9. ARCHITECTURE. Abstract:

Implementace cizojazyčných modulů za účelem profesního rozvoje středoškolských pedagogů v oblasti stavebnictví CZ.1.07/1.3.40/01.0040 Vysoká škola technická a ekonomická v Českých Budějovicích

9. ARCHITECTURE Key words: Construction, wood, stone, clay, bricks, arch, temples, castles, chateaux, palaces, columns, pillars, triumphal arch, dome, broken arch, gable, roof Abstract: Architecture is a very complex and extensive topic and its history is almost as old as humanity itself. Each period has brought something new and has left us valuable monuments. This brief review is focused on the perspective from the point of view of construction.

Article: Architecture is a very complex and extensive topic. Generally speaking, it is the synonym of the construction industry. We know not only the architecture of buildings, and building units but also residential and gardening architecture. In a narrower sense, the meaning of the word architecture is understood as a work of art.


Architecture is changing and developing as well as humanity. It varies together with culture, technological development and policy. The history of architecture began at the time when people first tried to build something. These early constructions were not still works of art. The first building materials were wood, stone and clay. Real architecture arose in the construction of objects with a certain artistic value. To do this, it was necessary to be able to read the ancient texts, to be able to count, to transmit experience from generation to generation and to be able to organize groups of workers. The first significant architectural structures appeared in the 3rd millennium BC in the Sumerian and Egyptian cultures. Both architectures arose independently. They used natural building materials and began to divide buildings into church constructions and secular constructions. Sumerian architecture - used mainly bricks (even adobe ones) joined with asphalt. Perhaps because of that there is not much left. People did not know how to plan; they built randomly, as needed. Egyptian architecture - used mainly stone, this is why a large number of monuments are preserved. Church buildings predominated and the main elements were tombs (the pyramids). Apart from tombs the Egyptians built monumental temples, but they still did not know how to use a vault.

Picture: Stepped pyramid in Egypt


Many building architectural styles followed. The most important ones were: Classical Greek architecture - originated in the 8th century BC. The Greeks built magnificent temples on rectangular floor plans. The main building material was stone, especially marble. Columns were the vertical element. Individual stone blocks were built on without fasteners. Their huge weight guaranteed stability. Only after that columns were machined. The roof of temples were low a saddle-shape with artistic decorations in the gables. The covering of the roof was from tiles of burnt clay. In the 5th century the most important Greek temple - Parthenon was built. Later on, the Greeks also built secular buildings - theatres and luxurious mansions. The biggest problem of Greek construction was the transport of huge stones and later financing. Most buildings were built without plans. The calculations were simple and were carried out on the spot. Therefore, Greek constructions were oversized.

Picture: Acropolis, Athens

Roman architecture - although it was based on Greek architecture, it brought many new things. The Romans were warriors and that was reflected in their construction. Troops needed good quality roads and bridges - a network of roads and waterways for bridging and the "Roman arch", were created. Another new element was the aqueduct. All this led to the


development of surveying and geodesy basics. Most buildings were built with public funds and that led to the beginnings of budgeting. It was the Romans who laid the foundation of urbanism. Most Roman cities had a central square and a rectangular grid of streets around it. Military culture also emerged and for the first time, standards for construction. Perhaps the most important discovery was the production and use of concrete. The Roman church buildings had not only rectangular, but also circular floor plans. Their range was increasing and therefore it was necessary to invent a new way of roofing. That enabled the discovery of the "Roman arch". At that time, the first Basilica and the Coliseum, which served as arena and theatre, arose. So called "triumphal arches" were a Roman architectural rarity. They were gates built for a ceremonial entry of victorious troops.

Picture: Coliseum in Rome

Romanesque architecture - originated in the late 9th century from ancient foundation. The most important buildings were the basilicas; there were pillars, cross vaults and little by little even domes. The ground plan of Romanesque buildings was already dissected. Decoration also played an important role. Windows, which gradually became larger, had undergone the biggest changes. Round windows began to be used. Doors and entrances were usually richly decorated and were placed opposite the altar. This style was not only religious and town


houses and aristocratic mansions (castles) were also built in the same style. Barrel vaults were used for secular buildings. In the second half of the 12th century new ideas were gradually penetrating into Romanesque architecture and it eventually led to the emergence of a new style - gothic.

Picture: An example of Romanesque architecture, rotunda of St Caterina in Přední Kopanina

Gothic architecture - in the second half of the 12th century Romanesque architecture began to change gradually into Gothic architecture. At that time the Church had a great importance and therefore church buildings too. The broken arch was a new element. The shape of the arc carried all loads vertically. This allowed the extension of windows, which could be up to several meters high. Another change was in the shape and design of the vault. The vault was divided into many areas and the weight was carried by the ribs and pillars. Thanks to those discoveries massive walls could be replaced by pillars and thinner walls. In that period, temples with up to five naves were being built. The typical feature of the Gothic style was a steep roof supplemented with gargoyles of various shapes. Another feature was four-sided towers, which were reinforced in the corners by pillars. In secular architecture Gothic was reflected not only in representative buildings, but also in civic architecture, where several-storey buildings with a gable to the street were built.


