Arc 203 History of European Architecture – I
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ARC 203 HISTORY OF EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE – I Presentation – Prof.M.Thirumeni SYLLABUS: PURPOSE The aim is to impart knowledge about the art & architecture of the European, Egyptian & Middle eastern cultures, which have served as the cradle of human civilization during the ancient and the classical time. INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES The course creates awareness about the various factors that influence the architectural productions of a particular culture and race. It also analyses the planning, construction, and aesthetics of important historical buildings and develops an appreciation of architectural style as a product of the time, place and culture. 1. ANCIENT EGYTIAN ARCHITECTURE Factors influencing Egyptian Architecture – Evolution of Tomb and Temple architecture - Outline of Architectural Character – Examples – The Great Pyramids at Gizeh, Great Temple of Ammon at Karnak, Mortuary temples of Rameses at Thebes and Queen Hatsheput at Darel bahari. 2. ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE OF WEST ASIA Evolution of Sumerian, Babylonian and Persian cultures – Factors influencing west asian architecture - Outline of architectural character - Examples – Ziggurat at Ur, Palace of Sargon at Khorsabad, and Palace of Persepolis. 3. CLASSICAL GREEK ARCHITECTURE Evolution of City states -The development of Hellenic & Hellenistic Art, Sculpture and Architecture – Factors influencing Greek architecture - Outline of architectural character - Orders in Greek architecture - Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. – Optical corrections in Greek temples - Examples – Parthenon & Erectheon at the Acropolis of Athens , Theatre of Epidaurus, Agora and Stoa. 4. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE Evolution of Republican states in Italy – Roman masonry types – Methods of vault and dome construction – Tuscan and Composite order - Factors influencing Roman architecture - Outline of architectural character - Examples – Pantheon & Colloseum at Rome, Thermae of Caracalla, Basilica of Constantine, Circus Maximus at Rome. 5. EARLY CHRISTIAN AND BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE Evolution of church form from the roman basilica – Factors influencing Early Christian architecture - Outline of architectural character - Example - St.Clemente at Rome - Schism and the creation of Eastern and western roman empires – Factors influencing Byzantine architecture - Development of the dome & pendentive in Byzantium – Architectural character - Example - St.Sophia at Constantinople. BIBLIOGRAPHY Books • 1. A World History of Architecture by Michael Fazio (Author), Marian Moffett (Author), Lawrence Wodehouse • 2. A Global History of Architecture by Mark M. Jarzombek (Author), Vikramaditya Prakash (Author), Francis D. K. Ching ( Editor) • 3. A History of Western Architecture by David Watkin • 4. Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture by Dan Cruickshank • 5. The Hist ory of AhittArchitecture: SttiSettings and Ritual s by The ltlate SiSpiro KtfKostof, Greg Cas tillo and Ric hard TbiTobias • 6. A Text‐Book of the History of Architecture Seventh Edition, revised by A. D. F. (Alfred Dwight Foster) Hamlin • 7. Travels in the History of Architecture by Robert Harbison • 8. The Classical Language of Architecture (World of Art) by John Summerson Weblinks • 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_architecture • 2. h//bd/http://www.bc.edu/content/b /b/i/c/sites/artweb/ b/hiarchitecture.h hltml • 3. http://eng.archinform.net/index.htm • 4. http://www.greatbuildings.com/ • 5. http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/index/index.html • 6. httpp//://www.thais.it/ default.htm • 7. http://www.eahn.org/ • 8. http://arthistoryresources.net/ARTHLinks.html ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE ANCIENT, MIDDLE & NEW KINGOM PERIOD ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE FACTORS INFLUENCING ARCHITECTURE: Geographical: The satellite imagery shows the narrow fertile strip of alluvial soil on the banks of river Nile flowing through the desert, which made agriculture possible that resulted in the development of towns & settlements on the eastern bank of the river. Egyptians built their pyramids & tomb structures on the western bank, which was known as the valley of the dead. The Nile river also served as a route of transport & communication & is considered to be sacred by the Egyptians as it serves as the life blood of Egypt. • FACTORS INFLUENCING ARCHITECTURE: • Geological: Egypt had limestone in the north, sandstone in the central region & granite in the south. The gigantic scale of Egyptian architecture was mainly possible due to the Egyptian methods of quarrying, transporting & raising enormous blocks of stone to position. Sun-dri ed & kiln burnt bri ck s made from Nile mud & chopped straw were used for