Friday, February 26, 2016

China- Reviews

Emma: I enjoyed how she broke her writing up by pictures so you weren't just reading the whole time. She also provided great detail about the furniture during this period!

Savannah: I think she did a great job at explaining why the wall was built, and the materials used during this period!

The Americas - Reviews

Katie: I really liked how detailed Katie was, she provided so much detail on each of the specific architecture styles! 

Haley: I liked how Haley broke hers up into separate paragraphs it made it an easier read, also the details she provided about the history of the Civilization was really neat!
China - India

     The Chinese civilization was from 1600 BC until 1912 AD, and it was the worlds longest continuous civilization. They made use of the stupa during this time, a stupa is a mound of dirt such as a burial ground where a more permanent structure can be build over the mound. This stupa came to china as Budhism spread to that region. During this civilization they acknowledged important people in the buddhist religion, and they also invented the Pagoda-which is a combination of the stupa and Chinese tower building. The Great Wall of China was built during this time, and it included watch towers, which was built along the northern border of china.  The fortification was built of stone, brick, wood, mud and earth. 
     The Chinese interiors of both the residential and commercial buildings were based on a "courtyard" building style. The form of furniture was very light, beautiful, and stable. During this time they used the folding chair, as well as the yoke back chair. Chinese also made use of the versatile pieces of furniture such as the bed. In production of their chairs they used the following materials: huali wood, lacquer, ceramic, and bamboo. 
      India had similar architectural techniques during this time. To begin wight why had a stupa which is a mound of dirt that housed sacred relics. Although, the stupa didn't provide space for the visitors. During the India civilization there was a lack of furniture. People usually just sat ate and sleep on the floor. 

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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEbZ5Y-sxAo

The Americas

      The Americas came about in 2000 BC until 1521 AD. There were 4 different cultures of this time: The Olmecs, Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. In these areas the temples provided spatial orientation for the towns, and the pyramids were meant to stand out and represent god and powers of regions. The people of this time followed a polytheistic way of life meaning, they belief/worship of more than one god. They also, believed in human sacrifice during this time period. 

      The Olmecs was the first major civilization in Mexico, taking place from 2000 BC to 200 BC. They were often referred to as people of the rubber country because they were the first to use rubber, and they used a lot of it at this time. The Olmecs during this time also developed the hieroglyphical writing style, as well as the first calendar in the western hemisphere. The Olmecs also had a temple focus city type at this time. The first example of this type of city was the 'La Venta.' The Olmecs artwork consisted of delicate carvings of jade, rock crystal, and less valuable stone. They also made up ax heads, masks, and decoration objects. Also, with the Olmecs culture the elites lived in highly decorated homes and they wore elegant jewelry ad clothing. While the commoners lived in "homes" made of stick and mud.

The next civilization was Teotihuacan, which took place from 250 BC to 900 AD. Their city was known as the 'place of gods,' until it was abruptly deserted. Their city was laid out differently than the Olmecs, theirs was in a grid style. Following the Teotihuacan civilization was the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas. 

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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEvP5XIKuRc

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Gothic - Reviews

Lisa: I really liked how far in detail she went in regards to the cathedrals and how people felt in them. I also really liked that she wrote what exactly her pictures where of. 

Katie: I think that she did a really good at explaining all of the cathedrals, and the specific styles that they used. 
Gothic

      During the gothic time period paris was considered the center of the gothic world, while churches were the center of the city life. Creating new rivals between the city states and nations. During this time religion was the heart of the design. Wealth and power was strongly shown in these churches, although the larger numbers of worshipers required larger worship spaces. The architecture during this time was very important, and it was commonly though to be birthed from the romanesque architecture. They began using pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and fly buttresses. The rose window was also a very important aspect to the cathedrals during this time, as well as the tracery. The tracery is just the spaces between the stain glass windows. Cathedral buildings during this period were very tall with many stain glass windows, they also appeared to be very weightless. A few of the most popular cathedrals during this time were: Notre Dame Cathedral, Wells Cathedral, Regensburg Cathedral, Barcelona Cathedral, and Siena Cathedral. 
      Although the residential areas during this time were a little different. Very few of these homes still stand today. The interiors of the homes are very rich in color, materials, and decorations as well. A very common decoration is the linenfold motif that is apparent on various different furniture pieces. They also have evidence of tracery, which is similar to the cathedrals. The gothic time period is strongly known for the invention of the cupboard as well. 

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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwKg4ESvYG4

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Islamic - Reviews

Rachael: I really liked the detail that Rachael went into when talking about all of the different mosques, and their designs. I also really liked the pictures she chose of the designs that she used for the current applications. 

Erin K: I really like how erin went into detail more on the history aspects of islam, as well as mentioning certain important design features of the different mosques. 
Islamic Design

      The islamic religion was headed by mohammed, and it was the foundation of islamic design. The first mosque was mohammeds farm, and this was a prototype for mosques to come. These mosques were used as a place where people came to pray to god. One of the first mosques was the mosque of Sultan Ahmed, also known as the "Blue Mosque." This mosque had over 20,000 hand made tiles, over 50 different tulip designs, and 200 stained glass windows. The walls in this mosque looked like carpets, and the designs were geometric, with non representational decoration. The Taj Mahal was constructed during this time period. The Taj Mahal was commissioned by emperor Shah Jahan upon the death of his favorite wife Mumtaz Muhal. It was also seen as an earthy replica of the house of Mumtaz in paradise. The great mosque of cordoba was also constructed during this time, and it had a hypostyle architectural design. The alhambra was a large palace and fortress complex. The alhambras most notable features are muqarnas-which are filled arches and domes found throughout the palace. 

