The importance of scale is a major focus this week, from the Pyramids of Giza into this weeks lesson on Greek architecture. Scale is empowering and conveys a message without saying a word. The Pyramids scale is miraculous and to this day is one of the world's wonders. How were they built? As stated by Blakemore "The enormous scale of the monuments was due to the nature of the material and the methods of excavating the stone blocks, transporting them, and lifting the blocks into position" (Blakemore 2). The scale of the pyramids gets the concept of power across clearly. Their visibility beyond the vast flat land shows their importance. Scale is also related to the social hierarchy of the Pharaohs. In relation to scale our studio project designing a place to dine plays a great part. My space has an a line cathedral ceiling. The scale of the ceiling in the dining room is important to its design. It enlarges the room and creates a natural open setting.
Image was created with Sketch Up 7
The unity of power and architecture is expressed through the Temple of Hatshepsut. It is feminine architecture and integrated into the landscape. "Hathshepsut gave her architect and administrator, Senmut, the task of building a terraced mortuary chapel complex next to that of Mentuhotep, to serve also as an earthly paradise for Amon, with a myrrh tree garden recalling those of Punt" (Roth 202). Hatshepsut made sure her monumental tomb would contain parts of her accomplishments along with unifying herself with nature. This is true unity. This relates to the concept of my studio design. Unifying the beauty of the mountains with the passion of the kitchen. The true beauty in natural stone and woods comes out and is placed in a manner that the space is enjoyed.
Boundaries come in many forms they can either be physical or intended. For example the pyramids had boundaries being that they were massive and reflective surrounded by nothing but sand and had set up traps on the inside to keep thieves out. The Temple of Hatshepsut had physical stone guards aligned with columns on the outside. The Lion Gate: Mycenae was also a literal boundary set up to ward off or prepare you for what you are about to enter. Boundaries are set to show commoners or those who are not of high superior where they stand. "The Egyptian temple, the most important public building by the time of the Middle Kingdom, was far more than a church as we might imagine. It was the residence and training ground of the immense bureaucracy that ran the country" (Roth 203). In other words these temples were boundaries for society and controlled the balance of hierarchy during those times. Boundaries for me are guidelines or rules. Something that isn't necessarily physical. For example in designing we are given boundaries as to how far our project can go. You can always think outside of the box but following the rules and staying within the boundaries always creates a balanced well designed project.
The first thing that comes to mind with section is our meticulous drawing of a sectioned wall for Robert's Materials class. We had to translate french descriptions into english, and trace a section of a wall. Sections are great for a description of a project. It should always be cut to show the most interesting part of the project, or to explain a space fully. Sections also show the orientation of the design. Stated by Blakemore "Fenestration was not a significant factor in wall design, particularly on the first floor, where the emphasis was on inward orientation" (Blakemore 37). Again the orientation or placement followed importance especially in Athens. The placement of each building was in sections to discover and experience something different when approaching each one. In particular sectioning off to unveil the main attraction the Parthenon.
When I see pictures of the Parthenon the vignette I envision is the columns disappearing into the surroundings. My focus is on the columns always because they lead the eye towards the massive structure. As Blakemore writes "The role of the orders was significant in defining spaces of the Greek interior; not only did they divide spaces horizontally but they were also instrumental in creating visual interest by the attention drawn to them vertically through decorative detail in the capitals and in the entablature" (Blakemore 28). This weekend I was out by the fountain studying and my eye was lead to the lampposts and the trees. The significant height captured my attention. Not to mention how gorgeous the weather was. I chose to sketch a vignette of a lamppost and tree which were the landmarks to guide you down the path to either the Atrium or the E.U.C.
In summary, this week was focused on Egypt and Social hierarchy. This speculates from the world around me into my own work. It creates a sense of scale with the columns relating to balance, it unifies every part to make a greater whole. It sets boundaries by dividing a space into separate places and setting guidelines. From that we are able to create sections from that architecture, and use vignettes to highlight a focal point.
Image was created with Sketch Up 7
The unity of power and architecture is expressed through the Temple of Hatshepsut. It is feminine architecture and integrated into the landscape. "Hathshepsut gave her architect and administrator, Senmut, the task of building a terraced mortuary chapel complex next to that of Mentuhotep, to serve also as an earthly paradise for Amon, with a myrrh tree garden recalling those of Punt" (Roth 202). Hatshepsut made sure her monumental tomb would contain parts of her accomplishments along with unifying herself with nature. This is true unity. This relates to the concept of my studio design. Unifying the beauty of the mountains with the passion of the kitchen. The true beauty in natural stone and woods comes out and is placed in a manner that the space is enjoyed.
Boundaries come in many forms they can either be physical or intended. For example the pyramids had boundaries being that they were massive and reflective surrounded by nothing but sand and had set up traps on the inside to keep thieves out. The Temple of Hatshepsut had physical stone guards aligned with columns on the outside. The Lion Gate: Mycenae was also a literal boundary set up to ward off or prepare you for what you are about to enter. Boundaries are set to show commoners or those who are not of high superior where they stand. "The Egyptian temple, the most important public building by the time of the Middle Kingdom, was far more than a church as we might imagine. It was the residence and training ground of the immense bureaucracy that ran the country" (Roth 203). In other words these temples were boundaries for society and controlled the balance of hierarchy during those times. Boundaries for me are guidelines or rules. Something that isn't necessarily physical. For example in designing we are given boundaries as to how far our project can go. You can always think outside of the box but following the rules and staying within the boundaries always creates a balanced well designed project.
The first thing that comes to mind with section is our meticulous drawing of a sectioned wall for Robert's Materials class. We had to translate french descriptions into english, and trace a section of a wall. Sections are great for a description of a project. It should always be cut to show the most interesting part of the project, or to explain a space fully. Sections also show the orientation of the design. Stated by Blakemore "Fenestration was not a significant factor in wall design, particularly on the first floor, where the emphasis was on inward orientation" (Blakemore 37). Again the orientation or placement followed importance especially in Athens. The placement of each building was in sections to discover and experience something different when approaching each one. In particular sectioning off to unveil the main attraction the Parthenon.
When I see pictures of the Parthenon the vignette I envision is the columns disappearing into the surroundings. My focus is on the columns always because they lead the eye towards the massive structure. As Blakemore writes "The role of the orders was significant in defining spaces of the Greek interior; not only did they divide spaces horizontally but they were also instrumental in creating visual interest by the attention drawn to them vertically through decorative detail in the capitals and in the entablature" (Blakemore 28). This weekend I was out by the fountain studying and my eye was lead to the lampposts and the trees. The significant height captured my attention. Not to mention how gorgeous the weather was. I chose to sketch a vignette of a lamppost and tree which were the landmarks to guide you down the path to either the Atrium or the E.U.C.
In summary, this week was focused on Egypt and Social hierarchy. This speculates from the world around me into my own work. It creates a sense of scale with the columns relating to balance, it unifies every part to make a greater whole. It sets boundaries by dividing a space into separate places and setting guidelines. From that we are able to create sections from that architecture, and use vignettes to highlight a focal point.
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