History of Architecture From Greece to the 21 st Century

American architect Ludwig Rohe rightly said “Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space.”

"The final goal of all artistic activity is architecture.“ -Walter Gropius

Architecture is life or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived... -Frank Lloyd Wright, An Organic Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright, An Organic Architecture, 1970

Whatever else architecture is, it is at least an effort to enclose the greatest amount of unobstructed space with the least amount of material... ~R. Buckminster Fuller

Ancient Greece  The Parthenon, 450 BCE  Athena, Classical Greece  Doric order  Post and lintel  Colonnade, peristyle  Optical refinements  Athenian democracy

Greek Orders

Roman Architecture  Rounded Arches replaced the post and Lintel system.  Spacious interiors  basilicas  Use of concrete  Use of Barrel vaults

Examples of Important Roman Architecture

Key Terms  Rounded Arch  Barrel Vault  Pilasters  Coffers  Concrete  Arcade  Concrete

Early Christian and Byzantine Art  Earliest art forms found in the catacombs, underground passageways.  Christian Basilicas modeled on Roman Empire admin centers-basilicas-to accommodate the large numbers of Christians.  Technical advances from Roman architecture made making larger structures possible.  Christian churches=sacred space for large congregations

Plain Exterior but Ornate Interior  The Basilica was designed with a large central aisle called a nave. At the end, there was a semi-circular area called the apse. Cruciform floor plan

Byzantine Architecture  Constantinople = capital  330 – 1453 CE  Cross in square capped with domes  Pendentives, piers  Lavish interior, plain exterior  Combine church + state  Heavenly atmosphere, mysterious

HAGIA SOPHIA, INSTANBUL, TURKEY Anthemias and Isidorus, 535 CE

Hagia Sophia’s dome rests on four hug piers, massive vertical pillars, that support arches made of cut stone. Use of pendentives, transition pieces from wall to dome

SAN VITALE, RAVENNA, ITALY 545 CE Central plan Concentric Octagons Off-axis narthex Interior golden mosaics Tesserae Justinian and Theodora

Basilica Plan vs Central Plan

Islamic Architecture

Mihrab Qibla wall faces Mecca

Taj Mahal, Agra, India, c Mughal India Empire

Romanesque Architecture  11 th -12 th Century Europe  Combining features of contemporary Western Roman and Byzantine buildings Byzantine  Compartmentalized, cruciform  Massive, sturdy piers, thick walls  Round arch, barrel vault  Stone sculpture  Massive, segmented structure, fortress-like  Accommodate pilgrims, ambulatory  Regional differences, e.g. Durham Cathedral, UK

Groin Vaults  A groin vault or groined vault = the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults. right anglesbarrel vaultsright anglesbarrel vaults  Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round. In comparison with a barrel vault, a groin vault provides good economies of material and labour. The thrust is concentrated along the groins so the vault need only be abutted at its four corners. arches barrel vaultthrustabuttedarches barrel vaultthrustabutted  In the Gothic era, groin-vaulted naves were supported by flying buttresses.

Barrel vaulted nave

Example of Romanesque Architecture St. Sernin Toulouse, France c. 1,000 CE

Romanesque Portal

Gothic Art  13 th and 14 th Century  Gothic is a term used to identify a period that began around the middle of the 12 th century and lasted to the end of the 15 th century and in some places, the 16 th century.  Romanesque style paved the way to the Gothic style

Gothic Art  Unified interior  Pointed arches rather than rounded arches  Ribbed groin vaults  piers, compound piers  Verticality  Stained glass  New Jerusalem

Chartres Cathedral c Dedicated to Virgin Mary Notre Dame

The (West) Royal Portal, Chartres Cathedral

Flying Buttreess  “Flying Buttress” is a support structure that reach the side aisles of the church that created a thrust- counterthrust system that supports the groin-vaulted ceiling.

Stained Glass  Many stories of bible, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, etc. Colored Illuminations  Size- huge areas in cathedrals were dedicated to these windows.  Color-artisans added minerals to the glass while it was molten to color the glass  Design-small pieces of stained glass were joined with lead-strips and reinforced with iron bars.

Lux Nova

15 th Century Italy Brunelleschi Revitalized Classical ideals Clarity, harmony, geometry Ideal proportions Renaissance, Florence Foundling Hospital

Brunelleschi Florence Cathedral Dome = double shell

Alberti Palazzo Ruccellai horizontal floors Vertical pilasters Strong cornice

Baroque  Relies on movement Large, meant to impress Facades undulate, interplay of forms Oval plans Interiors = richly designed, elaborate & Incorporated all the arts Landscaping becomes important in Eng/France

Soaring To New Heights Late 19 th century - Early 20 th century Beginnings of the skyscraper Louis Sullivan, Form Follows Function “Modern” technology, smaller footprint Steel skeleton Orderly, light-filled, elevators, heating, ventilation Exterior expresses interior Sullivan, Guaranty Building Buffalo, NY, 1895

Organic Architecture is a term Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright used to describe his approach to architectural design. The philosophy grew from the ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor, Louis Sullivan,Louis Sullivan who believed that "form follows function." Wright argued that "form and function are one." Organic Architecture

  Organic architecture strives to integrate space into a unified whole.   Frank Lloyd Wright was not concerned with architectural style,   because he believed that every building should grow naturally from its environment.

Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House PRAIRIE STYLE Taliesan West

Frank Lloyd Wright Kauffman House – FALLING WATER 1939, Bear Run, Pennsylvania

International Style  Le Corbusier’s dictum=  Building= “Machine for modern living”  Clean lines  Skeletal system  Great planes of glass wrap walls of  Ferroconcrete construction  Austere glass box, devoid of ornamentation

Le Corbusier, VILLA SAVOYE, 1929 Poissy-sur-Seine, France

Art Deco Popular in 1920’s and 1930’s Reaction to simplified forms of International Style Streamlined art that focused on industry Motifs from industry, machine aesthetic Motifs from industry and machines, e.g. cars, Cruise ship portholes and railings Celebrates “modern” living

Mies van der Rohe Seagram Building New York 1955

Later Le Corbusier Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France, 1955

Later Frank Lloyd Wright Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, 1959

Pick 3 pieces of architecture from different cultures and write about how they could be used to give a sense of Civic Pride