An invitation to join a voyage with the Italian navy was too good to pass up for Pritzker Prize-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano.

In “Atlantis: A Journey in Search of Beauty,” Piano and his son Carlo embark on a peregrination around the globe. Their goal is lofty: to find Atlantis, the famed sunken city and the embodiment of Platonic perfection. To be sure, Atlantis is merely a pretext. They are actually visiting some of the highlights from Renzo’s celebrated career. This voyage takes them from Japan, where Renzo modeled the iconic Kansai International Airport on an artificial island, to San Francisco, where he designed the California Academy of Sciences. It is a long journey, but they also have much to discuss.

The book takes the form of an extended conversation between father and son. Most of the time, they are responding to each other, but sometimes each man’s thoughts wander off on their own. They are connected by their shared love of sailing, the sea, and cities. Carlo, who is a journalist, writes beautifully about the voyage and the places they visit. Renzo chimes in with stories from his long career. The product is an inspiring meditation on beauty, architecture, and the essence of modern cities.