Development in Architecture
Architecture is the practice of building design and its resulting products, however customary usage refers only to the designs and structures that are culturally significant. Architecture is to building as literature is to the printed word. According to Vitruvius, a 1st-century BC Roman who wrote encyclopedically about architecture: "Well building hath three conditions: Commodity, Firmness, and Delight." In other words, one would say today that architecture must satisfy its intended uses, must be technically sound, and must convey aesthetic meaning. But the best buildings are often so well constructed that they outlast their original use. They then survive not only as beautiful objects, but as documents of the history of cultures, achievements in architecture that testify to the nature of the society that produced them. These achievements are never wholly the work of individuals. Architecture is a social art. Examples of such works of art are the Pyramids of Giza, the Lion's gate at Mycenae, the Parthenon, the Colosseum, the Hagia Sophia, and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Each of these buildings tells the story of the culture that produced it, and by studying the development of architecture; on
The three pyramids at Giza in Egypt, Cheops, Khafre, and Menkaure, are among the most famous pieces of architecture in the world and they are also the first buildings with innovative architecture. Each Egyptian ruler was obsessed with constructing a tomb for himself more impressive and longer lasting than that of his predecessors. Before the 4th Dynasty (begins c. 2680 BC) Egyptian royal burial took the form of the mastaba, an archetypal rectangular mass of masonry. This evolved into the stepped pyramid and finally into the fully refined pyramid. The development of the pyramid reached its climax during the Fourth Dynasty in the famous triad of great pyramids at Giza, which unlike the older pyramids, were of smooth-sided shape. They originally had an outer casing of carefully dressed limestone, but it has disappeared except near the top of the pyramid Khafre. This pyramid, almost 136 m (446 ft) high, was built without the use of cranes, pulleys, or lifting tackle, and archaeologists are still not certain how this was accomplished. Cheops, the first to be completed took about twenty years to complete. It was originally 481 feet high, and its base covered over 13 acres. It was made of over two million stone blocks, each weighing two to fifteen tons. The area covered by the Cheops Pyramid can accommodate St Peter's in Rome, the cathedrals of Florence and Milan, and Westminster and St Paul's in London combined. For all its beauty, the Colosseum is also a marvel of ergonomics and efficiency. It is estimated that 50,000 people could enter and be seated in 15 minutes. The reason for this is that the Romans invented tickets and assigned seating. Before the game, a spectator would pick up a ticket which had a number that corresponded to one of the 79 entrance arches which all had numbers above them (the 80th arch was for the emperor). The ticket also had a level, and a seat number. Senators had reserved seats with their names carved in the marble base--some of these can still be seen today. The basic structure of the Colosseum and the ticket system is still used today for many gaming events, from bullfights in Spain to baseball games in America. The Colosseum was used regularly for almost 400 years, and has suffered through earthquakes, neglect, and the pillaging of popes who took its marble for their own buildings. e can see the development of religions, ideas, and beliefs. Roman architecture continued the development now referred to as classical, but with quite different results. Unlike the tenuously allied Greek city-states, Rome became a powerful, well-organized empire that planted its constructions throughout the Mediterranean world, northward into Britain, and eastward into Asia Minor. Romans built great engineering works-roads, canals, bridges, and aqueducts. Their masonry was more varied; they used bricks and concrete freely, as well as stone, marble, and mosaic. Use of the arch and vault introduced curved forms. The Greek orders (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian) were widely adopted and further elaborated. But the Romans ultimately trivialized them by applying them indiscriminately, usually in the form of engaged columns or pilasters with accompanying cornices, to both interior and exterior walls as a form of ornamentation. It was this culture that created the next important building in the development of architecture, the Colosseum. The Lion Gate is now virtually a symbol of the land and its past and it is one of many examples of the skills of Mycenaean architects. The great achievements of the Mycenaean Civilization, the palaces with their elaborate fresco decoration, the monumental fortified citadels and imposing tholos tombs, all show the power and wealth of the Mycenaean rulers. This wealth was derived from agriculture and craft production and the conduct of overseas trade. Notable works of art were produced in the Mycenaean workshops, such as fine pottery, luxurious metal, stone and faience ve
Some common words found in the essay are:
Hagia Sophia, Occasionally Colosseum, French Gothic, Engaged Doric, Pyramids Giza, Europe AD, Lion Gate, Notre Dame's, Mycenaean Civilization, Orion Unlike, hagia sophia, development architecture, building development architecture, lion gate, pyramids giza, building development, pierre de, le duc, gate mycenae, cheops pyramid, de chelles, viollet le duc, de chelles pierre, fertility stability rationality, life fertility stability,
Approximate Word count = 4506
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
