Gothic Cathedral Study

Reading Response 6 : Mapping our Space

   The Saint Gall Monastery Plan was seen as important in implementing order and unity for the various Benedictine Monasteries dedicated to providing stability and order to Charlemagne's empire. It is alluded that the Saint Gall Plan was a new idea in 814 (Roth 310). Because of the lack of cities in Europe in the Middle Ages, monasteries served, not only the resident monks, but travellers as well. The plan takes this into consideration and it is clear by the plan that its main purpose is to service the monks who lived there, not the visitors. The plan describes the large, main building as the church which is oriented from east to west. The cloister was situated to the south of the church and surrounded by monks' dormitories and the dining hall, keeping it the most secluded and private. All around the church and living quarters were the essential food and beverage making and storage facilities. The monastery, according to this plan, was equipped with its own infirmary, cemetery, and school. The monastery was an organized model of self-sufficiency, growing and producing food and animal husbandry. The places designated for the travellers and guest were near the entrance and kept very separate from the cloister.

http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/bevans/Art101/Art101B-7-EarlyMedieval/WebPage-Full.00050.html

http://instructional1.calstatela.edu/bevans/Art101/Art101B-7-EarlyMedieval/WebPage-Full.00049.html

   This model of organization is very similar to the organization of importance of the ancient Greeks in that there is a specific entry way, inside the complex is a court, or gathering place (the church) and the hearth, which I see as the cloister. I believe this building model serves as a way of mapping one's surrounding and placing significance on places based on their location relevant to the entrance or the center.

http://www.planetware.com/map/athens-acropolis-map-gr-acro.htm

    We still employ similar methods to organize and plan large complexes today. We see this type of organization in a variety of public spaces such as college campuses, airports, and hospitals. Mapping is an important way for us to emphasize that which is important to us and to learn the area which surrounds us.

http://www.uncg.edu/mat/sermon/map.html

http://www.flyfrompti.com/airport-maps-directions/terminal-maps/



Unit Summary One : Foundations

   Architectural foundations came from man's need to organize and categorize his surroundings and to communicate and interact with other humans. In the process of this organization, categorization, and communication, creativity was unleashed which led man to consider the meanings of his constructed spaces. As symbolism and the importance of artifacts were developed, symbolism in the buildings that housed the artifacts was also developed. I believe the foundations of architecture were instinctual or were adapted from other activities in which we were already involved. My reasons for this belief are: similar organization of constructed spaces around the world with little or no contact with one another, and watching children play with wooden blocks. I believe circles were a common theme because they are, organic shapes, an easy way of containment and order, their emphasis is on the center and they are symmetrical, and they are most like a human face. With creativity came innovations in technologies and building materials which allowed man to become the master of his environment.







http://www.science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/photos/stonehenge/#/stonehenge-above_24772_600x450.jpg

   When man began placing spiritual importance on artifacts, he was compelled to build specific spaces to house them. The space he chose to build had to be planned and constructed very carefully to reflect the importance of what it housed. Because the point of emphasis and importance of a circle is its center, many sacred spaces took on this shape. The circle is a universal shape of importance for early man, throughout history, and continues to be for modern man. Consequently, as the sacred space was circular, constructed "buildings" often maintained and emphasized the shape by using concentric rings to form layers of walls around the most sacred center. Even in the early structures that are not round, there is a strong sacred middle in which that of the most importance resides. This type of organizational hierarchy is important as further architectural techniques are developed.

http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Egypt.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210200/ancient_greece/knossos_the_palace_of_minos.htm

   Man's need for organization and categorization is at the crux of the basic structural forms of architecture. I have already mentioned the importance of circles; the ideas of stacks and groves are a way, I believe, we tend to organize and categorize instinctively, based on what we see in nature and how we gather and store items. A child playing with wooden blocks tends to make a few basic forms, or combinations of forms. They are circles, or some form of containment, stacks, layering the blocks upward, or groves, standing them upright often with blocks on top as roofs. For these reasons I believe much of our architectural foundations came by way of instinct. Small children obviously do not have knowledge or understanding of architecture; the forms they build come from a process of organization and categorization. It is only when creativity also comes into play that the natural organizing/categorizing processes become intentionally symbolic.

