Kostof, Spiro

Kostof, Spiro (Konstantin) (1936–91) architectural historian; born in Istanbul, Turkey. A Yale-trained proponent of the "new" architectural history stressing the social context of buildings, he became a professor at the University of California: Berkeley and published specialized studies of Roman and Byzantine architecture and urban form, as well as general studies such as History of Architecture (1985). He became well known near the end of his life for the Public Broadcasting System television series, America by Design (1987).