Chapter 11—Architecture

Introduction: This chapter explores architecture both as an art and as a science. It examines the various architectural construction methods, noting how these methods enabled architects to build higher structures or span larger interiors. Examination of modern materials reveals revolutions in architectural design such as the steel cage or the steel-cable suspension bridge. Finally, it looks at specific museums and how their designs fulfill function for art museums. A Closer Look – In Lights at Ground Zero: Steps Toward Illumination provides you a chance to contemplate the events of September 11, 2001, and their concentrated effect on a place in Manhattan that used to be the site of some the most prominent and symbolic architecture in the world. The feature examines works dating back to the earliest building efforts by humans, and up to events in the recent past that culminated in the overwhelming destruction of architecture and the people in it as a direct attack on the ideologies of Western culture.

Chapter 10 – Why Read It? Many people have never been presented with the idea of architecture as an art form. Because of its everyday presence in the background of our lives and the large-scale industrial aspect of its creation, it is not until someone points out a certain feature of a building—such as the new sculptural/architectural appendage to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Art in New York, architect Frank Gehry’s compliment to Frank Lloyd Wright’s creation, or Matthew Barney’s use of the structure’s interior in a dramatic portion of his “Cremaster Series 3”—that we may take the time to focus on the aesthetic aspects of a work of architecture. Photographers and painters often include specific works of architecture in their works, or focus on parts of them shown in a specific light or time period, to add compositional qualities and ambience to their subjects. When one thinks of a particular city, the images that may come to mind will be filled with architecture. What would Athens, Greece, be like without its Acropolis temples including the Parthenon, or its new Calatravas Stadium, built for the 2004 Olympics? What would Manhattan be like without some of its distinctive architectural wonders, such as the Chrysler Building that King Kong climbed? Or Peru without Machu Picchu?

Frank Lloyd Wright is quoted as stating that architecture is really the defining art form for a civilization or a town and of course for the architect. This chapter invites you into the aesthetic world of architecture, giving clues to ancient modules of building, such as the post-and-lintel system or the arch and all its derivative structural forms, so adeptly exploited by the Romans and the later Medieval and Gothic architects. It also brings forward issues of contemporary architecture, such as creating more efficient structures as the Earth’s space and resources become increasingly precious. Present structures echo the past with Postmodern motifs and humanizing scale such as Go-oh Shrine (image 11-16). Even the private home is briefly discussed as an aesthetic and functional haven, capable of making a statement reflective of both owner and builder/architect.

Consider the works of architecture on your school’s campus or the historical structures that represent the early beginnings of the community you live in: a town hall, a bank, a post office, or perhaps even a mercantile store. How did those buildings and their designs suit their times and functions compared to some of the structures we have today—mini marts, super stores, drive-through banks, and multi-purpose county government complexes?

When you begin to notice some of the works of architecture around you and some of their artistic intentions and the principles of design employed in creating their appearance, you will have begun another journey into the world of art.

Understanding Concepts: Can architecture be art? Does it affect us on a personal level the way a sculpture or a painting can? Does it create for us an image of who we are as a people or a culture? Chapter 11 takes on some of these larger questions, presenting us with works of architecture and approaches to solving the functional, practical, and aesthetic, ideological problems of architecture as art.

1. Architecture has to work physically to support its own weight and structure. As well, it has a societal, even psychological, function to perform.

• Look in other chapters of the text in order to examine some of the architectural works shown, noting the distinguishing features and unique architectural designs of each.

• Apply the information you’ve gained from reading this chapter to two of the following works of architecture, discerning which architectural module or modules were used in designing and building these impressive works of art. Write your notes here:

White Temple at Uruk (image 13-6A & B) A Mesopotamian temple and library.

Great Pyramids at Giza (image 13-14) An Old Kingdom tomb and necropolis complex.

The Parthenon (image 14-10) A temple dedicated to a goddess on the Acropolis, Athens.

The Palace at Knossos, island of Crete (image 13-22) A royal dwelling.

The Roman Colosseum (image 14-24) An arena for gladiatorial spectacles.

The Roman Pantheon (images 14-28 & 29) A space to worship the Roman gods and goddesses.

