romane de' tempo della prima Repubblica e dei primi imperatori, a deep study and representation of Roman Antiquity, channelled through his vivid imagination, mixing rigorous archaeological measurement and close attention to constructional details with romantic and fantastical visions of the ancient world. To follow along with the images, check out this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/o9FUgUOgYy0 Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
- Mar 27, 202653 min
136 — Piranesi 1 — Prima Parte
In the first part of our new series on Piranesi we discussed his upbringing and background in Venice, his earliest travels to Rome and first work with Giuseppe Vasi and Tiepolo. We talked a little about the historical and cultural context of Piranesi’s work, before getting stuck into his Prima parte di Architettura e Prospettive (1743) and Varie Vedute di Roma Antica e Moderna (1745), and start to map out the rest of his oeuvre that will form the rest of the series. This is the first episode of a four part series about Piranesi, and there will be bonus episodes forthcoming on Patreon about his legacy and works of art and literature inspired by it. You can watch this episode on YouTube to follow along with the images: https://youtu.be/QUY4Yw2kxmk Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Mixing by Lewis Todd. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
- Feb 18, 20262 min
*Preview* Show and Tell Bonus — Santa Maria del Naranco & Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park
To get full access to this episode, please consider supporting us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/about_buildings Taking cues from the 'Show and Tell' main episode, Editor Matt joined us for a bonus and brought along a couple of interesting buildings to discuss. The first, Santa Maria del Naranco, in Asturia Northern Spain, was built as a summer palace for King Ramiros I in 842 CE. It is a surprising building in many ways, precociously Romanesque and highly resolved by 9th-century standards, its proportional logics give the building a profound presence, especially its end facades. We then discussed the sprawling, accretive mass of Frank Lloyd Wright's House and Studio in Oak Park, Chicago. This was his home and place of business from the late-1880s until the mid-1900s, and it grew substantially from modest gable-ended suburban cottage to hulking compound as his family and business grew. We also discussed the surrounding neighbourhood of Oak Park, which contains many idiosyncratic domestic designs from the pen of this erratic giant of American architecture. Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts. Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content for every show. Please rate and review the show on your podcast store to help other people find us! Follow us on twitter // instagram // facebook We’re on the web at aboutbuildingsandcities.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Get About Buildings + Cities summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
A is for Architecture Podcast
Discussions with architects and theorists explore how buildings and society influence each other.
Ancient Civilisations
Explores the history, people, and achievements of ancient civilizations through narrative storytelling.
The Urbanist Agenda
An exploration of urban planning and mobility issues by popular online urbanists.
Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast
A weekly podcast exploring sustainable transportation, urban planning, and economic development through expert interviews and analysis.
The Messy City Podcast
Exploring urban development through change, uncertainty, and community-driven initiatives.
Short History Of...
Each episode examines a significant moment or figure in history, spanning ancient to modern times.
This Old House Radio Hour
Experts offer practical home improvement advice on renovations, repairs, and maintenance for homeowners and DIYers.
Intelligence Squared: Arts & Culture
Explores pivotal artistic and cultural movements through conversations with leading writers, artists, and thinkers.
Forum Borealis
In-depth interviews with authors and thinkers on unconventional topics in history, science, philosophy, and politics.
The Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Answers homeowner and builder questions on construction, design, and building science using industry best practices.
HistoryExtra podcast
Covers global history from ancient to modern times through expert interviews on events, figures, and eras.
Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More
Daily explorations of history, science, geography, and culture with concise, accessible explanations of complex topics.
About About Buildings + Cities
A podcast about architecture, buildings and cities, from the distant past to the present day. Plus detours into technology, film, fiction, comics, drawings, and the dimly imagined future. With Luke Jones and George Gingell.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from About Buildings + Cities in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's About Buildings + Cities daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of About Buildings + Cities as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the About Buildings + Cities podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official About Buildings + Cities product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Luke Jones & George Gingell Discuss Architecture, History and Culture.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does About Buildings + Cities release new episodes?
About Buildings + Cities publishes monthly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does About Buildings + Cities cover?
About Buildings + Cities covers topics including Arts. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting About Buildings + Cities summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.