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   The themes and styles expressed during this final time period we covered in class, were entertaining to study, to say the least.  It seems as though our contemprorary understanding of modernism is far from complete, as we are not much closer to truly grasping what modernism is because we cannot truly say when it concluded, if it even has, as of yet.   We have supposedly experienced a post-modernist world and are now trying to conceptualize and name the time and style of which we are currently living under, but this is up for debate, since it can be argued that modernism and its structure and value are still very present today.
    Some of the notions that helped launch modernism were the Arts and Crafts movement which challenged the world to ponder  which was better, hand-crafted products to those created by machines.  It was expressed during a time when the industrial revolution was reaching its height, given innovations like the assembly line.  The Art movement asked the world to ponder the differences and enbrace the machine, in its skewed manner, through expressionsim, and post-impressionism, but still providing even bigger differences, represented in works like Picasso's  fauvism and cubism work.   The Art Nouveau movement challenged this notion even further as it enbraced the "line" and the products produced.  The Art Deco movement took this a step further as the products themselves were at the forefront of the concept of speed and motion.   The l'espirit nouveau movement asked the world to visualize the house itself as a machine for living, and finally Germany produced the Bauhaus movement, which eventially spawned throughout the world, with its notion of good design for all.  
    It is easy to see how there is no definitive end of modernism, since most of these ideas are still prevalent and pondered today (especially given the advent of the McMansions that suffocate the suburbia landscape).   As well, the potential for society to steer back into hand-crafted goods is certainly feasible, given projected gas prices, which will likely cause local and hand-crafted goods to potentially be on the rise again.   The other major problem with claiming that modernism was a static period in the past, is that it is so hard to define modernism; at best there are multiple modernism as we see from the various styles and notions that arrived with all of the movements of the time.   It is for these reasons that I believe our professor aptly named the section : Explorations.  Most likely the movement is still present  (or at least samples of it), but it is for us the students to decide and explore our interpretations of the world and its current ideologies. (He's a smart man.)   The only thing we can say for sure though, is that we are living in a "contemporary" time period (but simply by literal definitions.)
    The image I chose above, represents (in my mind) one of the most important ideas sparked during this time.   Le Corbusier, in his attempt to explain the house as a machine, presented his "five points of architecture."   All have great value that only solidify his idea, but it is the fifth point that holds great value for the world and its future generations.   The fifth point essentially notes that a rooftop garden should be created on the house to restore the area of ground covered by the house.   This is perhaps one of the most beautiful things I've learned while in this class.   To think, Le Corbusier presented this sustainable notion in 1927, makes me want to say...what the hell have we been doing?    Sure, this practice is finally starting to take shape and integrated more now, but really only in the last 15 years.   This man created the perfect dichotomy of a house in its operability and livability, and he did it by displaying it so simply, i.e. replace the area lost.   Genius.

Thanks so much for this class, your teaching methods, and your open ideals on expressions and explorations.   Matt Wallace      
  

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(This image was found at: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=golf+clubs&view=detail&id=CDB6AF6C28B3165CD1D38DBC4FF042D6507DEA57&first=0&
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    The object (objects) pictured above are, of course, golf clubs and though they are and have bold design differences, in that some are bald face clubs and others are blades, I would liken the knowledge of choosing which to use as well as how to use them with the history and theory of design itself.  
     I have never been much of a golfer, but a few years ago I made a decision to put in the time to learn the game and get better at it.   I did this for two reasons:  1. I am getting older and needed to supplement a sport that is easier on the body, for those I am slowly phasing out of (or being forced out of by a body that is growing tired of rough impacts).   2. Most importantly (and the real reason)  I thought it would draw me closer to my father.   As I continued to study and practice the game of golf, one main theme developed and continues to reasonate with me every step of the way, and that was, for every inch of ground I gained in the learning process, the more I realized I had miles of learning still ahead, i.e. the more I learned, the more I realized I had left to learn.   This exponential learning and growing process is one I've felt throughout this class.   The more I begin to learn about a particular style or period or strategy, the more I realize how little I actually know.   But like golf, this excites me!   This learning process breeds excitable achievements and high end growth and learning potential.

