VOICES
PRESENCE- the state or fact of being present, as with others or in a place (dictionary.com)
Last week we finished up looking at Rome and then moved into Pompeii, and I think relating the present to Rome at least is somewhat easy. I believe that Rome was concerned as a society about the presence and their future also. They along with so many other cultures around this time were focused on making structures that would be there for the world to awe at hundreds and hundreds of years later, which thankfully most of them are still standing. Rome was innovativeness, and gorgeous designers, the totality of Rome was really what was amazing to me. With their society now having the materials of concrete and vaulting to work with allowed for them to just really create and build a solid structure; anything they could think of, they basically did. “Roman life focused on temporal comforts and pleasures, as the Roman bath well illustrates. The bath was designed to serve the needs of the body in its pools and exercise gardens, to feed the mind in its libraries, and to reward the eyes in its vast molded spaces lined in multicolored marble brought from the far corners of the Roman Empire.” (Roth 275)
PRECEDENT- any act, decision, or case that serves as a guide or justification for subsequent situations (dictionary.com)
The US, the foundations of this very country and almost every country around the globe is based upon precedents their government decides upon. I think of this term as a big bold word I guess, something that usually affects more then one person, usually pertaining to a group of beings. Something that has to have meaning behind it, it has authority and reasoning and law, it also it many times a common thing. In the architecture and design sense, I’m not sure how to connect this. I keep coming back to the fact of the many, new designs Rome gave us such as the baths and basilicas and that they were a big part of that time period, it was common for them to attend these places of importance and such as the basilicas, it was a law place, where the higher powers would gather and discuss their current issues.
MOMENTS- a particular period of importance, influence, or significance in a series of events or developments (dictionary.com)
“Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.” This is a quote I found by Wayne Dyer and just kind of stumbled upon and liked quite a bit actually. We don’t remember everything in our life time, that’s for sure. But what we do remember, the stuff that really sticks is the moments we experience as a human being; the moments that were a big impact to either my life, or someone else’s God willing. Moments in architecture that are really inspiring are almost miracles I think of them as, we are blessed that such beautiful ideas were drawn, and then constructed; otherwise it could have just as well remained a idea in a designers head and the world could have never glanced upon such beautiful structures. “We sometimes speak of “the fall of the Roman Empire,” as though, on a particular day, there was a sudden collapse.” (Roth 275) Leland states that some people think of the empire becoming a Christian one almost overnight and that is not the case. It was moments and time that slowly transformed the popular empire and led to the Christian revolution because before strict, devout Christians had to meet in those underground catacomb structures.
Photo taken by me at beach
DUALITY- a dual state or quality (dictionary.com)
In Patrick’s class the other day we talked about how over time, it started with the baths then eventually they started to become basilicas and then in the end being integrated to full Christian churches. Duality means something can be put into two classes, and the baths of Rome can be put into the general Roman society of the time and also be categorized into the new Christian scene arising. Many of today’s cultures even within them hold duality, such as the white house. It stands to many other cultures to the place where our president resides and does the majority of his work. But to us, well at least me I think of it as the place where we mostly are given speeches from our president because it is such a huge piece of history and a beautiful building, and it is the place that comes to somehow bring together millions of people. “Europe was transformed socially during the late Middle Ages by two forces that reinforced each other-the reemergence of cities and the growth of trade.” (Roth 326) Europe has duality within its society; the cities and the growth of trade represent duality that Europe had at the time.
http://geniusandco.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/duality.jpg
The metric system was originated from France during the late 1700’s but that really is the only way I can think of the term metric, but I feel like it must have another use it can be applied to. I feel like it almost can be applied to the baths throughout the Roman Empire because they were built so precise, they definitely required the use of measurement, probably not the metric system, but still they incorporated some sense of measurement. But I feel like the building as a whole can be looked at as metric, because it was built to house so many different functions throughout it and it almost in its entirety can be looked at as displaying metrics throughout the structure.
REFLECTION
“As the Roman Empire was transformed into a Christian empire, churches and other religious buildings emerged as the preeminent architecture.” (Roth 298) This is basically where we are in the class right now, Christianity is growing and churches are now being constructed, beautiful cathedrals with such detail and enormity. Devout Christians no longer were forced to gather down in the catacombs, it was now acceptable and the churches were there new meeting place, and so they were being built throughout. This is what you would call the early Renaissance phase and later develops its own category as Gothic architecture, which in this time period was churches, abbeys, and vast cathedrals being erected throughout Europe. “Gothic architecture was also the physical expression of a new, assertive, and positive outlook on life here and now, as contrasted to the emphatic focus of the Romanesque period on a life in the hereafter.” (Roth 324) This week I am actually quite enjoying the cathedrals, I find them so amazing, and intricate in its detail and craftsmanship. Just the materials that were present at that time are really helping towards the overall aesthetics of the structure, and the designers and builders really made the materials work in their favor and I just find the cathedrals to be really inspiring as a whole.
Citations
1. Understanding Architecture It's Elements, History, and Meaning
Leland M. Roth
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