From straw huts to skyscrapers, palaces to arts centres, this book features sixteen of the most iconic buildings from around the world including the Parthenon, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Taj Mahal, the Forbidden City, the Bauhaus, Crystal Palace, the Sydney Opera House and the Pompidou Centre, and tells the human story behind each of them. Explains how and why famous buildings in history came to be built. Features detailed illustrations.