 
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   Here is another recognizable image; this space is the famous Titanic Grand Staircase.  I chose this movable space for several reasons, one being the fact that it is a movable space.   To think that people had the capabilities to create such an exquisite space and be able bring it with them and transport it all over the world, is (I think) a very intriguing idea, especially since it was 100 years ago.  The other major reason I chose this space is because it effortlessly checks off every mark under commodity, firmness, and delight.  It is a space that is still very well intact, 100 years later and several miles under the ocean.   It served its intended purposes (granted only for a brief time period) efficiently, as it was designed to help funnel the flow of traffic from one floor to the next while providng an opening and light in to the lobby.  And finally, because it epitomized the state of glamour of the time and, I would argue, would still be considered quite splendid today.


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    This building is the Einstein Tower, which I had never heard of, seen, and know very little about, except what I have read in the Roth textbook.   But as impressive as the building is visually, I find the story to be really interesting.   It was built from 1917 to 1921, to test Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and though Einstein himself never actually completed any test or worked inside the building, it was used quite frequently and extensively, to carry these test out.  Commodity, Firmness, and delight are viable here too, as the building is still in use today as a working Solar observatory.   Its application as a working facility today prove its value in the world, and the obvious attention to sound design techniques are why its still here and functioning.   So, it is very pratical, but yet visually stunning.   My favorite part of the story though, is that of its designer, Erich Mendelsohn, who sketched this building while in a trench during World War I.   That is amazing to me.   Trenches were not only gruesome and dirty, but were a very depressing place to be.   Imagine, with nothing but death and destruction all around, here was a man caught up in building and creating.

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   This place is known as Mesa Verde, which is now preserved as a National Park, but the Anasazi people created this place over 900 years ago as their settlement.   I have been fortunate enough to have visited Mesa Verde, crawl through its tiny entrances, and scale their 30 foot ladders, so I can attest to its beauty and longevity in existence.   The notion I'd like to focus on here though, is the fact that these early people, were essentially some of the first conservational designers in history.   This settlement was specifically designed and implemented in to the cliffside to cut down on the heat, as the houses were positioned far enough back to gain shade during the hot afternoons in summer months.   Additionally, they provided heat in the winter months by providing "a large mass of material between the dwelling space and the sun so that the mass slows down the absorption and transfer of heat, just as the thick mud-brick walls and roofs of adobe construction do." -- (Roth p138)  
   It is awesome and a must see, but its design methodology, with regards to its efficiency in heating and cooling, should continue to serve as a reference for future building styles.

*Roth, Leland M.. Understanding Architecture:  Its Elements, History and Meaning.  New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print.
  

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      This picture is of a fairly recently renovated clock tower, and I believe it expresses the modern stlye in its approach.  

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   The artifact I originally chose at the beginning of class was that of a travelling alarm clock.   I chose it because it reminded me of days gone passed, where people cared more about craftsmanship and quality over the price of an object.  The ideology of the past told us that good quality pieces stood the test of time, and because of that, their durability and duration of potential use, far exceeded the price of replacing a cheaper made object.   It was for these reasons that I thought I was exhibitting something from the past, but as it turns out, my artifact actually is representative of the "modern era."   These sort of approaches to the "arts and crafts" movement and "learning to live with the machine" were in fact, at the core of the modern value structure.  The travelling alarm clock was created during this time period and is very indicative of the that style.

     Today, a travelling alarm clock is out-of-date and essentially obsolete, because we all have cellular phones, and they all have corresponding alarm clocks.   As well, though esthetically pleasing (and impressive) clock towers are essentially obsolete as well, for the same reason, that everyone has a phone and with it, a clock.   But because of their impressive nature, clock towers are still used or renovated.   The one above, resonates the modern approach to this, in its modern design style, that places attractiveness on its clean and lateral lines.   As well, the approach at quality craftmanship, show this one to be attaining the values of the modern era. 

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"After World War II, in the face of massive housing shortages in bombed-out towns and cities, most municipalities quickly adopted regulations that allowed for modernist housing blocks to be built, which fundamentally changed the urban landscape of Europe." -- (Ching p766)

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A good example (and one of the first examples) of this allowance and change of Europe's landscape is the structure known as the Berlin Philharmonic Hall.

