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ARCHITECTURE – COMPLTE EXAM
What is a basic definition of architecture? - answer - Architecture is the art of building - an act of constructing a shelter for human activity or a stage for human action. What are the symbolic meanings of the commonly found architectural structures: The sacred mountain, the tower, the dome of heaven? - answer - The sacred mountain: symbolic as the place where the earth and sky meet and often serve as temples or burial places. Examples:
- Sumerian ziggurats (like at Ur)
- Egyptian pyramids
The tower: symbolic of power - the power to see (Chinese watch towers), to call or command (the bell towers of Christian churches and minarets of Muslim mosques), and to prevail. Examples:
- Chinese watch powers
- Bells on churches/minarets in mosques
- Skyscrapers (like Freedom Tower)
The dome of heaven: the dome (itself a kind of vault) symbolizes heavenly space. These are frequently seen in religious structures such as Dome of the Rock and the Roman Pantheon. Know some of the common architectural materials and example of their use. - answer - Masonry: any material consisting of stone, brick, or concrete. Cement: any powdered material that, when wetted, binds with stone or other hard material. Concrete: a mixture of water, cement, and stone that hardens on drying. Concrete can be formed into curving shapes and, in modern construction, is usually reinforced with steel. Iron and Glass: glass held in iron framework, as used widely in 19th-century rail stations, shopping malls, and other commercial structures. Steel: the modern metal (iron with a low carbon content) of great strength and malleability widely used in modern construction.
Anta: the posts or pillars on either side of a doorway or entrance of a Greek temple - the slightly projecting piers which terminate the walls of the naos. Colonnade/peristyle: a series of columns upon which sat an entablature (the upper portion of the temple, which included the architrave, frieze, and cornice). If a colonnade lines the front of a temple, screening the entrance, it is known as a portico. If the colonnade enclosed a court, it was called a peristyle. A colonnade could be one or more columns deep. Know the differences between the three orders of columns: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian - answer - DORIC: The oldest, simplest, and most massive of the three Greek orders is the Doric, which was applied to temples beginning in the 7th century B.C. As shown in Figure 2, columns are placed close together and are often without bases. Their shafts are sculpted with concave curves called flutes. The capitals are plain with a rounded section at the bottom, known as the echinus, and a square at the top, called the abacus. The entablature has a distinctive frieze decorated with vertical channels, or triglyphs. In between the triglyphs are spaces, called metopes, which were commonly sculpted with figures and ornamentation. The frieze is separated from the architrave by a narrow band called the regula. Together, these elements formed a rectangular structure surrounded by a double row of columns that conveyed a bold unity. The Doric order reached its pinnacle of perfection in the Parthenon.
IONIC:
The next order to be developed by the Greeks was the Ionic (see Figure 3). It is called Ionic because it developed in the Ionian islands in the 6th century B.C. Roman historian Vitruvius compared this delicate order to a female form, in contrast to the stockier "male" Doric order. The Ionic was used for smaller buildings and interiors. It's easy to recognize because of the two scrolls, called volutes, on its capital. The volutes may have been based on nautilus shells or animal horns. Between the volutes is a curved section that is often carved with oval decorations known as egg and dart. Above the capital, the entablature is narrower than the Doric, with a frieze containing a continuous band of sculpture. One of the earliest and most striking examples of the Ionic order is the tiny Temple to Athena Nike at the entrance to the Athens Acropolis. It was designed and built by Callicrates from about 448-421 B What is a pediment and a frieze? - answer - A pediment is an architectural element found particularly in classical, neoclassical and baroque architecture, and its derivatives, consisting of a gable, usually of a triangular shape, placed above the horizontal structure of the entablature, typically supported by columns. In architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Know these basic parts of a church: nave, transept, apse, aisle, narthex, ambulatory - answer - Nave: the primary area of public observance of the Mass. It is immediately inside the front doors. Transept/crossing: a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the edifice. In churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in
which supported the first terrace, would have used some 720,000 baked bricks. The resources needed to build the Ziggurat at Ur are staggering. What can we learn about Egyptian's belief in the afterlife through a careful study of the Pyramids at Giza? Also, what can we know about their treatment of royalty? - answer - Thus, from the outset, the pyramid shape represented the idea of new life, emerging from a mound of earth to be bathed in the light and warmth of the sun. However, to the ancient Egyptians, the benben was more than just an image. Like the primeval mound itself, the Egyptians thought that it somehow incorporated the very power of life itself and even the force that made it possible for new life to emerge after a period of dormancy. Lots of respect towards royals, seen as having healing powers. The Parthenon features some interesting mathematical design. What are these and why are they incorporated? - answer - They used ideal and perfect proportions and used mathematics as their basis. Greeks understood that human perception was flawed, so they needed to use mathematics to make adjustments so that the structure appeared perfect (though it wasn't). Every stone was cut to fit precisely. The columns are slightly adjusted so they are not straight, giving it a more naturalistic feel/look. The floor was tilted very slightly so that rainwater would run off.
