Alternatives: IAR 222

For this project I decided to use the option of word to convey the building I chose also, which was the Palazzo Medici. The word I chose was division because of the obvious three floors in the building. The floors are visible from the outside that they are most likely different on the inside as well. It gradually becomes more symmetrical and the craftsmanship becomes better as your eye looks upwards. As you compare the different levels, each section takes an element from the previous one starting at the bottom. The first floor is not symmetrical by any means and has uneven stones to make the exterior walls. There are smaller stones that outline the tops of the archways over the doors an windows. On the second floor the windows are divided into twos but the same stones are used to outline the tops of them. The stones on this level are smaller than the ones on the first floor but not perfectly lined up. Finally, the top floor takes the two-window element from the second floor, but subtracts the idea of the arched stones over the windows completely. The stones forming the exterior walls on this level are completely smooth and lined up to a "T".

Compass: IAR 222

In the compass unit, I decided to go ahead and complete my paragraph and write about an artifact, which in fact was the arch. I printed out a picture of a well worn arch in Rome because I wanted to show that even though the rest of the structure around it had fell, the arch was still remaining, which shows how strong and important arches are in architecture. I then printed out the paragraph on a piece of vellum and took spray adhesive and pasted over top of the picture to make your eye focus on the words more, but still keep that image of an arch in the viewers head.

Point: Alternatives IAR 222

In this section for point we covered many eras and aspects of architecture such as: Gothic Cathedrals, Villas, Furniture in the Renaissance, and Baroque. This point is specifically called alternatives, which relates all of these styles and aspects together by their different views and changes of design by finding new ways to represent ideas and symbolism.

First, Gothic cathedrals are a very captivating and elegant form of architecture. To elaborate, the Cologne Cathedral perceives the image that you would picture when you about the word cathedral.

http://www.xahlee.org/dinju/cologne_cathedral.html

This particular cathedral seems to be never ending because of the huge scale. The upward lifting sequence of the structure transports you to infinity, because you feel as though you could never possibly touch the ceiling.

http://www.dennisrhollowayarchitect.com/EuropeanSketchbook.html

There are many geometric squares in the cathedral that tie all the other shapes together. This creates the idea of a new reality in repetition, meaning this wasn’t seen as much before in previous architecture. As for Gothic cathedrals in general, many of them are based on the Bascilica plan that includes axial progression in the shape of a cross. They also house the idea and appearance of verticality, which is contributed by the towers, clerestory windows, interior columns and arches, and high up light sources. The next aspect would be Villas. We covered villas to a good extent, focusing a lot on the plan views. Villas, in themselves, were so captivating that they inspired many other impressive buildings centuries later such as Monticello. The main idea behind Villas is the very simple layout using circles and squares. The whole theory is that the individual is the measure, and basically that man is the center of the universe. Squares were typically the most important geometric shape in the design of the plan because it is the outline of most of the villas, creating the exterior walls, and a square has four corners, which represents the four corners of the Earth at that time. Villas were meant to be impressive and show everything off, again with the idea that you are the axis.

As for Renaissance, furniture during this time started taking a turn as the world of architecture entered this era. Furniture became somewhat bulkier and heavy. Different designs came together from previous periods, but the visual boundaries were still controlling these ideas, such as borders being places around a tabletop. The furniture was very decorative and hard to miss, thus making it the unavoidable art, such as a chest of drawers. It was still storage, but was covered in decoration and sometimes resembled the appearance of something else, giving it depth. This is something I feel like we still are using today in design, even when picking out items for our homes. Function and form a very important to us. In the Renaissance, textiles n the home became even more common and it was more about comfort than just looks, so no longer was comfort being overlooked in design. Just like in the Gothic period, the repetition of elements was still commonly used.

http://bdml.stanford.edu/twiki/bin/view/Brunelleschi/JaymiesNotebook

Finally, we also touched on the Baroque style period. With Baroque, I personally picture very overdone and I see similarities between it and the Victorian period, but not as random. Baroque was extremely elegant in a new way without being busy, but also having a harmony in the way that everything flowed together.

http://www.sirclisto.com/cavalier/fr_baroque.html

There was a lot of contrast and detail, meaning there was more emphasis on the detail and decoration. There were many organic lines in this period and was considered more ornamental than functional, which is very easy to see.

Reading Comprehension 4-222

[1.] The term “Palladian” is derived from the meaning of the style that Palladio developed himself. There are many forms of symmetry in this style of architecture. The desk/bookcase with Chinoiserie typically has a fair amount of ornamentation and is extremely symmestrical throughout the design. The Holkham Hall Saloon has a tremendous amount of symmetry even in the whole floorplan, and not just on the front façade. As well as the Chiswick House, the symmetry is the first thing you notice from the front. If you look at a plan view of the landscaping of the house, it is symmetrical as well. The house is in the form of a square, which adds to the feeling of symmetry in the inside as well.

On the other hand American Georgian typically has minimal roof overhang, and is typically symmetrical in appearance just like the Palladian style is. The windows are mainly all the same size, which I personally think adds to creating a bigger and wider look to the structure.Homes of this era were typically two to three stories. The WIndsor Chair has a definite amount of symmetry because every post on the back of the chair is the exact distance apart from the other one at the base. There is also a definite line typically on the back of the chair that splits the back in half, which also resembles the separating line on the facade of houses of the American Georgian style. The stair hall at Gunston Hall also has a dividing line going about half way up the left wall as you are walking up the stairs. This also adds to the element of making the staircase appear larger than it really is. Dayton Hall also shares a similar dividing line on the front of the house. The main one I see at first glance is the think line of molding separating the two balconies. This gives it a more elegant look and also separates the line between the pubic part of the house and the private area.

