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V&A Museum (10th

October 2013)

The V&A Museum, London is a historical building that has many exhibitions on

different subjects and eras. The main section that I saw was the architecture

exhibition, which had an array of small-scale buildings and blue prints. There were

also small plaques dotted around that explained the whole history of architecture

and how its evolved over time.

The exhibition started off by explaining how for centuries people have designed and

built their own buildings. However for important buildings, skilled individuals known

as architects have been asked to design them. According to the exhibition, the first

named architect was Imhotep, who was a priest in Egypt. The professional training of

architects only started about 200 years ago. With

this training it allowed architects to push the

engineering limits of buildings by creating

masterpieces. This is even seen in the early days ofarchitecture. A good example of this is from

Robert Lutyens, who designed the Viceroys House

in New Delhi from 1913 to 1931.

The exhibition then went on to explain the stages

an architect went though in order to create a

building from scratch. The first stage is creating.

Before work can start on a building, the architect

needs to get an idea of budget and the limitations

imposed by the site they are working on. Thearchitect will then go off and come up with some

more experimental sketches and models. It can

take a while to get right, but the final building will often have elements from the

initial concept. This method is particularly

evident in the design of the Gherkin office

building in London where Foster and Partners

made the models (left image) to workout the

best shape for the 180 metre design. They

modified them to account for the visual

impact and aerodynamic qualities of thestructure. Architectural models have also

played an important part of building design

since the 15th

century. The

wooden

model of Florence cathedral (right image) is a

reproduction of what would have been the original

model. This particular model is dated to

approximately 1970.

Viceroys House Model

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After the creating stage comes the developing. To make sure that the building design

will work, the architect meets up with the client, building authorities and the

engineer. The blue prints may have to be changed before it reaches its final form.

This can be down to a number of reasons such as the client changing their mind or if

the budget is cut. Once the final designs are then decided, its up to the architect to

present the final form for everyone to approve. Over time the drawing tools have

dramatically improved from instruments like a compass and set square, to CAD

(computer aided design), which allows the architect to show off the building in a fly-

through simulation.

The exhibition then went on to explain the importance of good design and structure.

The two main problems that face the construction of a building is keeping the walls

up and being able to span the space between the walls themselves. The structure of

a building can be held up in two different ways. One method is to use solid masses

such as brick or to use a framework. Brick tends to create chunky, small window,

low-rise buildings. Where as aframework can create skyscrapers

and can accommodate for larger

windows. Erno Goldfinger is a man

who knew a good design. In 1950

he invented his own prefabricated

concrete system to build a Westville

Road Primary School. His idea

involved a crane moving across a

concrete platform and dropping

panels into holes. The entire schoolwas erected in only 24 days.

The next interesting part to constructing a building was the spanning of a roof. There

are many ways to make a roof. However many designs do have aesthetical issues,

such as using large beams, which are heavy and create a solid structure, but need to

be supported in the middle. In order to get past the limiting factors of beam

structures, architects come up with arches, vaults, domes and triangular structures

to span across larger areas. They

tend to be more expensive, but can

create spectacular interior spaces,especially when using glass and

concrete. Impressive structures

such as the Reading Room in the

British Museum (built in 1857),

which incorporates a strong dome

structure by using each part of the

cast iron ribs to support one

another over the 42 metre

diameter room.

Model built in 1853

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The Eden Project in, St Austell, Cornwall (built

1998-2001) also uses a dome structure. However

the architects Nicholas Grimshaw &Partners

created the Biomes out of interlocking hexagons

and triangles on the geodesic principle, which

allows the building to resist loads from all

directions. This design is particularly good at

spanning over large areas. The framework is

made from tubular steel with a lightweight

plastic foil called ETFE to form the pillow

cladding.

I also discovered when building up a structure

you need to take into account the costs, which

can involve altering the design. With solid walls,

the weight of the building is evenly distributed,but it can be expensive to make openings for windows and door. When working on a

frame building, the frame alone takes the entire load. On the other hand, frames are

cheaper to erect and can be filled with weatherproof cladding. In medieval times

they used wattle and daub.

Todays architects around the world use a variety of different materials and methods

to create a weatherproof building. These include:

Thatch Pierced Screens

Plastic Cladding Weather BoardRoof Tiles Rain Spouts

ETFE Lead Guttering

Brick Rammed Earth

Copper Cladding Stone

Titanium Concrete

Profiled Cladding

Model built in 2002

Wall of weatherproof materials in the V&A

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Architectural styles used around the world:

The V&A Gallery also explored some of the buildings used all over the world and

what lies behind their designs, which helps them cope with different climates. The

museum also looked at how the buildings fit into towns and cities around the globe.

