RR 10 March 21-25

U.S. Capitol
Design cycle

• Began in 1793
• Many architects because of complex design
• Front modeled by Pantheon
• Broke rules by outside being symmetrical but not inside, broke neo classical design
• Dome was built for visual apperance
• The dome is out of porportion with the building
• Almost resembles a cathedral but the long wings take that affect away

I think the U.S. Capitol is a good structure for this week because it shows alot of what we talked about concerning post revolution design and it not being as fluid as pre revolution. In a sense that it has neo classical touches to it from the exterior of being symmetric and massive, but the inside is not. It still expands across landscape for attention and to show power and mass along with sitting up on a hill. It still resembles the Pantheon with the entrance along with columns that stack. The rules that are broken are the proportion of size with the dome compared to the entire building. With talking about pre and post revolution the Capitol shows post with more modern ideas and pre with Pantheon ideas along with a cathedral look for the center and main focal point for the Capitol. I think the language of the Captiol relating to past designs that it resembles is that big, elegant stacking of columns with woo woos that bring attention are still going to cycle for years to come. Breaking the rules of having woo woos and landscape filling buildings can be together on one structure. You dont have to pick between tall or across.