Wednesday, April 1, 2009

[Re]Actions

Rotation: Rotation can be the essential to a design. Being able to take a project and spin it around to compose a new idea that may have never been considered before. Many of the Greek and Roman designers sought to showcase the façade of their building designs, but the Renaissance and Gothic architects brought a whole new concept of circling around a space and absorbing all aspects. Cathedrals were built inside and out to be enjoyed, but also for the viewer to be able to revolve and evolve in the space while absorbing the massive beauty.

Movement: A piece of architecture that seems as if it is flowing and all parts are working together to seem as though they are moving together allows for the viewer to be transfixed by the piece. The Trevi fountain by Bernini was carved to look as if it flows and moves like water. The statue in the center with the horses and men on either side exemplify the cascading waterfall that the fountain is making along with the placement of rocks that allow for the water to flow freely. The Baldacchino also take the ides of movement and carves it into stone. When looking at the Baldacchino, your eye is moving up and down with spiral, it is as if it is spiraling from the floor. These revolutions are so interconnected that they can be thought of as operating in a circle, each feeding into the next (Roth 439).
Reflection: When you look in a mirror, you see a reflection of yourself. This reflection can either make you happy with yourself or reveal flaws that need to be changed. During the Revolution in Colonial North America, designers took ideas from previous architecture and came with their own rendition of how the design should be. Versatility in planning to accommodate social events was the motivating force for this change (Blakemore 250). The assembly as noted previously, involved activities that took place simultaneously in different rooms, thus requiring a circuit of rooms (Blakemore 250). In the Parson Capen House, the designer used the idea of a “hall and parlor plan,” which distinguished the places for family and the places for guests. Much like the Roman houses, which distinguished the hall for servants to do work and the rest of the house for family or guest enjoyment. Thomas Jefferson also reflected on past ideas, like the Pantheon when designing his home, the Monticello. The façade looks much like the Pantheon, while the house is still separated into servant’s and living quarters. The White House also borrowed upon the Roman idea of columns and dome structures.
The image “http://www.mochatini.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/ikea_kitchen_5.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.Source: Every idea or concept has a source of inspiration and influence. No great architect or designer began building from nothing, they all had ideas flowing either from seeing another design or from taking pieces and parts of their favorite designs, then pasting them together to form one solid idea. Designers of the Revolution in America took ideas from the Renaissance and Gothic architecture, then applied it to their designs.Illumination: Light and depth are used in many designs to illuminate a structure to enhance the visual aspects or to give dimensionality. Light enhances the mood that is set in the space or structure. The landscape of a structure can illuminate the space by adding dimension or extension of the space. A complete union of the landscape with the residence is sought (Blakemore 250). The landscape became even more important than it had been in the Baroque period, during which the landscape was conceived as a continuation of the mansion’s classical rule (Blakemore 250). The simple landscape of the Villa Giulia illuminates the building façade without taking away from the architectural aspects of the structure.

Summary: A structure needs a source of inspiration, then the design evolves so that there is movement in the structure and interior requires rotation in order for the viewer to capture and reflect on the essence of the design. Illumination can also be added by use of landscape or design techniques.

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