New Australian style

As the 2000 Olympics in Sydney draw near, the rest of the world has begun to take notice of the stylistic revolution going on "down under." New Australian Style showcases more than 50 exemplary houses, apartments, and commercial buildings in a tour of the Australian continent and its varied lifestyles that covers four distinct environments: City, Suburb, Beach, and Bush. From renovated Victorians in Sydney's city center and converted warehouses in Melbourne, to breezy beach houses on magnificent coastlines and bushland retreats in dense eucalyptus forests, the new look of Australia is at once familiar and exotic. Here traditional materials such as mud brick, local timber, and corrugated iron are juxtaposed with modernist architectural details, making for an amazing variety in building design and execution. With over 250 color photographs of interiors and exteriors, New Australian Style offers a timely picture of the gracious, sophisticated style that's sprung up in this vital nation.