Lecture 12: Architecture - HCC Learning

Philip Johnson and John Burgee. College of Architecture, University of Houston. 1983–85.

Architecture

Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. House of Education. 1773–79.

Philip Johnson and John Burgee. College of Architecture, University of Houston, interior. 1983–85.

Almost all western architecture is based on ancient Greek and Roman ideals, principles, and architectural design.

The “look” of architecture was most often determined by three factors:

1. Environment 2. Technology 3. Function

Pyramids of Menkaure (c. 2470 BCE), Khafre (c. 2500 BCE), and Khufu (c. 2530 BCE).

Original height of Pyramid of Khufu 480 ft., length of each side at base 755 ft. Environment and function are what controlled the design of the Egyptian

pyramids

Ziggurat, Ur. c. 2100 BCE. 210 x 150 ft. at base.

The design of this structure was influenced by environment and function, in

this case, religious beliefs

Thomas Coram. View of Mulberry House and Street. c. 1800.

Slaves from Africa brought their architectural aesthetics with them to the New World. The design of their slaves huts proved highly useful in

the hot climate of the Southern U.S.

Mesa Verde, Spruce Tree House. c. 1200–1300 CE.

Cribbed roof construction of a kiva.

There are two types of walls:

1. Shell system: one material for the wall and support

2. Skeleton and Skin system: basic interior frame with a more fragile outer covering

Tensile strength is the ability of a material to span horizontal distances without support and without buckling in the middle

The Lion Gate. 1250 BCE.

Post-and-lintel construction: a horizontal beam supported at each end by a load-bearing vertical post or wall

Corner of the First Temple of Hera. c. 550 BCE.

- Drum- an individual section of a column

- Fluting- the parallel groves running the length of a column

- Acropolis- The highest point of a city; usually where the biggest and most important temples or buildings are found.

- Colonnade- a row of columns

Load Bearing:

Bearing the weight of the material on top

The Greek orders, from James Stuart, The Antiquities of Athens. 1794.

The three Greek orders of architectural columns are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian

Arch. An extremely stable structure that can support tremendous weight and

can be used for intricate designs.

Pont du Gard. Late first century BCE.

Barrel vault (top) and groined vault (bottom) construction.

Barrel-vaulted gallery, ground floor of the Colosseum.

The Colosseum (aerial view). 72–80 CE.

The Roman’s greatest contribution to architecture was the invention of concrete.

Exterior, Pantheon. 117–125 CE.

The Dome

Interior, Pantheon. 117–125 CE.

A dome is simply an arch that has been duplicated in a circular pattern along its center axis.

Interior view of nave, St. Sernin. c. 1080–1120.

Plan, St. Sernin.

Romanesque: Using Roman methods and forms; rational order and logical development

Amiens Cathedral. begun 1220.

The great Gothic cathedrals of Europe– note the scale and use of arch technology

Pointed arch.

Flying buttresses, Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Chartres.

Flying buttresses, Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Chartres, diagram (after Acland).

Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel Tower. 1887–89. Height of tower 1,051 ft.

Cast-Iron construction: adding carbon to iron

Wood-frame construction.

Truss.

Drawing of Old St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. c. 320–27.

The truss was an architectural technology that was known for quite some time, but is inefficient and impractical in large scale.

Charles Bulfinch. Harrison Gray Otis House, Boston, Massachusetts 1795–96.

Notice how environment impacts the structure: cold Boston winters directed architects to use insulating brick with maximum exposure to

the sun’s heat (narrow overhang).

Architect unknown. Mansion at Parlange Plantation, New Roads, Louisiana c. 1785–95.

Contrast the previous structure with this one, which is designed to maximize shade from the sun, allow for air to circulate, and painted

white to reflect heat.

Christian Gladu. The Birch. 1998.

Bungalow

Louis H. Sullivan. Bayard (Condict) Building. 1897–98.

Steel-and-Reinforced-Concrete construction was a technological innovation that made large buildings and sky-scrapers possible

Louis H. Sullivan. Bayard (Condict) Building, exterior detailing. 1897–98.

Frank Lloyd Wright. Robie House. 1909.

Cantilever- an overhang that extends away from a structure without support from beams; the support comes from the greater part of the total length being secured.

Le Corbusier. Perspective drawing for Domino Housing Project. 1914.

Reinforced concrete: steel reinforcement bars (rebar) are placed within the concrete

Le Corbusier and Jeanneret. Villa Savoye. 1928–30.

Ludvig Miës van der Rohe. Farnsworth House. 1950.

Miës van der Rohe and Philip Johnson. Seagram Building. 1958.

International Style: geometric simplicity

Eero Saarinen. TWA Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport. 1962.

Using steel and reinforced concrete to create organic and flowing

lines; contrast with the International Style

Eero Saarinen. TWA Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport. 1962.

Santiago Calatrava. Turning Torso Residential Tower. 2005.

Contemporary architecture: competitive and distinct

Santiago Calatrava. Turning Torso Residential Tower, drawing. 2000.

Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren, OMA, New Headquarters, Central Chinese Television CCTV. 2008.

Jean Nouvel/Ateliers, Jean Nouvel with b720 Arquitectos. Torre Agbar. 2005.

Frank Gehry. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Frank Gehry. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. 1997.

Adrian Smith, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Burj Dubai, under construction. October 26, 2008.

Spain and the United Arab Emirates have defined themselves as centers of international architectural experimentation

Tom Wills-Wright. Burj Al-Arab. 1999.

Obie Bowman. Brunsell Residence. 1987.

Green Architecture:

1. Smaller structures

2. Integration with the natural environment

3. Energy efficiency and solar orientation

4. Use of recycled, reusable, and sustainable materials

James Cutler. Bridge House. 1987.

Emilio Ambasz. ACROS Building (Fukuoka Prefecturial International Hall), Fukuoka, Japan. 1989–95.

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Central Park, aerial view. 1857–87.

Olmsted, Vaux & Co., landscape architects, general plan of Riverside, Illinois. 1869.

The invention of the “suburbs”

Los Angeles Freeway Interchange.

The automobile and infrastructure

Santiago Calatrava. Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) station, World Trade Center site. 2004.

Next week: Museum Visit #2 Friday, March 30th, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Attendance is mandatory 11:30 AM- Arrive at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft 4848 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002 Phone: 713-529-4848 12:30 PM- Travel to The Museum of Printing History 1324 West Clay Street, Houston, TX 77006 Phone: 713-522-4652 You are responsible for obtaining directions and securing transportation. Bring your notebook and a pencil. No pens! You are encouraged to bring family and friends with you. 1. You will pick one artwork at each museum—two works total. 2. You will write a critical analysis of each work (focusing on the Seven Steps to Critical Thinking About Art). 3. In your analysis, you must document the artist’s name, the title of the work, the date, and in which museum it is displayed. 4. You will then compare and contrast the two works; what makes them different or the same? 5. Your paper must be no less than 1000 words in length (12 point, Times New Roman font, double- spaced, standard margins). 6. You will write down the total number of words next to your name on the paper. Papers that do not follow this format will receive a grade of “0”. Please staple your paper in the upper left hand corner and leave it unbound. I will not accept late papers, handwritten papers or e-mailed papers. Due: Friday, April 20th