• It was designed in 1956 to 1963 by the designer, Hans Bernahard Scharoun.
• Scharoun was a German architect that was known for his expressionistic style before the war, but had little experience aside from villas.
• When commissioned for the job, Berlin's people were hoping that his design would stand out amongst the drab buildings springing up after the war.

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"Against the backdrop, a few big cities were able to create high-end commissions that allowed architects more freedom to experiment.  This engendered the prestige commission, an important driver of advanced architectural thinking." -- (Ching p766)

• At first appearance, the exterior of the Hall looks to be several buildings compressed into each other.
• The interior is organized symmetrically around the orchestra, yet the seating differs in that balconies face all directions and surround the musicians' platform.
• Both have an expression of inward out and forward from within, both also appear compressed.



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• The overall impression is of a ship, with golden-hued metal, diving sharply into the landscape.
• It was treated conceptually like a large boat, elevated below from columns.
• The entrance is through a conventional lobby, similar to a boat's hull, that then allocates distribution of the people to their designated places.

"The plan has had many imitators, the most recent being the projected design for the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg, Germany, by the firm, Herzog &de Meuron." -- (Ching p766)

It is easy to see how the design of this building has inspired so many others, probably the Guggenheim and possibly the Sydney Opera house.   Immitation pays hommage to previous designers, but for the people of Berlin during this time it did something much more.  It provided something different and inspiring for a people that obviously needed exactly that.   This is what all design should attempt to do, even today.  This building, even today, should continue to inspire, at least designers, so that they can better the lives of those around.

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.

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    The picture above is that of the well-known children's toy "Erector set," which I believe can be viewed as an off-chute of the modernist idea of "good design for all" and possibly, as an analogy of the movement.

    The idea of "good design for all," at least in my reading of it, is the creation of artistic design, that essentially builds on or off of other's work.   It is the concept that piggy-backing on other's work or the creation process in tandem with other ideas, leads to better art and design for all.  

     I believe the origins of this movement spark from sources like the Bauhaus.   The Bauhaus school was founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar, Germany, and its literal meaning was "house of construction," but simply stood for "school of building."  It was founded with the idea of creating a 'total' work of art in which all arts, including architecture would eventually be brought together.   It, like the concept of expanding on and in the process, expanded itself to three schools, in three different cities.   By combining styles in crafts and fine arts and the building process, it had major influences in design from there on out.  This goes with out saying that its influence only helped in its concept of better building for the betterment of all.

    Because of this influence and the idea of building on the basis of others work, I believe the erector set is a good replication of this idea.   One begins with the ideas and materials all layed out, and it is up to them to steer the design in the direction of their choosing.   As well, it invites active participation from those around to help create and build upon each individuals ideas.

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"Downing believed that one could bring nature to the city in the form of parks, but only if they were big enough to stimulate a landscape, albeit one that had been tamed and brought into balance with human needs." --(Ching p667)

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This is a contemporary picture of Central Park in New York City.

• It was originally designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux.
• It was created sculpted by the Olmstead, Vaux & Company from 1853 until 1883.
• The Firm came to New York to work alongside Jackson Downing, a big advocate for urban landscaping.

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"Downing, influenced by picturesques ideas as well as the growing moralism of the early Victorian era, saw in landscapes as more than just a convenient stage used by the wealthy for setting up monuments to heroes, as it was at Stowe Gardens.  Landscape, so Downing held, strengthened character and supported the integrity of the family." -- (Ching p667)

• The area was originally a garbage dump and shanty town.
• Its designers transformed it into a 2,170 square kilometer park.
• Anything that did not fit the specific design was either removed or blasted away.

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• After excavation and demolition, the designers added four million cubic yards of rock and soil.
• In addition, the designers systematically placed four to five million trees in the park.
• Once matured and designs were completed, the park held meadows, forest, hilltop lookouts, castles, sheep farms, skating rinks, and eateries, curved paths and bridges.

This park attracted ten million visitors in its first year of operating alone, which goes to prove the importance of cities on the rise and the attention to city structures coming into the modern age.  The importance of Central Park today is perhaps obvious in that we need and will increasingly need more green spaces, simply to offset all of the urban areas we are building.   But for those that live in New York, it is perhaps more of the "Downing" ideology, in that it provides appeals of good values and characteristics.

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.

