Abstract This paper discusses the art and architectural history of Louis XIV's opulent palace at Versailles. The author examines the palace itself and its gardens both from an architectural point of view and as a political statement. The paper describes how the decorative styles of the grounds and castle reflected the power and demanding nature of its main inhabitant, the self-proclaimed "Sun King".
From the Paper "While the explicit purpose of Versailles was to glorify king and country, it also glorifies at least implicitly the architect who translated the king's vision. By 1674, when Monsart was commissioned to rebuild the ch"teau of Clagny for Louis XIV's mistress Madame de Montespan, he was already launched on a brilliant career. In 1675 Mansart became official architect to the king and from 1678 on was occupied with redesigning and enlarging the palace of Versailles, for which he directed a legion of collaborators, prot"g?s, and artisans. Mansart began his own work by using the plans of architect Louis Le Vau, and to these plans built the new Hall of Mirrors, the Orangerie, the Grand Trianon, and the north and south wings and at the time of his death he was working on the chape. Each element was designed to magnify the sense of Louis's own power and the wealth and sophistication of France."
Abstract This paper describes the physical process of the World Trade Center collapse. It examines the building's structure and components and analyzes the impact of the collision with the aircraft. It gives an engineer's analysis of the collapse and several reasons for it. It concludes that the exact reason for the collapse of the skyscraper is still unknown and will continue to be studied in the future.
From the Paper "The World Trade Center, erected as "a living symbol of man's dedication to world peace," (Wetxstein- 2001) was the most valuable commercial property in the history of New York City until terrorist attacks reduced it to rubble. The buildings towered over lower Manhattan for nearly thirty years; an icon of financial power.The buildings contained more than 200,000 tons of steel, 425,000 cubic yards of concrete and 600,000 square feet of glass in 43,000 windows. Each floor, a reinforced concrete pad on a metal deck supported by steel cross beams, was about one acre and weighed about 4.8 million pounds. The building was designed to withstand the impact of a 707 commercial airliner. It was the largest commercial airliner built at the time the World Trade Center was designed. This was a factor considered due to the accident in 1945, where a B-25 crashed into the Empire State building."
Tags: New, York, World, Trade, Center, steel, buildings, terrorists, commercial
Abstract This paper presents a detailed look at a theoretical discussion about architectural ornaments. Using two published articles, the writer of this paper leads the reader on a journey of exploration about the use of ornaments and the underlying truth and meaning of such a practice.
From the Paper "Throughout history buildings have evoked emotion in those who observe them. We see a building and we are touched somewhere at the base of our emotional bank to feel something attached to the use of structure and form when observing the architectural work. A building has several uses from an architectural standpoint. It can be viewed as a piece of functional equipment, which of course speaks to the materials and ornamental use or no use within that design. It can also be viewed, as a work of art and this can be a subjective opinion based on the artistic tastes of the observer and the use of materials and design in the building. Many things including one's past and current life experiences touch the heart, ones reaction to those experiences and ones innate like and dislike of certain forms and functionality."
In an article by Adolf Loos called Ornament and Crime; Loos argues that the use of ornament can actually be traced to symbols of eroticism. Loos discusses the societal belief that a child doing something wrong it should be explored and explained because a child is not yet capable of criminal intent. However, if an adult commits an offensive act that person is a criminal. He explains in his article that the use of ornamental techniques in any form, including architecture actually points to someone using erotic symbols he alludes to the idea that it is a criminal act and the person is a criminal. If he is not a criminal according to the well-known theorist he is most certainly a degenerate. One of the underlying patterns throughout the argument is the fact that numerous uprising have occurred throughout history. Uprisings were most common it seems during times when the use of ornaments were much more prevalent than at the times there were few uprisings. It is another factor used by Loos to indicate the criminal mind of those who believe in and support the use of ornamental design in architecture. In addition to his belief that ornamental design should never be utilized in current and future works of architecture he believes to preserve and restore any historical use of ornaments is the same as preserving trash."
Abstract This paper provides step-by-step practical advice regarding a community's decision to construct a skating park. It looks at location, materials, method and style. It also lists the advantages to the community if such a complex would be created.