Picture:Example of Gothic architecture, Paris Notre Dame Renaissance architecture – in the early 14th century the strict Gothic order started to appear gradually and around 1420 in Italy a new thought current, which was also reflected in architecture, began to be promoted. Architects were inspired by the ancient architecture, but they added new features such as domes and rectangular windows. There were new types of buildings: chateaux, summer residences, urban palaces and urban and suburban villas. Besides stone, materials such as marble and brick began to be used in much greater quantities. Sgraffito, a new type of decoration of the facade, arose.


Picture: An example of a Renaissance architecture, summer residence of Queen Anna in the Royal garden in Prague Castle

Baroque - from the 16th to the 18th century a new style arose under the influence of the religious wars. Its aim was to impress man. Churches should have acted as a metaphorical image of heaven on the earth, palaces and castles represented wealth and power. The most commonly used materials were coloured marble, rare wood and gold. The ground plan of buildings was an ellipse or an oval. Baroque emphasized the space and its rich decoration. For the roofing of buildings different types of vaults were used, but also wood trusses. The facades of important buildings were very complex, as if they were rippling. Rounded shapes prevailed. In the previous styles church buildings predominated, but in the Baroque period, the ratio of ecclesiastical buildings to secular buildings balanced. Rococo architecture directly followed the Baroque period which was developed during the 18th century, just in the late Baroque period. This style was typical for its excessive ornamentation.

Picture: An example of Baroque architecture, Prague, Bílá Hora

Classicism - in this period the church and with it also religious architecture moved backwards and private buildings were strongly dominant. The dominant tendency was imitating ancient


and Egyptian (Empire style) buildings. This return to history was partly explained by the fact that society was undergoing enormous changes. What was typical for the architecture of Classicism, apart from the inspiration in ancient times, was a certain uniformity given by adherence to united and strict principles of building - the emphasis was put on simplicity, expressive austerity and even rigidity. The facades of buildings straightened, the curved surfaces from Baroque were removed, curves were replaced by straight lines and popular decorative element was a medallion. The new requirement for architecture was to build functionally and cheaply. Art Nouveau – a new artistic direction started at the turn of the 19th and 20th century as a protest against historicism. Art Nouveau architecture was typical for rich ornamental decoration, especially floral decoration: on the facades and also the interiors in which stems, flowers, foliage, as a decorative element were also used human figures and faces and broken curves were applied. In the Art Nouveau period ornamental metal processing was widely used, also, frequently etched glass, decorative glass surfaces composed of multicoloured stained glass, but also ceramics, enamel, mosaics, stucco, etc. With the external appearance of buildings also corresponding minor construction details and extras: balcony railings, window frames, doorknobs, lighting fixtures, etc. It was Art Nouveau which gave the opportunity to develop and employ a wide range of artistic crafts. Simultaneously with Art Nouveau a method called modern style was coming in. It freely expressed from both, historical elements and the excess of decorative details, which were often characteristic for Art Nouveau. Buildings were simple, smooth faced, unadorned, with emphasis on the construction of buildings, harmony of proportions and effect of materials and surfaces. Architecture of the 20th century did not have a uniform style. What was typical for the 20th century was work with new materials (steel, glass), which thanks to their properties, allowed us to find new solutions. The use of right angles, which allowed more efficient use of space, was also typical.


Source: Wikipedia: About the history of architecture

Dictionary: angle (n) /ˈæŋgᵊl/ arch (n) /ɑːʧ/ austerity (n) /ɒsˈterəti/ balcony railing (n) /ˈbælkəniˈreɪlɪŋ/ barrel vault (n) /ˈbærᵊlvɔːlt/ brick (n) /brɪk/ broken arch (n) /ˈbrəʊkᵊnɑːʧ/ castle (n) /ˈkɑːsᵊl/ chateau (n) /ˈʃætəʊ/ clay (n) /kleɪ/ column (n) /ˈkɒləm/ concrete (n) /ˈkɒŋkriːt/ cross vault (n) /krɒsvɔːlt/ dome (n) /dəʊm/ ecclesiastical (adj) /ɪˌkliːziˈæstɪkᵊl/ enamel (n) /ɪˈnæmᵊl/ foliage (n) /ˈfəʊliɪʤ/ frame (n) /freɪm/ gable (n) /ˈgeɪbᵊl/ gargoyle (n) /ˈgɑːgɔɪl/ marble (n) /ˈmɑːbᵊl/ medallion (n) /mɪˈdæliən/ mosaic (n) /məʊˈzeɪɪk/ nave (n) /neɪv/ pillar (n) /ˈpɪləʳ/ rigidity (n) /rɪˈʤɪdəti/ ripple (v) /ˈrɪpᵊl/ roof (n) /ruːf/ secular (adj) /ˈsekjələʳ/ stucco (n) /ˈstʌkəʊ/ temple (n) /ˈtempᵊl/ tomb (n) /tuːm/ truss (n) /trʌs/ valuable (adj) /ˈvæljuəbᵊl/