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        This image captures the reknowned Ford Model T assembly line, what was to be the predecessor and template for all production assembly lines to follow.   It was not only a perfectly developed innovation of the time, it was efficient.   The efficiency of this production and manufacturing process, set the stage for all other forms manufacturing and production to follow, given the high volume of products capable of being distributed through this "line" format.

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      This is, of course, an image of the modern day version of the assembly line, one that was taken at a Chinesse facility, where, as the world has come to recognize, is the new capital of production and manufacturing.   This is due mostly to China's lack of environmental regulations, high numbers of labor force, and low wage standards (amongst other things).   I chose these images in response to the question : "why was it so important for people to be working so hard at the beginning of the century to be modern?"  One of the major concepts we focused on in class was the notion of embracing the machine or turning away from it.  Perhaps in the art world, this could be debated, but in the economic world, more specifically, the backrooms of future business empires, it was only a question of start up cost and when to begin.   The machines of the "machine" that is capitalism had already been set in motion, so it left people and their places, i.e. their cities, that were left to pursue these machines/assembly lines to be put into place within these places.   To compete for business meant growth capital, hence, people worked hard at becoming as "modern" as possible for the prosperity of their cities, through luring in big business.   Today, China has mastered the art of modernizing their facilities and their cities, but not their people, because the people have not gained the prosperity that is usually to follow big business and big industry in an area.   Maybe art will help to bring reform and revolution for the people of China. hy do you think it was so important for people by the beginning of the twentieth century to be working so hard to be modern?wwhy do you think it was so important for people by the beginning of the twentieth century to be working so hard to be modern?hy do you think it was so important for people by the beginning of the twentieth century to be working so hard to be modern?

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Throughout our exploration into this most recent section of design and architecture's history, we were presented with many of the ideas people faced during their time.  Most of these ideologies centered around reviving the past, creating rules, breaking these rules, and revolution.  Strange how uttering these words essentially paints the picture that is history.  But that is what is so valuable about this class, it gives one an appreciation into how architecture/design mirrors and sculpts not just the times, but life itself and the world around it.   

Life during this time frame was about understanding.   Without understanding, revival cannot take place, much less be conceptualized.   Without understanding, rules cannot be created, because there is no definition and foundation for them to be propped upon, and without rules, there are none to break.   Obviously, revolution cannot take shape without an understanding of what is being revolted against or for.  

So the World, and its inhabitants, was finally gaining a deeper understanding of itself.  Previously, we learned how people were learning, creating, trying new things, to interpret their world, but as we learned recently in class, this time period was about shaping and reshaping continuosly as knowledge and styles were understood, shared, and modified.       

Here are some the rules the western world produced during the early section of this time : revive the past using classical language, strive for harmony and order in all things, layer groves and stacks when possible, emphasize surface through materiality, follow the rules, place man at the center, strive for position through patronage, move forward the secular, 1 point perspective, expand the physical world.   And here are some that influenced and came out of the eastern world : maintain continuity of the past, strive for harmony and order in all things, continue to layer groves and stacks, celebrate surface and materiality, follow the rules, place community needs before your own, strive for position through patronage, emphasize the spiritual, sustain systems of representation, expand your inner world.   There are certainly more similarities than differences here between the two, but I contend that at the heart of both and throughout the rest of the world, it was simply this ordering, structuring, shaping, that kicked off their connection to a deeper understanding, that was the Rennaissance.  

But as is always the case to follow when rules and order are set up, people come along and break these apart, reshaping and retooling the syles of the time.   That, was of course, exactly what the Baroque period provided.   Reordering, restructuring continuously...until eventully a revolution takes place, which is exactly what happened all over the world.  The Revolutionary period provided social and political revolutions, but the style popping up all over the world did more than the reiterate these times, it helped solidify and illicit the changes to come.   

I chose this image of the Liberty Bell not only for its more palpable and tangible illustrations of rules, breaking them, and revolutions, though it can certainly be considered synonymous with them (especially since it was created during this time frame, and is, of course, broken), but rather to discuss its significance to understanding.   Though it is often heralded as a major symbol for and during the U.S. Revolutionary War, it was possibly not even used to warn of invasion, and it was hidden away during the war, for fear that it might be used to swelt down into a cannon.   In actuality, what is know known and referred to as the Liberty Bell was donned this term during the abolitionist period of 1830, as it was to stand for all man's liberty.   It was later used as a symbol for women's suffrage in the early 1900's.   So as this class continues to help us learn and understand our past, we get a deeper sense of what structures and things meant for people during their times.   In the case of the Liberty Bell, it was to sybolize different things to different groups of people, nevertheless, it was an understanding of Liberty.                