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Extra Credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZzyLgnBxNI

Romanesque - Reviews 

Savannah: I really like the way she went into extreme detail about the architecture of this period, because she even gave specific examples and pointed out which ones were examples of which types!

Haley: I like that haley went into detail on about the structures of these churches, and the pictures she used really helped to see the difference in architecture during this time period. 
Romanesque

      Charles the Great, or often referred to as Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Roman Empire in 800 AD.  Charlemagne encouraged learning and the arts. He also established schools and monasteries, while also encouraging these buildings to use technology of roman structures. The religious movement during this time was very strong! The churches had vaulted masonry ceilings and roofs instead of wood. They used semicircular arches and vaults to hold the weight. The plans used for these churches were from the early christian basilica. There were typically three different types of vaults during this time period. Those being: the barrel vault, the groin vault, and the ribbed vault. The interiors during this time were also very unique, and had many different characteristics to them. These interiors had multiple aisles, better illumination, and choir added. They were also larger for more worship, and a surrounding area for processions. They were known for their towers, as well as their detailed sculptures. The walls of these interiors were painted rich greens, blues, purples, and golds, with various tapestries, and gilded sculptures.  The ornament types they used at this time were stone carvings, and teaching illustrations to an illiterate people. The residential design of this time period was also very unique. The houses were made of wood, mud, and twigs. The floors were dirty with little light and very little warmth! Not too many of these homes survived because of their wood structure. Also, during this Romanesque time period, there were two types of chairs that were significant. Those being the Throne of Dagobert, and the Throne of Charlemagne. 


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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aeY6Z2VZ6g









Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Byzantine - Reviews

Katie: I really liked how Katie went into great detail about the architecture trends during this time period. I also really liked how she elaborated on the materials that were used on both the exterior and interior designs during this time. 

Becca: I really liked the layout that Becca used! It made it a really good read because the words were supported by pictures along the sides. Also, it was really neat the way she went into detail on what influenced the interiors of these churches. 

Byzantine

      The Byzantine period took place during the middle ages between 330-153 CE. The Byzantine empire was the longest political entity in european history. They had a secular form of leadership and religion,  and was associated with the easter culture. Constantinople became the capitol of the Roman empire-which is current Istanbul. The byzantine emperor was Justinian in 527 CE. During this period the basilica plan began changing to a more centralized plan, having a combination of a dome from the east and the square base of the classical temples of the west. This formed a new architectural style known as a domed basilica. Also the use of pendentives brought about a change. Pendentives being a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or a dome. 
      During this period the Hagia Sophia considered the main cathedral of Constantinople. The Hagia Sophia was referred to as the 'Church of Hold Wisdom.' This building is an example of the east meeting the west. This church had a central plan with a circle of windows, it also had very massive domes. The presence of the domes gives the sense of importance to the exterior of the building. Thy also used very hollow tile for the dome, which  resulted in the church collapsing two to three times during its construction. This construction incorporated the pendentives method of support as well. 
      The Byzantine architecture had a few similar characteristics of its' previous eras. These building has multiple domes, with central planning, as well as round arches and arcades. Mosaics were also a very important factor as they have always been, although the mosaics during this time consisted of gold. Brick was what all of the building were predominately made of, with alternating stone colors, or alternating between stone and brick. Also, there are pendentives present quite often, and these interiors are divided into different bays. St. Marks Basilica in Venice Italy is a really good example of his Byzantine Architecture. 
      The interiors of these Byzantine building were also very similar to past eras. The flooring was tiled in marble, with geometric designs. Also, the surfaces on the walls and ceilings contained designs. These designs included marble, frescoes, mosaics, and alabasters. 

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Extra Credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6383ZDXB0Q


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Early Christianity - Reviews

Holli: I really liked the images she chose for her current applications because they were different, and not just typical pictures of churches. I also liked how she went into a lot of detail on how christianity came about because thats very important to know. 

Angie: I liked how she mentioned the different building built, and provided details about that because, it helped to see how they were similar but also different in layouts and materials. 
Early Christianity

      The early christian time period took place during 330-800 CE. Christianity began with the death of christ in ancient Judea, an eastern outpost of roman empire. Rome tolerated most religions, although christianity posed a threat to the emperor, resulting in the persecution of early christians in Rome. Many of these adherents to the christian faith were those of the lower class. In 313 CE the emperor of Constantine recognized christianity as a valid religion. Constantine legalized christianity through the edict of Milan, and declared it an official religion with all of the rights and privileges of other state religions. This resulted in christians being able to have houses of worship as well as being able to display holy artifacts. 
      Emperor Constantine eventually secured the support of the christian church due to a vision he had that contained a shield with a christian cross on it. Soon after, the need for new facilities became very necessary due to the rising number of believers. Although the roman temples were not structured to accommodate group worship or taking of the eucharist; a ceremony reserved for believers. This is she the Basilica came about. The basilica was a larger oblong hall/building with double colonnades as well as a semicircular apse. The basilica was the influence for all of the churches after this point. 
      The chief monument of christianity is the Old St. Peters Cathedral in Rome, which was built in 330 CE. Many believed it to be the tomb of St. Peter the apostle. This building had a very plain exterior, and a ver elaborate interior. It consisted of masonry walls, clerestory windows, wood roof, and wood truss ceilings. The interior was covered with frescoes of biblical accounts from the old and new testaments. The building was a total of 700 feet long, and had a basilica building style. Although the St. Vitale Chapel located in Rome is an example of a centralized building style. 
      The furniture during this era follows the Roman style. Although there are very few examples of early christian furniture that still exist today. The furniture is elaborate, and richly decorated with carving and jewels. The storage that was within the church structure was the most important furniture object of the time period. 

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Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5AqQtlm4MY