The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (image 15-6) A Christian church, later a Mosque.

Any of the great cathedrals in France (Chapter 15) Churches whose scale miniaturizes its human pilgrims:

St. Sernin, Toulouse (image 15-16)

St. Étienne, Caen (image 15-18)

Laon (images 15-23 & 24)

Notre Dame, Paris (image 15-25)

Chartres (image 15-26)

Palazzo Rucellai, Santa Maria Novella, or Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (Chapter 16) Italian marvels that revive Classicism and a dome (Il Duomo) like no other.

Palazzo Rucellai (image 16-16)

Florence Cathedral (image 15-27)

Francesco Borromini’s imaginative San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane in Rome. (image 17-14)

Antonio Gaudi’s organic Casa Mila apartments in Spain (image 19-42) Undulating walls and roofline!

Making Connections: The quotations included in this chapter by Frank Lloyd Wright, Giorgio De Chirico, Andy Rooney, John Ruskin, Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier, have a common theme of architecture. This chapter presents you with many concepts allowing you to explore architecture as art.

1. Research one of these persons quoted. How does their idea of architecture match your own, or how does it differ? Notes:

2. A Closer Look – In Lights at Ground Zero: Steps Toward Illumination may bring back memories for you of where you were on September 11, 2001. The devastation of the World Trade Center Towers and loss of life there continue to influence people in the present. Focus on how the Tribute in Light created an ephemeral but powerful memorial and monument to the people killed and the place where the buildings once stood.

• How did the architects John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi collaborate with artists Paul Myoda and Julian LaVerdiere?

• How did another architect, Richard Nash Gould, and lighting artist Paul Marantz complete the team?

• Do you know the name of the architect who designed the original Twin Towers, now destroyed? What do you suppose he might have felt upon seeing this Tribute in Light where his design once stood?

3. Look through the chapter and investigate ways in which human ideas and needs are fulfilled through architecture.

• What are some of the physical and psychological needs architecture can fulfill?

• How are they derived through architectural forms? Cite a specific example:

Taking Notes: Understanding architecture as art is crucial in your development as a student of art within the course you are currently taking. This chapter gives you ways to grasp the concepts of artistic creation, such as the use of the plastic and design elements, within the context of historical application. When you look at an architectural work from a particular historical time period, you will be seeing how these design principles were applied within a range of certain accepted ideas and available materials and technologies. It will "make sense on a larger scale."

1. With 31 images and 37 terms in this chapter, you can conceptualize the modules of building and the materials used throughout history to create architecture.

• Distinguish for yourself the architectural modules: post and lintel, arches and vaulting, suspension, and some of the materials that have made new architecture possible, such as reinforced concrete and plywood.

• What are the components of a building that can support a dome? How does a Postmodern structure compare with an ancient one?

• What are the advantages of prefabrication?

• What are the differences between adobe and ferroconcrete?

• If you were visiting the capitol building of your home state, would you be able to point out, for example, its façade, pilasters, support systems, pendentives, fenestration, and dome?

2. Prepare your note-taking or SlideGuide pages with the titles and plate numbers of the images from this chapter. Remember from your reading that you must leave room for images that will most likely be shown in class from Chapters 13, 14, and 15 to show examples of ancient architecture and especially the developments of Medieval, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture.

• As you take notes in class, diagram for yourself some of the modules of building demonstrated. This will give you a kinesthetic connection to these systems and how they work. Sketching them will probably help you recall each of them in a test situation. Examples:

[insert UNF-p.76-1]

[insert UNF-p.76-2]

[insert UNF-p.76-3]

Preparing for Tests: Your instructor has probably selected images and test questions covering the spectrum of key concepts and goals of this chapter. Remember, architecture spans human history back into the Neolithic Period and is a dynamic of our present time.

1. You will need to be able to recognize images of structures, their time period, their method of construction and materials, and possibly the name of the architect or architectural team that designed it. Remember to focus on some of the features of museums as architecture and as places for the public to experience art and culture.

2. An architectural assistant to Frank Lloyd Wright said that each great work of architecture has its "signature," or a recognizable characteristic design that makes it unforgettable, such as the Pantheon’s spherical space with a coffered dome ceiling.