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                            Illuminating the Revolution

Street lights and street lamps provide that wonderful air of mystery and the unknown when in tandem with fog and nostalgia.    But do they also carry messages of revolution?   Absolutely!

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For many of us, streetlights conjure up images of revolution almost immediately as we in America have been bombarded by pictures, movies, etc. of our early revolutionary citizens helping to light the way of Paul Revere (or perhaps Paul Revere awaking revolutionaries, as he rode with a light, illuminating his own way.)  This is certainly one of the ways we perceive a special time in our country's history, and it is revolutionary, but most of what we have been taught was perpetuated through crafty writership, (especially since Israel Bissel did the bulk of the riding to spread the word that the British were coming).   But this is beside the point, street lights, (as in electrified light), illuminating a street came much much later.

So, in that case, what do street lights have to do with revolution?   The revolution of Nikola Tesla.  

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Gaudi's Curved Curb Appeal

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"As they studied Greek, Roman, and Gothic architecture, they came to understand by the end of the nineteenth century that these ways of building had begun first as vernacular expressions, which had then been clarified and stylized, becoming cultural expressions rich in meaning."  (Roth p 511)

It has been pointed out (through our teacher) that great nations stand on their architecture.

• During the turn of the century, design styles were growing from the conception of older norms.
• One architect that stood out greatly during this time was Antoni Gaudi who lived from 1852 to 1956.
• He developed an architectural style in Barcelona through the use of molded forms on curved structural walls and thin masonry vaults. 

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"Gaudi created an architecture rooted in Catalonia's Moorish and medieval past --as architecture ablaze with colored tile, exploiting the thin, curved, tile vault constructeion for which Catalonia has long been famous."   (Roth p 513)

• This particular style of fitting forms on the facade borrowed heavily from that of the Moorish tradition with ceramic tiles.
• But Gaudi did not simply borrow from this source, he also borrowed heavily from nature.
• he observed the natural world around him and used these close observations to implement natural styles in his design.

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chonav.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/why-i-fell-inwithbarcelona/&docid=xCt9myv2WeTKoM&imgurl=http://chonav.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/casa_
mila_03.jpg&w=1024&h=768&ei=T35yT6X7GYrLgQeSwqBp&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=343&vpy=245&du
r=1763&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=164&ty=139&sig=100245743571181786446&page=4&tbnh=155&tbnw=
215&start=41&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:41

"Gaudi's fusion of organic naturalism and the structural logic of curved vaults is demonstrated in the large apartment block, the Casa Mila, he designed for Dona Rosario Mila on the Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona, 1905-1910."   (Roth p 513)

• Gaudi planned the structure with the idea of a plan stem and cliffside as his inspiration.
• The curvature of the exterior walls are meant to mimic the weathered sea cliffs outside of Barcelona, with details like wrought iron balustrades imitating tangled kelp seaweed.
• Around the interior courtyards, he designed walls that liken a plant's vascular network.

"It is a unique vision of a functional, structurally utilitarian, organic architecture that could have been created on in Barcelona."   (Roth p 514)

This may have been the case back then, but all over the world, designers and architects have been and are designing more organic and natural looking structures.   The idea being to blend into the surroundings better, and this should be gaining more and more exposure in the coming years as well, as we continue to make transitions into not only environmentally sound structures, but more environmentally aesthetic structures.

*Roth, Leland M.. Understanding Architecture:  Its Elements, History and Meaning.  New York, NY: Icon Editions, 1993. Print.

BP8

BP8
                                          A Three Dimensional Language

As simplistic as we might consider the globe map to be today, I believe it still speaks volumes as to the unifying language that is the world.

