"Dissects fifty of the world's modern masterpieces, constructed from 1950 to the present, through specially commissioned freehand drawings that reveal the principles and details of what makes a building meaningful and enduring. Starting from its site, each work is analyzed through its surroundings, use of natural light, volumes and massing; its program and circulation; and its details, fenestration and ornamentation, showing the reader how the building works as a cohesive whole."--Back cover.