• As you review some of the works of architecture from Chapter 11, as well as images your instructor has shown from other chapters, see if you can discern that unique "characteristic" of each so you will remember it.

• Chapter 13: Stonehenge, The White Temple at Uruk, the Palace at Persepolis, the Great Pyramids, and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut.

• Chapter 14: The Parthenon, Temple of Fortuna Virilis, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon.

• Chapter 15: The Ottonian, Carolingian, Romanesque, and Gothic churches.

• Chapter 16: The Italian architectural wonders in Florence and Rome.

• Chapter 17: San Carlo and Versailles!

• Chapter 18: The Great Stupa at Sanchi and Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in India, African architecture, Islamic Mosques, and Chinese and Japanese temple forms.

This above listing should give you an idea of the vast number of questions your instructor could design. Here are a couple of sample questions to get you thinking. Create some of your own questions as you prepare to be tested. Answers to multiple-choice questions are found at the end of this chapter.

• Image 11-22:

Who was the designer of the geodesic dome?

A. Le Corbusier B. Gustave Eiffel

C. Eero Saarinen D. Buckminster Fuller

• Image 11-10:

Why was Sir Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace demolished?

A. People thought it was an eyesore.

B. It was a landmark for German pilots in World War II.

C. It became damaged, too expensive to restore.

D. It was not demolished, but is still standing.

Sample questions based on architecture featured in other chapters:

• Image 15-25:

Which of the following cathedrals has flying buttresses?

A. St. Michael's, Hildesheim B. St. Sernin, Toulouse

C. Notre Dame, Paris D. St Etienne, Caen

• Image 14-29:

The opening at the top of the Pantheon's dome is called the ___ .

A. oculus B. coffer

C. opus D. vault

• Sample essay question: Discuss a work of architecture from ancient times and its presence today. Include any specific issues such as the political arena, restoration, or modernization. Describe and discuss specific detail. [Extended Essay Assignment: 2 pages minimum, double-spaced, 12-point font. Cite two research sources.]

Review more sample questions at the Understanding Art website (www.cengage. com/art/fichner-rathus9e), in the Student Test Packet, or on ArtExperience Online for Understanding Art.

Enhancing Your Observational Powers:

1. Walk around on campus or in the town area where you live. How many different types of architecture can you recognize?

• What kinds of construction methods and structure modules were employed?

• When you go inside one of these structures, how do you feel?

• Is there lots of light or very little? Is the space open or compartmentalized?

• Can you find out who the architects were, and what year the building was created?

2. List features which you would like to include if you were going to design one of these:

• An art museum:

• A school or classroom:

• A library:

• A shop or café:

• Your own home:

3. How might these same spaces be designed to combine function and aesthetics for people who are using wheelchairs or who need alternative arrangements to help them function autonomously or to heal from or cope with a disabling illness?

4. Draw a rough sketch of a floor plan for the design you are most interested in. What are the three most important features you would like to include in the floor plan?

Plan:

A.

B.

C.

5. If you have access to a computer, you may be fortunate enough to use some programming called Computer Assisted Design, specifically for architectural planning. If you can, try creating a floor plan and see if it will allow you to view it as a virtual room. Did you know that much architectural drawing and planning that is now done this way had to be fully rendered by hand in the past?

For More Understanding: Your text contains many examples of architecture throughout other chapters, especially Chapters 12 through 20. Examining and studying these readily available examples will enhance your understanding of how architecture has served human needs both practically and spiritually for ages. Be sure to visit the Understanding Art website (www.cengage.com/art/fichner-rathus9e).

ArtExperience Online for Understanding Art: Check out the video segment on architecture under In The Studio and answer any follow-up questions.

Use the flashcard section to view images and figure drawings seen in this chapter. Create a study set using Chapter 11 images plus any useful pictures from other chapters.

Also learn more about the information and artwork presented in the A Closer Look and Compare and Contrast sections.

The special Art Tour feature will virtually put you in museums around the world—in this case Dallas/Fort Worth. Go to this module and look for directions, links to museum websites, photos, and other local info!

Notes and Links to Remember:

(answers to sample multiple-choice questions: d, b, c, a)