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To conceptualize the immense changes that came from the creation of the Globe map, is to have lived in a world without the computer.   I don't think it is possible for our brains to grasp even a tenth of the importance, significance, and connotations that came with and as a result of this tool, this three dimmensional object, given the rammifications and capabilities of the modern computer.   But, taking a stark look at it (the globe) today, right now, it can still provide glimmers of the wonder and fascination it must have caused back through the ages.   Moreover, it did not simply provide the knowledge of other languages out there, it itself is language.

The Globe channels us to listen to its wisdom, to hear its story, and it does this through its shape, its layers, its detail, and especially through its movement.  

When we look at a globe, immediately we receognize that it is interactive, it desires participation, and we recognize this from its shape.   It is a circle, certainly, which makes it continuous, balanced, repetitive, but because it is three dimensional, it not only cubes these values, our brains interpret it as a touchable experience.  A globe screams "play with me."

Its layers provide history.   The forms on a globe are not geometrically arranged, but because of this, they beg the user to investigate the arrangements that are displayed.   What do the arrangements say?   What do they mean?  They are tectonic, but they are a rhythm that weaves through the whole unit, and these forms are words of interpretations.

The details on the globe provide color, symbols.   The land forms rise up out of the long vast sections of blue, like words between the spaces of white on a page.   The cause interest and inspection.

And finally, the globe's language is better understood through is functional movement.   A globe turns, it rotates, and we know this.   But is spinning a globe really any different than turning to the next page of a book?  Its repetitive nature keeps these "words" in constant circulation, and its language continues today (and because it is so interactive) and will even tomorrow. 

RR9

RR9

THE BEAUTIES BEHIND THE WIND SCREEN

The Hawa Mahal is still considered to be one of the Jaipur's signature monuments.



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http://famouswonders.com/hawa-mahal-palace/&docid=W6BTrYd3h1IJKM&imgurl=http://famouswonders.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hawa-mahal-palace.jpg&w=1024&h=753&ei=l3ZyT7nnNsOTgwek6ek-&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=80&vpy=204&dur=893&hovh=192&hovw=262&tx=136&ty=108&sig=

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1&tbnh=106&tbnw=145&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0)

"The Mughal Empire was at its largest under Aurangzeb (r.1658-1707) who annexed all the Deccan sultanates."  (Ching p 626)

• South Asia was growing in trade and strength because of newly established European trade ports.
• Sawai Jai Singh III seized the opportunity of this potential growth for his kingdom of Amer.
• He grew his kingdom from 1699 until 1743, continuing growth and construction. 

"If moderninity can be understood as the forward thrust of transformation and as the production and exploration of the possibilities of the new in negotiation with the values of the status quo, then this was indeed a period of moderninity."  (Ching p 626)



(This image was found at:  http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&biw=1366&bih=557&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=MtuOESV2bzX3iM:&imgrefurl=http://

www.indialine.com/travel/rajasthan/jaipur/hawamahal.html&docid=PVqnMfXcUek_XM&imgurl=http://

www.indialine.com/travel/images/hawa-mahal.jpg&w=350&h=250&ei=l3ZyT7nnNsOTgwek6ek-&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=334&vpy=248&dur=1424&hovh=190&hovw=266&tx=200&ty=130&sig=

100245743571181786446&page=2&tbnh=151&tbnw=211&start=22&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:22)

"The Hawa Mahal (literally, 'Wind Palace') gets its name because the building was considered insubstantial - or made of wind."  (Ching p 627)

• The grandson of Sawai Jai Singh constructed this structure in 1799, in what is now Jaipur, India.
• This building is a five story high screen wall which helped earn it the name "The Wind Palace."
• It was placed at the edge of the palace complex facing down on the main street.

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http://www.indnav.com/servlet/Browse%3Fmt%3DgoToName%26name%3DHawa%2BMahal%26smt%3Dguide&docid=3xgQmqsWR5oiDM&imgurl=http://www.indnav.com/images/dyn/featureImages/20766_4_

1.jpg&w=350&h=250&ei=l3ZyT7nnNsOTgwek6ek&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=293&sig=10024574357118

1786446&page=2&tbnh=170&tbnw=238&start=22&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:22&tx=94&ty=53

• The concept here is that of a grand urban structure.
• It was designed by Lal Chand Ustad.
• The elements found in this structure are that of Mughal palaces or other mosques that were built to be screened sections for women.

