Explores the rich and fascinating history of the city through an examination of some of its greatest architectural treasures.

Explore the rich history of the city of Durham in this guided tour through its most fascinating historic and modern buildings.

Sunderland is largely a product of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when coalmining and shipbuilding fuelled rapid expansion and development. Once known as the ‘largest shipbuilding town in the world’, Sunderland’s proud and distinctive identity is embodied in its historic buildings and in its changing urban form.The Architecture of Sunderland, 1700-1914 examines the city’s architectural history during the highpoint of its growth and prosperity. Exploring the cityscape from the richest to the humblest buildings, it brings to life the economic, social and cultural forces that have shaped the city. The text is illustrated with fascinating archival images and photographs taken especially for this volume.

A history of Sunderland

Public libraries have strangely never been the subject of an extensive design history. Consequently, this important and comprehensive book represents a ground-breaking socio-architectural study of pre-1939 public library buildings. A surprisingly high proportion of these urban civic buildings remain intact and present an increasingly difficult architectural problem for many communities. The book thus includes a study of what is happening to these historic libraries now and proposes that knowledge of their origins and early development can help build an understanding of how best to handle their future.