Columns on edges are slightly closer to each other than columns in the center. Created an even sense of density across the building. What is a caryatid? Where can we find them? - answer - A caryatid is a stone carving of a draped female figure, used as a pillar to support the entablature of a Greek or Greek-style building. An example is the porch of the maidens on the Erechtheion. What is the purpose of a Triumphal Arch in Ancient Rome? - answer - The triumphal arch was used to commemorate victorious generals or significant public events such as the founding of new colonies, the construction of a road or bridge, the death of a member of the imperial family or the accession of a new emperor. This arch, built as an honorific monument, honored Titus posthumously and was a project executed by his younger brother and imperial successor, Domitian (emperor, 81-96 C.E.). What was the purpose of the Colosseum? What activities took place there (for sure)? - answer - The amphitheater was used for entertainment for 390 years. During this time more than 400,000 people died inside the Colosseum. It's also estimated that about 1,000,000 animals died in the Colosseum as well. Several different events were held in the Colosseum including gladiator contests, mock battles and animal hunts, and dramas that were based on Classical mythology. If they held a mock sea battle they flooded the Colosseum with water.
God and Muhammad is his prophet, are also included in the inscription. The inscription also refers to Mary and Christ and proclaim that Christ was not divine but a prophet. Thus the inscription also proclaims some of the core values of the newly formed religion of Islam. What elements of a mosque can be seen at Hagia Sophia? What is the history of this structure? - answer - Elements: When the structure became a mosque, minarets were built around the perimeter of the building complex, Christian mosaic icons were covered with whitewash, and exterior buttresses were added for structural support. History: First cathedral, then a mosque, now a museum. The first church structure was destroyed during riots in 404; the second church, built and dedicated in 415 by Emperor Theodosius II, burned down during the Nika revolt of 532, which caused vast destruction and death throughout the city. Immediately after the riots, Emperor Justinian I (r. 527-65) ordered the church rebuilt. The new building was inaugurated on December 27, 537. Architects Anthemios of Tralles and Isidoros of Miletos most likely were influenced by the mathematical theories of Archimedes (ca. 287-212 B.C.). We saw Bernini as a sculptor in the first section (David). In this unit, he is an architect who redesigns the piazza in front of St. Peter's in Rome after the Protestant Reformation. How does his design symbolize the feelings of the Church during this period? - answer - Designed and built by Bernini between 1656 and 1667, during the pontificate of Alexander VII (1655-1667), the square is made up of two different areas. The first has a trapezoid shape, marked off by two straight closed and convergent arms on each side of the church square. The second area is elliptical and is surrounded by the two hemicycles of a four-row colonnade,
because, as Bernini said, "considering that Saint Peter's is almost the matrix of all the churches, its portico had to give an open-armed, maternal welcome to all Catholics, confirming their faith; to heretics, reconciling them with the Church; and to the infidels, enlightening them about the true faith." Bernini had in fact designed a three-armed portico, but after Alexander VII's death, construction of the portico was halted, and the third arm was never built. It would have enclosed the whole building and separated the ellipse from the "Borgo" quarter, thus creating a "surprise effect" for the pilgrim who suddenly found himself in the square. This effect was somewhat achieved by the buildings surrounding the square, the so-called "Spina di Borgo", which naturally "closed in" the square. In 1950, Via della Conciliazione, a new, wide street leading to the Vatican Basilica, was opened. It amplifies the majestic view of Saint Peter's dome, but it also profoundly modified Bernini's original plan. The measurements of the square are impressive: it is 320 m deep, its diameter is 240 m and it is surrounded by 284 columns, set out in rows of four, and 88 pilasters. Around the year 