Gothic: Discussion and Video

For the Gothic period I viewed Dana and Emily's posts. I found Dana's post interesting because I was able to learn more about the black plague killing. I also found her current application pictures interesting. I never would have made that connection. Emily gave me a great review of the different design elements and having a picture to connect them to makes it easier for me to remember them. Emily really enjoyed the beautiful of these buildings and took her creativity to another level with her modern applications. My favorite modern application of hers was the black dress. We don't often realize that fashion designers can get inspiration from architecture as well.


Want to learn more about the Gothic period? Here's a video that I found interesting.

Gothic

This is the period that myself and Desiree' presented on a "Day in the Life". That project alone taught me a lot and proved my conception of the Gothic period wrong. My idea of the Gothic period was this dark period where it was normal for people to walk around in dark clothing because that's what today's "gothic people" look and dress like. However, I did find the daily life to be quite interesting. This period was based on religion and was essentially a continuation of the Romanesque period for a while until it developed it's own characteristics. Also, the things that they were punished for during this period was sickening. They would get brutally punished for hunting animals that the didn't own simply because they were trying to provide a meal for their family. They typically ate bread as their main course along with different meats. The architecture for this period was known for its tall and pointy houses or buildings with flying buttresses. Here's some of my favorites from this period below...

Modern applications..

Islamic: Discussion

For the Islamic period I viewed Rechael and Sam's blog. Rachael talked about how unique Islamic design in comparison to the other styles that we have learned about. She also pointed out how well they use the outdoor space. Sammy discussed how mosques during this time period commonly used bright colors. Her pictures for her current applications definitely showed the use of color and patterns.

Islamic

Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day. What today is known as Islamic architecture owes its origin to similar structures already existing in Roman, Byzantine and Persian lands which the Muslims conquered in the 7th and 8th centuries.
Islamic architecture finds its highest expression in religious buildings such as the mosque and madrasah. Early Islamic religious architecture, exemplified by Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock and the Great Mosque in Damascus. Religious architecture came into its own with the creation of the hypostyle mosque in Iraq and Egypt. These brick-built mosques also incorporated domes and decorated squinches across the corners of the rooms. Ottoman architecture, derived from Islamic and Byzantine traditions, is exemplified by the Selimiye Mosque at Edirne. It is known for its great central dome and slender minarets. One of the best examples of secular Islamic architecture is the Alhambra.

Then...

Modern applications...

Romanesque: Discussion

For this period I viewed Lindsay's and Natalie's blog post. Lindsay's current applications really caught my attention. I've never seen anything similar to the decorative vaulted ceilings in the commercial space. Natalie's connection to today's walls that are still built with masonry and stone caught my eye because it reminded me of the vacation villages in Wisconsin Dells. It was great having something to connect that design to.

Romanesque

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no knowledge of a beginning date of the Romanesque period. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style, marked by pointed arches. Romanesque architecture is known by its massive quality, thick walls, round arches, sturdy piers, groin vaults, and large towers. Each building has clearly defined forms and symmetrical plans. The overall appearance is one of simplicity.
The Romanesque period was most known for how many churches were established during this time with a minimum of 1,587 churches built between 1000 and 1100.

Modern applications..

Pompeii: Discussion

For Pompeii, I viewed Rachael and Justine's post. Rachael look at this period in a different aspect and that gave me a chance to learn something new. Rachael talked about the 4 different paintings styles. Also, her current applications were amazingly similar to the original forums. Justine's post was similar to my own. However, I still learned something new. She went into detail about the Mt. Vesuvius and posted the picture of the volcano that as she said is "breathtaking and scary".

Want to learn more about Pompeii?