From the Paper "In many communities in the United States, there are not but a few safe places where children and teenage can play sports safely. Some teenagers in today's society like to skateboard in a skate park, however, there are not many of them in rural community. Therefore, most children and teenagers skateboard on an unsafe ramp create themselves. When living in a rural community, the best solution for this problem would be to find grants to help out financially with the skate-park for the people who wish to build a proper one. And, there are some guidelines to follow to build a safe and healthy skate-park environment. For the rural community to have their own skate-park is a great idea since it is their children who are skateboarding on it. Therefore, every community skate-parks are needed should look into it so that their children would be safer."
Abstract The paper examines how port planning involves technical, operational, economic, social and environmental aspects. The author shows how the projects range from terminal rehabilitation until altering the whole area into a communal park, involving several different aspects in economic, social, cultural, ethical and environmental goals.
From the Paper "The Land Use Coding Manual has classified land use based on the people-oriented activities. A port or harbor should meet this expectance, that the land use should be maximized in a concentrated manufacturing center, which will give sufficient income not only to the harbor but also to the local people. In the more detailed plan, ports and harbors are usually planned to be the good housing and within convenient public access for cargo, shipping, fishing and docking business, and other related industries. Any decisions have to refer to support this goals, such as infrastructure development, providing effective traffic line in the area, closing less incompetent facilities and deciding which area will be the center of public, recreational, and/or manufacturing activities."
Abstract The paper explores and compares two books on architecture, "Le Corbusier" by Kenneth Frampton and "Master Builders" by Peter Blake. The paper shows that both books discuss the life and works of architect Le Corbusier, although they differ in that Frampton's book focuses mainly on Le Corbusier while Blake studies equally the works of Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright.
From the Paper "According to Frampton, Corbusier was most likely the most famous and certainly the most controversial architect of the twentieth century. His impact on the urban fabric and the way all have lived has been enormous due to the richness and diversity of his work as well as his fervently expressed philosophy of architecture. Thus, the author weaved through his long and prolific life that was recurrent themes, his permanent drive towards new types of dwelling, from the early white villas to the U'it? d'Habitation at Marseille. Furthermore, he detailed his evolving concepts of urban form, which included the Plan Vision of 1925 along with its cruciform towers that were imposed on the city of Paris and finally his work at Chandigarh in India; and his belief in a new technocratic order (Barnes and Noble)."
Tags: Corbu, Modernist, Barcelona, Pavilion, Guggenheim, Museum, Ludwig, Mies, van, der, Rohe, Frank, Lloyd, Wright.
Abstract This paper examines the historic architecture of the Kimball, Minnesota courthouse building. It describes the sense of history through the preservation of historical features such as the stage, the bell tower, tin ceilings and carriage door bricks. The paper provides a description of the exterior and interior of the building and provides the social purpose for this site.
From the Paper "Settled long ago by courageous pioneers, Kimball, Minnesota still maintains its small town feel. Today courageous pioneers are fighting to preserve a historic showpiece, the traditional City Hall. The 92-year old City Hall stands proudly in the middle of downtown representing Kimball's heritage. Many small towns are losing their historic buildings to age and lack of the building's ability to meet the community's needs. In fact, the Kimball building is starting to deteriorate and its fate lies in the hands of the people. Following is an analysis of the exterior and interior of the building."
Abstract This paper takes the reader on an exploratory journey through 15th century Spanish art. The writer examines different works of art from the time period and relates them to styles that were used by the artists of that time.
From the Paper "Art has been a part of mankind since the beginning of time. Throughout the centuries and the cultures there have been eras in art that have affected what was popular and what was not. Art styles have been individual to the artist who created the work, however there have been definite ideas and preferences that have been heavily influenced by the era in which the patrons reside. Spanish art has been particularly interesting because of the metamorphis it has experienced throughout its history. Parts of the changes were triggered by political changes as well as religious surges. Spanish art in the 15th century was also heavily influenced by the Gothic era."
From the Paper "San Francisco is a city for tourists. While it is also one of the best cities in which to live, tourism is such a major factor in the city's economy that it is impossible to conceive of it in any other way. It is, therefore, a city that needs to be looked at--and one that rewards looking. Despite having been almost completely destroyed by the earthquake and fire of 1906 San Francisco also features a large number of examples of architecture from another era. In part this is due to a number of pre-fire survivals and, more frequently, results from the fact that the fire preceded the rise of modernist taste in architecture. Although the destruction of much of the city's fine architecture has also taken place since the 1950s, in the name of progress, this is probably a serious miscalculation. While it is nearly always an aesthetic mistake, it could also.."