http://www.art.com/products/p10081822-sa-i796610/claude-perrault-the-five-orders-of-architecture.htm

   As architectural features held more symbolism and became more artistic, different styles emerged. The function of the feature was important and decorative motifs began to differentiate one style from another. Many features and structures were prototypes for what became understood as the ideal. As cultures were absorbed and combined, hybrids, or composites, of the ideal were introduced and accepted. The evolution of composite architectural styles showed that there was more interaction between cultures and new cultural identities were formed, as evidenced in architecture, from the integration of singular cultures.

http://www.rentromeapartments.com/pantheon-rome/

   It is human desire to make our environment pleasing and a reflection of our values and beliefs. Our constructed spaces communicate a great deal of information to others. While the stability of our structures is, obviously, very important, it is the function and visual communication that give us the most information about them. We want to be visually stimulated and delighted by our surroundings and stimulate and delight those who enter our sacred spaces. The creativity that developed in early architecture continues to delight us, in many cases, today. I am amazed by the firmness of buildings that were built centuries ago and have withstood natural disasters, wars, environmental changes, etc. The early structures that are still standing demonstrate their commodity and firmness, as well as their delight.

   Although the concepts of -object, space, building, place-circles, groves, stacks-prototypes, archetypes, hybrids-commodity, firmness, and delight are presented in a timeline, they did not develop in a vacuum. They all work together to make well-designed constructed environments.

   

Reading Response 5 First Lady of Constantinople

My attempt at poetry

ghost of a structure

emotional architecture

emphasis of light

awe-inspiring sight

beams of light and color

memories of valor

*http://www.flickr.com/photos/thecolbyfiles/6134921319/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Blog Post 4 : Commodity, firmness, and delight

To me, the Elliot University Center best represents the ideas of commodity, firmness, and delight within a structure on the UNCG campus. When viewing the outside of the building from the west side porch, one sees the massive concrete columns and a large glass cylindrical form on the top. In the contemporary lines of the EUC it is easy to see the evolution from Greek and Roman architecture.

Commodity refers to the function of a space or building. The EUC building has many different functions but its main function is a gathering space;people interacting with others. Most of the casual gathering spaces on the east/west axis revolve around food. The addition of food to the gathering place begins to take the ritual of socializing and eating into consideration. Just inside the west entrance is a large cylindrical atrium that extends beyond the roofline of the building. This space functions as an entrance to the building and as a way to direct traffic through the entrance and to and from the food court and bookstore.



Firmness is performance stability and safety of a structure. The west exterior of the EUC appears very strong and stable. The proportion and scale are important elements that add to the impression of the building's safety and stability. The interior hall echoes the strength of the columns, although they are cylindrical whereas the exterior columns are rectangular prisms.

Delight is the ability to create a sense of space and visual appeal. The west porch of the EUC is visually pleasing in that it is a familiar form that has been streamlined and updated to create a contemporary form. The atrium/entry is a large space with a very high ceiling and windows all the way around the top (sort of like the oculus of the Pantheon). Light floods into the windows and shines on the, mostly, light-colored wooden panels. The wooden panels that line the wall vary in size and color for each course. The panels under the windows are stained a dark color to create visual contrast. Above the entry hall is a large panel with an image of Minerva leading the way to wisdom...or at least the rest of the building and Starbucks!

There are several examples on the UNCG campus of architectural commodity, firmness, and delight in some combination. I chose the EUC because I felt it was the most cohesive example of all three attributes.

Reading Response 4 : The Eye in the Sky

I am the eye in the sky

Looking at you

I can read your mind

I am the maker of rules

Dealing with fools

I can cheat you blind

-Alan Parson Project