"[I]t was built to enable the women of the royal household to watch the festival processions on the street while remaining unobserved themselves."  (Ching p 627)

This obviously has meaning in today's world as a lot of these religious traditions and value structures have still carried over today, and this could be "practically" used in several parts of the world even today.  Regardless of beliefs or values, it is a beautiful structure.

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.

RR7

RR7

Oh, to Have a Ryoanji Garden on My Desk

"Perhaps the white field is an ocean and the rocks islands."  (Ching p494)



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4F4DE793FD57&first=31&FORM=IDFRIR)

• This innate rock garden is a part of the Ryoanji Temple.
• This temple derives its name from the Japanese meaning, "The Temple of the Peaceful Dragon." 
• It is found in northwest Kyoto, Japan.

(This picture was found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/markburdett/3011744557/)

To this day, it is considered one of the greatest examples of a Zen garden.

• It currently belongs to Myoshin-ji school of Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism.
• This rectangular dry garden has a bed of white gravel that is carefully raked to form East/West running bands.
• 15 natural stones are clustered in five groups, and the gravel around them is raked in a manner that looks as though it were ripples in a pond

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C6F8A9CE160E9EFBD92D&first=31&FORM=IDFRIR)

"The rocks could also stand for a tigress leading her cubs across a river - another common interpretation."  (Ching p494)

• The exact time and designer of this garden are not known for certain.
• The temple originally went through its major design stage in 1450 A.D., by Hosokawa Katsumoto who built the Ryoanji Temple.
• It is believed that his son rebuilt the temple in 1488, after small clan wars, and in the process, created the garden in 1488.

 "Ultimately, the garden is not meant to convey a singular interpretation but to serve as an aid to meditation, with the empty space between the stones just as important as the stones themselves-or perhaps even more so."  (Ching p494)

I have always been fond of these rock gardens and have wondered about their meanings and reasons for their design, but I guess ultimately both questions can be answered in one word : Peace.   How this applies today is one of great importance, and perhaps specifically why I felt the need to study this particular design more intricately, and that is its balance and sustainability.   These rock gardens are eco-friendly, that is, most all of the resources that go into them is sweat equity.   This is very important and will increasingly be so as, water resources continue to dwindle.

*Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%c5%8dan-ji

BP6

BP6

RR6

RR6                               These Churches are on the Downlow, sorry, Underground
Within the country of Ethiopia, there is a place called Lalibela, where they are know all over for their monolithic churches.

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This is an example of one of these astounding churches, beneath the ground, that was cut out of a single piece of rock.

• This church is speculated to have been build in ca. 1187.
• The Zagwe dynasty (founded ca 1137) reached it's peak under King Lalibela (ca 1185-1285).
• He is accredited for building a set of eleven of these monolithic churches.

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Under a threat from the forces of Islam, the kingdom had retreated into these ridges, enabling them to still control the Red Sea ports that links central and southern African trade routes.  These ridges had several springs which gave both agricultural and symbolic value.

• These churches are cut out of one single solid, volcanic rock. 
• They were founded in the new capital city of Roha, now known as Lalibela. 
• This city is located on a high ridge above the Takkaze River (340 km north of Addis Ababa).

(This image was found at:  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=churches+of+lalibela&view=detail&id=449D7CB806ACB0BDACE41E39E9D458ED19F1734A&first=

0&qpvt=churches+of+lalibela&FORM=IDFRIR

"The churches are highly unusual in their overall conception.  Not only do they constitute a holy land unto themselves, but they are a map of the holy city of Jerusalem, which King Lalibela had never seen, but imagined from descriptions in the Bible." (Ching p414)

• These churches are divided by a rock-cut channel called Yodannos, or the Jordan River.
• The largest of these churches, Bieta Giorgis, was carved into the shape of a cross. 
• This building is approximately twelve meters in height, length and width, and sits atop a triple-stepped platform.

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"Though carved out of the living stone, it mimics a conventionally constructed building, replete with vaults and delicately chiseled acanthus leaves and gargoyles."  (Ching p414)

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.