Louis XVI/French Provincial architecture takes a more baroque style turn, completely different from the previous styles. There are many curved lines and symmetrical feel that gives this particular style a mystical appearance. But, don't be fooled by the name Baroque, it is a little more subdued and refines than traditional Baroque. In the Martin Carlin clock there is a significant amount of symmetry, but it maintains that spontaneous feel at the top of the clock where the two angels aren't doing the exact same thing. The decoration on the clock isn't over the top, and still remains elegant and interesting. The Fountainbleau is also symmetrical, but to a certain point. The ends of the building is not symmetrical with the other side, but it has balance.

[2.]

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IAR 222 Foundations: Point

In this past section we have covered foundations, in the sense that Egypt, Greece, and Rome were all major starting points and important bases for the rest of the world's influence in architecture. For example, a major influence for women becoming architects may have been cause by the Hatsheput Temple which was designed by the Queen of Egypt, Queen Hatshepsut. This may have caused many inspirations around the world to different women, including me even now to go into design. Since she designed and built her temple, it shows how different countries respected and treated the idea of gender differences.

In the foundations unit, we also covered Greek architecture an

d design which focused on the idea of real: ideal. I take this statement as portraying the world in a realistic way, but also somewhat "sugarcoating" it by making things look more excellent than they may have been. For example, the columns on the end of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece are smaller than the rest because of the angle at which you are looking at it creates an optical illusion and makes you eye think all of the columns are the exact same size. This creates an idea in my mind: making the imperfect look perfect, or the other way around the perfect look imperfect, which is what I think the Greeks may have settled their whole idea of architecture around. Greece was also a water-oriented culture. My first thought when I hear the word "Greece" is white buildings with blue roofs. I think their purpose in doing this was to contrast the blueness of the sea by painting the buildings white, but then bringing back the blue with the roof top color. What I gained from this unit was that the Greek's wanted to perceive themselves as more glorious and powerful than they maybe even were.

Another foundation for architecture would be the city of Rome. Rome created an extravagant pleasure within their modern city. The Romans were very intrigued by the Greek's, which is another reason why Greek architecture is a foundation for other country's inspirations for architecture. The Romans created a foundation for the rest of the world through their technological breakthroughs. The Romans created the aqueduct, villa, dome, road, arch, and mosaic. All of these things back up how the Romans use assimilation and adaption for their basis of design. Their way of designing is typically using a large scale that orders for space and diverse building types. Because of all of these methods they came up with, the Romans had the longest lasting empire in the world and because of their intuitiveness and productivity they were able to accomplish many aspects that changed architecture for the rest of the world. The foundations unit explained many standpoints of where certain ideas of architecture came from and how they affect the world we now know. Even though some buildings may be new now, almost all of the ideas may date back to the foundations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Reading Comprehension 3-222

Natalie Neill

IAR 222

Reading Comp. 3

Part 1 Gothic Cathedrals

1. 1.Cologne/Salisbury: Light

In the dark ages, lighting in these cathedrals was very important.

Both cathedrals have clerestory windows that illuminate the statues and handmade details all throughout the interior during the daylight. This natural light highlights the most exquisite details inside both cathedrals. There are also candles inside both cathedrals, which is artificial light. This helps set the atmosphere in the interior of the building. The illumination from the light of these buildings tells the story of power and importance. Both of these cathedrals are great in size and have share a large presence in the cities they are located in. Each cathedral somewhat exudes what the city itself would want the world to think of their cathedral as. Light is a pretty basic element of the gothic era because light itself has somewhat of a mystery to it. Light may cast on an object, but it doesn’t shine on all parts of the object, and leaves you wondering about those spots that are not illuminated with the light. This is what I feel was trying to be portrayed in the Gothic era was mystery and curiousness, but at the same time elegance in a very detailed manner. Light itself is important because it makes it easier to navigate a space and also plays a huge role in how you perceive a space and what feeling one gets when entering that area.

2. 2. Cologne/Amiens: Structure

A one-tower cathedral symbolizes that it is from somewhere else than a two-tower cathedral. A one-tower cathedral might symbolize importance, or the center of the cathedral, while a two-tower cathedral might symbolize the entrance to the building, which leads you in to the rest of the interior. I do believe that these regional differences exist because it is ultimately the region’s preference. But, both buildings have a similar overall shape to them which somewhat resembles a cross. Both cathedrals also have a massive amount of detail visible on the outside, which gives an almost over-the-top look in an articulate way. Since both cathedrals have two towers, it does show some similarity between regions since Cologne is located in Germany while Amiens is located in France. Both regions obviously show through their cathedrals that they are powerful and extravagant and also want to lead you in through the impressive cathedral.

3. 3.Cologne/Florence

The crossings at both of these cathedrals are somewhat different. The crossings at Cologne are created within the church, which means there is a huge infusion of light that takes place where two Gothic vaults collide. At the Duomo, the crossings take place at the center of the dome. Going on further with the dome, it takes somewhat of a turn from Gothic to Renaissance because it goes back to Ancient Rome and the technicality of the dome. The dome in the cathedral may symbolize how everything is revolved around human life and the center of the earth, and “equality”. Since the architect decided to create a dome for the cathedral in Florence, it can only make one think that they were going back to their roots and old traditions of Roman architecture. It may have been a way for the people to stay grounded with their own values and traditions, and not look so much outside of the box.

Part 2

In the image, the medieval woman is doing some sort of work. Everything in the picture looks heavy and has a lot of mass to it. Medieval walls in interiors of homes were typically very thick, which is exactly the opposite to the lightness of the Gothic era. The houses of this time were very fat and tall, typically in a rectangular or square shape. There were also very narrow windows, letting minimal amount of natural light in, as seen below:

Most homes were originally built of wood and later of brick. There would be different levels throughout the house, which would help define and create new spaces to add to the complexity of the space.