Here's a good video that's goes a little bit more in depth about Pompeii.


http://youtu.be/QScagfQC5-w

Pompeii

By the first century A.D., the town of Pompeii was a flourishing resort for Rome’s most distinguished citizens. The town was filled with elegant homes and villas. Tourists, townspeople and slaves bustled in and out of small factories and artisans’ shops, taverns and cafes, and brothels and bathhouses. Pompeii remained mostly untouched until 1748. At that time, a group of explorers looking for ancient artifacts arrived in Campania and began to dig. Underneath all that dust, Pompeii was almost exactly as it had been 2,000 years before. However, Skeletons were frozen right where they’d fallen. This was a tad bit creepy to me! :-/ Fortunately, there's more to Pompeii than a city of bodies. Paintings (frescoes) were the typical wall coverings and they were found in nearly every room of houses.

Then...

Modern Applications...

Byzantine: Discussion

Kristina P.'s post on Byzantine cleared up a lot of things for me. The photos that she found with the label were extremely informative and overall gave me a better understanding. Also, while I was starting to think that all of these periods were similar, Melaine's post showed the contrast between The Early Christian period and the Byzantine period.

Byzantine

The Byzantine Empire was the longest political entity in the European history. They lasted between 324-1453 and their current name is Istanbul. During this period, the east definitely met the west. It was a combination of a dome from the east and the square base of the classical temple of the west. This became known as the pendentive construction. Byzantine interiors mainly consist of churches and temples today. Their flooring was often tiled in marble with a geometric design twist. The surfaces on the wall and ceilings was also marble and sometimes fresco, mosaics, and alabaster.


Then...

Modern applications...

Early Christian

Early Christianity was first recognized in 330-800 C.E. It began with the death of Christ in ancient Judea, an eastern outpost of the Roman empire. The emperor Constantine recognized Christianity as a valid religion in 313 C.E. Christians were finally able to display holy artifacts as well as have houses of worship. One of the most popular places to worship was the Basilica.

Here's a few examples..

Another thing that I found interesting based off of the limited information that is available is the furniture that was available during this period. Although all that is mainly available are pictures, I can tell that they were big on carvings and details.

Then...

Now...

Then...

Now...

Early Christian: Discussion

This the Early Christian period, I viewed Desiree and Melanie's blog. Desiree's blog stood out to me due to the connection she made between the Early Christian and the Byzantine period. Melanie somewhat took the same approach but she went more in depth on the Early Christian motifs and how they are still well used today in churches.

Greece: Discussion

For this section Ariana's post definitely stood out to me. I liked her comparison of the Pantheons dome roof. I had never seen The Reichstag Dome (her modern ay application) before and it's without a doubt, a sight to see. I also viewed Rachael's blog and liked her comparisons between the ancient and the modern columns as well. The structure of these columns are very unique and they are also widely used in today's architecture.

Rome: Discussion

Natalie and Yo's blogs were EXTREMELY eye-catching being that they were able to speak on these topic from personal experiences. I always enjoy hearing personal stories in addition to what is taught simply in the books. They both touched on the beauty of Pantheon and since they had a picture with it in the background, I was able to really see how large it is.

Classical Civilization: Greece

The thing that I found most interesting about this time period is the furniture. The furniture was mainly made of leather, copper, bronze, iron, marble, and wood. Tables were a portable size and were built in correlation with the height of the couch that was in the room. They also made use of multipurpose furniture to save space. For instance, their beds would serve as both, a sleeping and eating area.

The Klismos Chair was made of wood and is most known for their splayed legs. This chair was originally made for women and was known as one of the most graceful chairs. There are many modernized versions of this chair that are often used in dining rooms today.

The "Klismos Chair" that is used today...

Classical Civilization: Rome

Rome served as a catalyst in spreading art and civilization. The thing that caught my attention in this section was the residential dwellings. The Insula is typically 5-6 stories with balconies above the first floor. Living in these buildings doesn't seem enjoyable at all. There's no plumbing, poor lighting, the heat from the stoves escapes pretty well, and overall, it's dangerous. Not my type of lifestyle!!!

Modern "Insulas"...Insulas remind me of today's cruise ships. Most, if not all, cruise ships have 5+ floors of rooms where some have a balcony looking out to the lobby shops that are on the first floor.