palaces & houses, while stone was used for pyramids & temples. • Climatic: Egypt has a warm, sunny climate with very little rainfall that has led to the preservation of its ancient buildings. Since sufficient light reached the interiors through doors & roof slits, Egyptian architecture is characterized by the absence of windows. The massive walls, without openings, protected the interior from the fierce desert sun & also provided the surface for “hieroglyphics” which is a script with pictorial representations. The absence of rain also resulted in the use of flat roof with thick stone slab s. • Religious: The key note of the Egyptian religion is the submission to the power of the sun god, Ammon & the worship of Osiris, the man-god who died & rose again to eternal life. Egyptian religion had many gods representing the sun, moon, stars & animals. The belief in life after death made the Egyptians to build numerous tomb-houses & pyramids for the preservation of the dead. • Social: the Pharaoh, who was considered to be the descendent of the sun god, headed a despotic government, which employed vast armies of laborers in the erection of monumental buildingg,s, when the annual inundations made a griculture im possible. Social life is graphically depicted in the wall sculptures of tombs. Slave labor is written all over the monuments of Egypt with the priests enjoying an exalted position in society. • Historical: The Pharaohs who ruled Egypt have been divided into 30 dynasties & 3 divisions by historians as follows: 1. Ancient kingdom (4400 – 2466 BC) – Mastabas were built during the 3rd dynasty & most pyramids were built during the 4th dynasty. 2. Middle kingdom (2466 – 1600 BC) – 12th dynasty founded the great temple of Ammon at karnak. 3. New kingdom ( 1600 – 332 BC) – Thebes became the capital & queen Hatsheput constructed the terraced temple at Der-el –bahari. Amenophis III built the temple at luxor & Rameses II comppypyleted the hypostyle hall of Ammon tempp,le, built the rock temple at Abu simbel & the Ramesseum at Thebes, mainly by using the slave labor of the hebrews. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER OF EGYPT • The walls of Egyptian buildings are sloped on the outside, which is referred to as the “batter” of the walls, while remaining vertical on the inside. These windowless walls were suitable for their relief sculptures known as hieroglyphics. • Egyptian columns have an inverted bell capital derived from the papyrus flower or the bud capital derived from the lotus bud. •Temples are approached by avenues of sphinxes, with the body of a lion & the head of a man, ram or hawk. The entrance to the temples are articulated by massive pylons. The interior of temples have great courts, hypostyle (pillared) halls & mysterious chambers. Light was brought to the interior of temples using clear story lighting method & all wall surfaces and columns had pictorial frescoes & carvings, painted in brilliant colors. •Egyptian architecture is impressive for its monumental scale, the solidity & the eternal character of its buildings. EVOLUTION OF PYRAMIDS •At first priests & high ranking officials came to be buried in tombs that were known as mastabas. Most of them had many storage chambers for storing all types of goods needed in the next life. However, due to frequent theft s, an under ground tomb known as the stairway mastaba came to be preferred. The picture above shows the early mastabas at Giza with false doors & other safety devices. ZOSER’S STEPPED PYRAMID AT SAKKARA The step pyramid of pharaoh Zoser was an intermediate stage in the evolution of the pyramid. Its architect Imhotep built it in stages. It was started as a square, solid mastaba, but a series of extensions made it into a six stepped pyramid with a rectangular ground-plan. The Zoser complex is rectangular in plan & the enclosure wall measuring 549m x 274m &rises to a height of 9m. The old structure was an under ground burial chamber, which was extended to a 25’ht rectangular base. In the 2nd stage it grew into a step pyramid with 4stages. Later 2 more stages were added to make it a 6 tiered pyramid. The entire complex is built of tura limestone including the offering chapel. The bent pyramid was first built at Meydum, which collapsed. Subsequently another bent pyramid was built at Dahsur, the picture which is given above. It was similar in construction to other pyramids in that it was started with an angle of 52 degrees to the ground. About half way into the construction the architect changed the angle to 43.5 degrees up to the peak. It marks another stage in the evolution of the great pyramids. THE GREAT PYRAMIDS AT GIZA • The Giza pyramid complex, on the outskirts of Cairo is considered to be the only remaining monument of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. It consists of the great pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), the pyramid of Chephren (Khafre), the smaller pyramid of Mykerinus (Menkaure), the great Sphinx & other valley