To facilitate today's conversation, I have to take you back to my previous posts which is Thinking Architecture where I have talked about Greek architecture and the simplicity of their structures and today we will further discuss Greek architecture to the Byzantine and Romanesque. The legacy of Ancient Greece still carries on as they have impacted the centuries after them till the present century, without their democracy, realistic art, introducing Olympic games, theatre and most importantly Western philosophy and mathematics such as pi and Pythagoras theorem. Without them, it would be impossible for such great inventions to happen after that, as they say, "everything happens for a reason".
Greek architects provided some of the finest and most distinctive buildings in the entire Ancient World and some of their structures, such as temples, theatres, and stadia would become staple features of towns and cities from antiquity onwards. The three founding father of philosophy are Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in the Ancient Greek time, their philosophy was about ethics, justice, beauty and equality, the reason this is important to know is because without these views in life it would have been hard for people to develop certain kind of knowledge.
PLATO
Before moving on to our next empire we all know by now that Romans have borrowed the ideas from the greek and sideways made their own inventions. As Lukas Foss a German-American composer, pianist and conductor said "It is obvious that anything a scientist discovers or invents is based on previous discoveries and inventions. The same applies to the arts". I have to agree with this cause as much as Romans have given to the world they have initially got it from the Greek, however, the Romans have had a huge impact on today's world like many of our buildings and how they are heated, the way we get rid of our sewage, the roads we use, some of our wild animals, religion, the words and language we speak, how we calculate distances, numbers and why we use the money to pay for goods were all introduced by the Romans. They have actually made a huge impact on civil orders and politics in today's world.
The Parthenon In Athens. The Romans took Ancient Greek principles and built on them.
The next empire we talk about is the Byzantine (A.D. 527 and 565), the Roman emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman empire to Byzantium which is now called Istanbul in Turkey, this period was known for using bricks instead of stones and innovation of heightened dome roof, use of interior mosaics and classical forms. The reason this era was known as transitional and transformational is because of the use of engineering practices/techniques. If we ask what has Byzantine Empire given to the world then trade and culture and was incredibly diverse in Constantinople which is the centre of Byzantine. The Byzantine Empire had an important cultural legacy, both on the Orthodox Church and on the revival of Greek and Roman studies, which influenced the Renaissance. Eastern and Western traditions combined in the sacred buildings of the Byzantine period. Buildings were designed with a central dome that eventually rose to new heights by using engineering practices refined in the Middle East. This era of architectural history was transitional and transformational.
Church of Hagia Eirene in the First Courtyard of the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Turkey.
As the Romans spread across Europe the Romanesque architecture was found with rounded arches, heavy piers and thick walls were constructed as church and castles. There are so many beautiful structures built during these times and one of them is the Leaning Tower of Pisa which is also an example of lack of knowledge in the site analysis which is then further developed in the other centuries. The name Romanesque refers to the fusion of Roman, Carolingian and Ottonian, Byzantine, and local Germanic traditions that make up the mature style. Church buildings, art, and sculpture were all used for the purpose to spread the Christian Gospel. During this time in Europe, there was a very large interest in religion. Large numbers of people travelled on pilgrimages to visit sites of saints and martyrs. People believed that holy relics had the power to do miracles.
Romanesque Architecture of the Basilica of St. Sernin (1070-1120) in Toulouse, France.
In conclusion, Architectural history encompasses the ideas, philosophies, and discourses that moulded the architectural praxis. An architect needs to observe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate these building blocks of the practice. This paves the way for developing one’s critical thinking skills. An efficient architect must not only know the facts of the historical process but also be prepared to skillfully use it to supplement his/her architectural practice.
Roman civilization had achieved, within the bounds of its technology, relatively as great a mastery of time and space as we have achieved today. (Arthur Erickson)
_______________________
Boundless. (n.d.). Boundless art history. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/the-romanesque-period/
Craven, J. (n.d.). A quick tour of architectural eras. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.thoughtco.com/architecture-timeline-historic-periods-styles-175996
Craven, J. (n.d.). Byzantine buildings and Early Christian churches. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-byzantine-architecture-4122211
Greek architecture (c.900-27 BCE). (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2021, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/architecture/greek.htm
McGee, K. (2019, January 10). How does Greek ARCHITECTURE affect us today? Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.theclassroom.com/how-does-greek-architecture-affect-us-today-12079986.html
McLean, A. (n.d.). Western civilization. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-herkimer-westerncivilization/chapter/byzantiums-legacy/
Stamp, E. (2016, July 29). Greek architecture that changed history. Retrieved June 17, 2021, from https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/greek-architecture-that-changed-history
Comments