The Coliseum in Rome is a prime example of a structure that represents the Foundations Unit in how Commodity, Firmness, and Delight can be easily observed.
The Foundations Unit is about the basics of Architecture and where it all began. It covers the beginnings of architecture with the Mesopotamian to the much more advanced and civil Romans with the Egyptians and Greeks in-between. Each one of these civilizations perfected each other’s methods creating a structure and then evolved it further to create something unique to their own culture. All of these cultures focus on a phrase, whether consciously or not, that we still follow today to make architecture the most it can be. Commodity, Firmness, and Delight.
Someone once said that “Good things come in threes” and the Foundations unit has various examples of three ideas coming together in History and Architecture. The most predominant one is Commodity, Firmness, and Delight. All of these words have their own meanings that pertain to architecture. Commodity: being the utility of the structure such as a stable to house horses or the Baths of Diocletian to keep cleanliness and civility amongst the citizens of Rome. Firmness: standing for the strength and stability of the structure and how well it will hold up through the elements and over time much like the Pyramids at Gaza have. Delight: how the building is not ugly and appeals to the viewers like the Parthenon which is still beautiful but we know it to have once been even more extravagant. All come together to represent the idea of making a useful, non-ugly, structure that will stand for as long as needed.
Another set of three that is undoubtedly prominent thought out history and architecture is “Archetype, Prototype, and Hybrid.” Archetype being the first design, prototype being the final, and hybrid being the designs in between. The Classical Orders is the prime example because one can see how each column evolved from the one before it and had become more complicated. The Tuscan order was the most simple and plain (archetype) of the five while the Composite is the most complicated and elaborate (prototype). The three in between (hybrids) were the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian which are the most commonly seen columns in Greek and Roman architecture.
“…tripartite arrangement that begins with the reception spaces and is followed by the great hall and a private section.” (Blakemore 6) “Porch, Court, and Hearth is the final of the ideas of three that particularly stand out. This idea can be observed all throughout history, architecture, and city design when looking at how the building or city was laid out. Porch, court, and hearth each represent a different part of a structure where different events happen. The Porch is a place of welcoming, greeting, and entering into the structure. The court is an open area that allows for conversation and gathering. And the hearth is the most important part of the structure where only a select few may go and worship or partake in special ceremonies. In Greece and Rome temples had a porch, a court, and a hearth in which people worshiped a god or a goddess. In the city of Acropolis the porch was the entrance to the city, the court was the large greeting area that was seen upon entering and the hearth was the Temple of Athena.
The Foundations Unit has set the basics and the foundation for the history of architecture. From the foundation we will continue to build upon with the history of the structures and the civilizations that advance the methods and evolved with the styles of these structures.
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