US 2

Unit Summary 2

In the past unit that we have been studying and critiquing we have learned many concepts and ideas that have had great impact on the way design and architecture has shaped within the years to come. We have learned how rules differ from east to west and how that can lead to people breaking those rules and trying different designs around the world. That being said it relates to the language that was trying to be said by this along with how things are designed to tell stories. Many great ideas and designs have shaped what design is today. Together the rules put man in center, following the rules as a rule, and to maintain the past’s designs. The east was known for mosaic, carpets, shoji panels, and solids reflecting color. I think the east was trying to have a more welcoming feel to it by having elements of warmth such as carpet and the shoji panels which to me are calm and homey. The west on the other hand was into stained glass, stone panels, and chests of drawers. Which reflecting the west in my opinion is more of efficiency to show wealth and power. Stone and stained glass show more of an area to have business or upper class gets together. The languages tied into these all have different meanings based upon location in the world. For example the Queens house in England shows balance and purity. To complement elements the stacking and columns show power and importance. Transitioning from woo woos to structures that take up more of the landscape also show importance and mass. The more it expands the bigger it looks even if it’s not. Elements such as domes, arches, columns are showing the meaning that these places are trying to express. The cathedral in Vienna, Italy has a dome to express that this is the area of mass collaboration and gathering, along with warms colors to show the warmth of Italians. Structures then transition to open spaces like St. Peters square. I think the open spaces were trying to transition in having great strcutures where open space was there greatest focus. The open space was showing its dominance in the landscape that the space was its power. Its power that only they could have. With language there is architecture of happiness. Building structures that make people happy are another issue within this time. To me out of the places we touched upon the city of Venice is an area of happiness. It expresses the love with having a city to its own separated from land by water. They have water ways to get around the city but the architecture being white is welcoming. Churches on the ends of the axis to waterways show there welcoming for people to enter. With the industrial revolution coming to the U.S. many designs have been brought over but tweaked with American influence. For example the Capital Building in D.C. reflects pantheon influence into the building’s entrance. Word fairs are popular around this time to show others the ways in regions of the world where many people don’t get to see. I think this was a great idea to spread culture and ways of life that could help influence others to try new things. For example the New York world fair showed the style of buildings for the future. The skyscraper and newer designs could be now brought back to other areas within the world. I think the major concept of the unit was to show us that breaking the original rules can lead into new designs that make the world happy and willingly to try new things. Coloring outside of the lines is not a bad thing. You have to try new things to possibly make older things even better. The Roman and Greek styles are a never ending design. Although these styles are still around and always will be around people have adapted to using these designs with other designs to make a new look. I think this unit is also showing us a way of the old influencing the new but in a way that speaks on its own without having to tell the meaning behind it.