The books every architecture student is assigned and never finishes.
Vitruvius, Palladio, Alberti, Ruskin, read aloud, free forever.
100% PUBLIC DOMAIN
From the Ten Books of Vitruvius to the Seven Lamps of Ruskin.
Two thousand years of architectural thought, chapter by chapter.
Yes. Vitruvius wrote around 30 BC; the Morgan translation is from 1914. Palladio's Ware translation is from 1738, Alberti's Leoni translation from 1726, and Ruskin's Seven Lamps from 1849. All are public domain and free to reproduce and read aloud.
Start with Vitruvius for the foundations (firmitas, utilitas, venustas and the classical orders), then Palladio for proportion as a working tool. Ruskin's Seven Lamps is the shortest and most passionate. Alberti is the deepest theory.
Vitruvius in the classic Morris Hicky Morgan translation (1914), Palladio in the first complete English translation by Isaac Ware (1738), Alberti in James Leoni's translation (1726), and Ruskin in the original 1849 text.
Absolutely. Everything is public domain. Assign the audiobooks, share the treatise briefs, quote freely. That is what they are for.
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