In places like Spain where for most of the year its hot

and dry, buildings like the Alhambra palace have

courtyards that are cooled by shade and water. In the

Court of Lions, a central fountain is used to feed the

channels and pools in the palace.

As we hear in the news that we are running out of

supplies and are heating the planet up. To try and aid

this, BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development),

who are based in Surrey have come up with housingthat run of

sustainable

technology. All of

the buildings

are south

facing, super insulated and triple glazed to

prevent heat loss. They also have a revolutionary

chimney that rotates to use the outgoing warm

air to heat up the incoming air. They have further

developed Photovoltaic panels on the roofs toproduce electricity.

The museum also looked at how the cultures all

over the world have influenced the design on

buildings. I started off at South Asia. In this part of

the world there is a huge cultural diversity. Many

structures in this part of the world have evolved

to suit the need for different religions, including

Buddhism and Hinduism. They have successfully

bonded these religions with their architecture.This is clearly represented in the Mughal style.

The Temple of Gondeshvara, is based in India,

and uses Indian traditions with a fusion of Islamic

design in its architecture. It also have element

imported from Iran and Central Asia.

I also saw the how designs of buildings have

evolved over centuries with new technology and innovation. The classical style was

the first to arrive. It started in Greece over 2600 years ago. This type of architecture

used columns and capitals to support beams called entablatures. These werecombined in a design called the orders, where each element of the building was

Model built some time between 1860-1900

Model built in 1999

Tem le of Gondeshvara

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carefully proportioned using mathematics. The Greeks

used three different types of order: Doric, Ionic and

Corinthian. The Romans then added further design:

Tuscan and Composite. The Romans were the ones that

exploited arches, vaults and domes.

The Classical style first used in ancient Greek temples

like this one. The Temple of Hephaestus and Athena in

particular uses the Doric order. Its parts and

construction echo the earlier buildings made of wood.

The marble decoration on this temple was carved and

was also originally brightly painted. The construction of

this temple was roughly 449 BC.

This design was next seen in the Classical Revival

era, which began in the 1420s in Italy. This revival ofclassical structure became the basis of most

western architecture over the next 400 years. At first the Roman forms were used,

but from the 1760s, Greek models were used to create the Neo-classical style. This

style of building was seen to have strength and dignity. It was used mainly in

buildings with cultural and political authority.

The first buildings in the classical revival

style were built in Renaissance Italy

during the 1440s. 400 years later James

Bunning created the Coal Exchange byadding two palace facades to a tower

that was designed off of a Greek

temple. This style was then used in

many designs for commercial buildings

and banks.

At a similar time to the Classical Revival

style came the Gothic era, which began

in great medieval cathedrals in France. It

roughly started in 1140s and lasted up untilabout 1500. Gothic churches were made of stone and were seen as an engineering

triumph. This style was based on the pointed arch and rib vault. The architecture

allowed for the physical load of the high walls to be spread through out the building.

Large areas of stained glass often lit the interior of these buildings.

Model built in 1821

Model built in 1847

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The West front of Reims Cathedral in France (built

from 1252-99 and later) has a great rose window

that cuts through the west front to let light into the

interior space and give a sense of openness.

The Gothic style went away for a while but got

revived in the 1730s in England. By the 1840s it had

become a style of moral linked with the huge

popularity in the Christian Belief. The Gothic Revival

was seen at the time suitable for modern structures

like railway stations and hotels, which were mainly

built from iron and brick. At the same time as this,

glass painters re-visited medieval techniques of

stained glass.

St Pauls Wesleyan Church (Built in 1874)

in Greater Manchester was designed by

Gothic Revival architects, who freely

adapted medieval styles. In this church

the overall shape of the building and

window comes from English design of

about 1290-1350, but the dome is more

classical than Gothic.

Other Exhibitions:

When I was at the V&A, I also went to see A History of Photography, which displays

some of the V&As large collection of prints dating from 1840s to 1970s. In 1852,

the V&A became the first museum to collect photographs and in 1858, the first to

hold a photography exhibition. The gallery showcased some of technically beautiful

prints. It stands as a permanent gallery at the moment, with a huge variety of

different techniques and sizes if image to look at. Some of my favorites were the Salt

Prints. They were the earliest of positive prints. But my favorite was the Albumen

prints. They were clearer than the Salt Prints and much more detailed. My favorite

example of this technique is from Henry Peach Robinson.

Model built in 1840

Model built in 1873

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His Photograph When the Days Work is Done (1877) shows one photograph, is

actually a combination of 6 different negatives.