From the Paper "Frank Lloyd Wright (1869-1959) was the friend, disciple, and one-time partner of Louis Sullivan, but it was Wright who moved modern architecture toward what he thought of as an "organic" orientation (Hamilton, 1992). Wright rejected the conventionally symmetrical plan of rooms arranged along either side of the hall for one in which the principal rooms were placed on cross-axes extending from a central space. In both his public and private structures, Wright employed a specific philosophy of how man and his environment were two halves of the same coin, sharing a common identity and reinforcing the existence of each other (Hamilton, 1992). Wright was influenced not only by the ideas of Sullivan and other "modern" architects of the so-called Chicago school. He was also enormously influenced by Japanese architecture. It is this influence..."
From the Paper "The clich? that art's beauty is in the eyes of the beholder is clearly demonstrated in the opposite views held by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the most eloquent among the enemies of Romanesque art versus Suger, the abbot of St. Denis, who favored increasing ornamentation in the construction and maintenance of the churches. These two men clearly demonstrate the differences and incompatibilities between the ascetics and the clergy who favored greater luxuriousness.
Given the time frame in which St. Bernard and Abbot Suger lived and worshipped, there are powerful arguments to be made for both sides. On the side of the ascetic view, when St. Bernard quotes a pagan as asking "what doeth this gold in the sanctuary"? - he is clearly signifying that worship of God and.."
From the Paper "The Temple of the Sun at Konarak in India's Orissa state is considered the high point of the tradition of Hindu temple building that began in the late eighth century. Shortly after the Konarak temple was built in the mid-thirteenth century the Mughal invasions put a premature end to this architectural tradition. The Konarak temple was a monumental representation of the chariot of the Sun God. It featured twelve pairs of wheels on its side walls and the figure of the god standing at the front of the building driving his horses. Almost every square inch of the temple's outer walls is covered with carvings that range widely from abstract designs to animals, human beings, and gods and vary in size from a few inches to many feet." One of the most striking aspects of the sculptural program of this particular temple is the enormous number of erotic sculptural..."
From the Paper "Missions played a critical role in the early history of California. They served as vehicles for introducing Christianity to the Indians in the region. This research focuses on one of the missions. San Buenaventura Mission is cited as the Mother Church of Christianity in Ventura County.
The region where the mission is found was described by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 as "a beautiful valley in which there is much maize and food, with high sierras and rugged land surrounding the valley" (Weber xi). The Mission and its environs were given county status in 1872 as an autonomous district of 1,878 square miles (Weber xi). The Mission is one of the numerous missions making up an important religious system in the California region during the eighteenth century and beyond as the area came under Spanish conquest, Spanish rule, and eventually..."
From the Paper " Though both Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472) and Victor Marie Hugo (1802-1885) looked to the past for examples for contemporary architecture, they approached the problem in a completely different spirit. Where Alberti, the Renaissance architect and theorist, wished to impose greater rationality on architecture, and on the disorder of the Medieval city, Hugo, the Romantic novelist, saw a need to remain true to the organic, homogeneous nature of the city of the Middle Ages. The two men were similar in their perception of the Medieval city as an example of uncontrolled growth. But they placed an entirely different value on this fact. Anthony Blunt's remark about Renaissance classicism sums up this difference: "in architecture the revival of Roman forms was used to create a style which answered to the demands of human reason rather than to the more.."
From the Paper "The Weimar era provided a vital opportunity for the development of modernist architecture. The short-lived Weimar Republic (1919-1933) was Germany's first attempt at democratic governance. Prior to the First World War German architects had been leaders in the development of both the expressionist and the rationalist trends in architectural modernism. The end of the war produced an outpouring of pent-up talent as older architects, such as Bruno Taut and Ernst May, and younger men, such as Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, created a new, rationalist architecture that was to have a lasting impact on this century. Among the expressionist architects, however, only Eric Mendelsohn met with significant success and his designs stressed a union of functionalism and expression. When the Nazis finally drove out most modernist architects in the early 1930s, these men took.."