úhel klenba, oblouk strohost zábradlí valená klenba cihla lomený oblouk hrad zámek jíl sloup beton křížová klenba dóm církevní smalt listy rám štít cgrlič mramor medailon mozaika loď (chrámová) pilíř přísnost, tuhost (na materiálu) vlnit se střecha světský štuk chrám hrobka otýpka hodnotný


Questions: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

What are the most significant features of Egyptian architecture? Which new elements were created in the Roman architecture? In which period was first used the broken arch? Which are the new types of buldings used in the Renaissance architecture? What are the typical features of the facade used in Art Nouveau?

Exercises: 1) Put the verbs into the passive form using the correct tense. a) Seat cars ______________ in Spain.(make) b) A new skyscraper _____________ at the moment. (build) c) The book _____________ by Stephen King in 1993.(write) d) My car ____________ last week.(steal) e) _______ you ever ______________. (mug)

2) Rewrite the sentences with the passive. a) They sell souvenirs here. ____________________________________________________________ b) They dub most of the foreign films. ____________________________________________________________ c) Someone stole my bike yesterday. ____________________________________________________________ d) They will organise the conference tomorrow. ____________________________________________________________ e) Somebody must repair this copy machine. ____________________________________________________________

3) Match the words and the definitions


1. CHATEAU

2. GABLE

3. GARGOYLE

4. NAVE

5. PILLAR

a. the triangular upper part of a wall between the sloping ends of a pitched roof b. the central part of a church c. a waterspout carved in the form of a grotesque face or creature and projecting from a roof gutter d. an upright structure of stone, brick, metal,

etc.,

superstructure

that or

ornamentation e.

a French castle

supports is

used

a for


4) Choose the correct answer a, b, c. 1. Which word is not a kind of building material? A. clay B. concrete C. frame 2. Which one is wrong? A. barrel vault B. broken vault C. cross vault 3. Which is the opposite of SECULAR? A. ecclesiastical B. valuable C. human 4. What is a tomb? A. A grave or other place of burial. B. A place where live the royal family . C. The upper part of a building. 5. A design or decoration made up of small pieces of coloured glass or stone is called … A. truss B. mosaic C. stucco 5) Rewrite the sentences below using the passive, leaving out people, somebody.

Example Somebody introduced me to Dr Felix last year. I was introduced to Dr Felix.

1) People were destroying large areas of forest every day. 2) Somebody has bought the land next our house. 3) Somebody had already reported the accident before I phoned.


4) I hope they will have completed all the marking by tomorrow. 5) People were using the tennis court, so we wouldn’t play. 6) Somebody will tell you when you should go in to see the doctor. 7) They should have finished the hotel by the time you arrive. 8) No doubt somebody will blame me for the problem. 9) People expect better results soon. 10) They have found an unexploded bomb in Herbert Square, and they are evacuating the area.

Source: Hewings, M., 2004

Mind map: facade

gable architecture

clay

Floor plan

vault

chateaux

stucco

Solutions: 1) Put the verbs into the passive form using the correct tense


a) are made, b) is being built, c) was written, d) was stolen, e) Have you ever been mugged?

2) Rewrite the sentences with the passive. a) Souvenirs are sold here. b) Most of the foreign films are dubbed. c) My bike was stolen yesterday. d) The conference will be organised tomorrow. e) This copy machine must be repaired.

3) Match the words and the definitions 1.E, 2. A, 3. C, 4. B, 5. D

4) Choose the correct answer a, b, c. 1.C, 2. B, 3. A, 4. A, 5 B 5) Rewrite the sentences below using the passive, leaving out people, somebody 1) Large areas of forest are being destroyed every day. 2) The land next to our house has been bought. 3) The accident had already been reported before I phoned. 4) I hope all the marking will have been completed by tomorrow. 5) The tennis court was being used, so we couldn’t play. 6) You will be told when you should go in to see the doctor. 7) The hotel should have been finished (or should be finished) by the time you arrive. 8) No doubt I will be blamed for the problem. 9) Better results are expected soon. 10) An unexploded bomb has been found in Hubert Square and the area is being evacuated.


Bibliography HEWINGS, M. Advanced Grammar in Use. CUP. Cambridge, 2004. 340 p. ISBN 0-52149868-6.

9. ARCHITECTURE. Abstract:

Recommend Documents