1670, Bernini's pupils built 140 statues of saints, 3.20 m high along the balustrade above the columns. On either side of the obelisk, which was moved to the middle of the square by Domenico Fontana in 1585, are two great fountains built by Bernini (1675) and Maderno (1614). Below, at the What are the characteristics of the Neoclassical style seen in Jefferson's Monticello? - answer - The west garden façade—the view that is once again featured on the American nickel—shows Monticello's most recognized architectural features. The two-column deep extended portico contains Doric columns that support a triangular pediment that is decorated by a semicircular window. Although the short octagonal drum and shallow dome provide Monticello a sense of verticality, the wooden balustrade that circles the roofline provides a powerful sense of horizontality. From the bottom of the building to its top, Monticello is a striking example of French Neoclassical architecture in the United States.
Once the Tower was finished the criticism burnt itself out in the presence of the completed masterpiece, and in the light of the enormous popular success with which it was greeted How is the Chrysler Building a good example of the Art Deco style? - answer - Art Deco could describe everything from the style of a corporate office tower (such as the Chrysler Building), to the decorative pattern on furniture, murals, and tilework. The style incorporated chevron, sunburst, fountain, and arc motifs, endless varieties of geometric patterns, and, in later instances especially, cubic and machine-like forms. It was generally more rectilinear than the swirling floral and vegetal patterns common in the earlier Art Nouveau (above left), and was quite distinct from the forms and details of classical Beaux-Arts architecture and ornament, which was prominent in the early twentieth century. At the Chrysler Building, the distinctive elements of Art Deco include the horizontal black-and-white stripes between floors, the geometric decoration concentrated at each of the setbacks, the streamlined eagle heads and radiator caps with wings (referencing the hallmark Chrysler car ornaments) jutting out from the corners, and, above all, the great crown with its seven layers of crescent setbacks inset with triangular windows. Brightly lit at night, the crown is still one of the most distinctive elements on the New York City skyline. Although the ground-level experience is often described as lackluster, the building's contribution to the skyline is its true achievement. It made the Chrysler Building a symbol of urban modernity, of New York's business dynamism, and of the vibrant nightlife of the world's newest metropolis. What is unique about the De Stijl style seen in the Schroder House? - answer - De Stijl:
Proponents of De Stijl advocated pure abstraction and universality by a reduction to the essentials of form and color; they simplified visual compositions to vertical and horizontal, using only black, white and primary colors.
Schroder House: Inside there is no static accumulation of rooms, but a dynamic, changeable open zone. The facades are a collage of planes and lines whose components are purposely detached from, and seem to glide past, one another. This enabled the provision of several balconies. Like Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair, each component has its own form, position and colour. Colours were chosen as to strengthen the plasticity of the facades; surfaces in white and shades of grey, black window and doorframes, and a number of linear elements in primary colours. There is little distinction between interior and exterior space. The rectilinear lines and planes flow from outside to inside, with the same colour palette and surfaces. Even the windows are hinged so that they can only open 90 degrees to the wall, preserving strict design standards about intersecting planes, and further blurring the delineation of inside and out. How does Frank Lloyd Wright incorporate the natural surrounding into his architecture (seen at Fallingwater)? - answer - https://www.fallingwater.org/history/about-fallingwater/designing-fallingwater/
The huge spire is David Childs' one concession made to Libeskind's original vision for the skyscraper at One World Trade Center. Libeskind wanted the building height to rise 1,776 feet, because the number represents the year of America's independence.