US1

US1                                                           It's All Around Us


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=IDFRIR)

         Why would we, the current rulers and roamers of the Earth's soil, find the need to study the shelters and structures of the past?   Are their buildings really pertinent to the situation known as life today?   Could they truly "unlock the secrets of the past" as we are so often prescribed to ponder?
          In my own travels, I think I have often answered this question with a 'sure, they're probably unlocking all sorts of secrets...for scientist or other people that might actually care, like a historian...but for me, they are just really cool to look at, and put my hands on.'  This was often times my rationale, and not to take away from the beauty that I myself felt when in the presence of such spectatular sites, but the meanings behind, or the viability of these ancient structures would and should be left up to the professionals, at least that was what I believed.   I was simply a tourist in the gallery of life.
          But through this class, and more especially, the first several weeks, I came to realize the fallacy of this ideology, or perhaps the stupidity behind the ignorance arguement.    These tangible structures we are visiting in class give us insights not just for the explanation and comprehension of the past (in fact quite the opposite, as our professor has allowed us to conjure up our own interpretations of the symobolism and make our own assessments and assumptions), but to help us explain, understand, and define our present and future.
          We have taken an unfettered look at sites such as Stonehenge, the Roman Aqueduct, the Acropolis, the Xiang yang Palace.   We have learned of their immense planning, the dedication to constructing structurally sound products, and the attention to detail that was harnessed during their design process.   But most importantly, we have focused on their design elements.
          The design elements : Circles, Groves, and Stacks became our first welcome into the world of understanding.   Once we were presented with these tools to view our landscape and the structures that we not only visited on campus but also the structures and places we read about in our text, we began to make sense of Stonehenge, the Acropolis, etc.   These tools gave us the reasoning behind why specific construction styles were choosen and this is what allowed us to contemplate their symbolism, their meaning for past civilizations.
          But as we are learning, these three elemental designs styles help us to understand our present and future surrounding, and more importantly, our choices for exactly that.   It is through learning about them, that we can make sense of today.
          The image I have choosen above, was actually out of luck.   I initially set out to display an image of a primitive hut that one might see as shelters in a third world country or that one might just build as an "off the grid" ecologically friendly structure, and explain its viability in present day (i.e. it is still meant to and capable of serving the most basic or elemental needs of man) through utilizing all three design styles : the circular parameter, for a centered approach to life and lifestyle, the groves of the walls, for the materials to be that of and mirror the landscape, and the stacked roof, to symbolize its reach heavenward.   But then I found this image apptly named the "Primitive Hut in the digital Age," and thought, what better example to explain my own personal feelings of a trans ition to jump out and off of the tourist role and into one of belonging and comprehension.   Thankyou.

RR5

RR5                                               Man, Just Being Onboard this Church

"Like the Viking ships, the stave churches derive from a building tradition developed to defy the harsh elements."  (Ching p388)

(This image found at:  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Kaupanger+Stave+Church&view=detail&id=51C853F0B0AB5533B7AB6CCFD

BB2CA0D4EBDACA1&first=0&qpvt=Kaupanger+Stave+Church&FORM=IDFRIR) 

This Stave church is located in the town of its namesake, Kaupanger, Norway.

• This church was founded in the 12th Century and is still in use today.
• It is located on top of what are believed to be the ruins of two previous churches.
• A low wall of flat stones raised this building above the ground level.





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EADE806AA88E6&first=0&qpvt=Kaupanger+Stave+Church&FORM=IDFRIR)

Stave churches were miedeval wooden churches, timber framed using a Post and Beam construction style.  

• They consisted of load bearing post running horizontally and vertical planks were attached to form the walls. 
• These structures are capable of expanding and contracting in damp and dry weather, making them very flexible.
• As well, a continuous belt of cross-braces was added enabling the structure to be tightened if needed.

"Beyond that, columns, planks, and supports were [all] dovetailed, pegged, and wedged-never nailed."  (Ching p388)

                                                                               

"The word stave, from the Nors stavr, refers to the load-bearing post that make up the structure."  (Ching p388)

• The church's interior is minimally lit, with only small strips of light coming through either the windows or from peepholes in the longitudinal walls.
• Services and religious practices were illuminated by candlelight.
• The interior much like the exterior was modeled after the Viking ships. 

It is easy to see how they styled their churches in the same forms as their Viking ships not only for the durability but also for aestetic appeal.  The Vikings were at home on the sea, so one could make the point that these churches were constructed to make them feel as at home during their religious practices on land.

Ching, Frank, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print.