History of Architecture

Paper Summary:

This paper takes the reader on a tour of the history of architecture. It shows that the two main characteristics of good architecture are stability and aestheticism. The writer shows how the Ancient Egyptians managed to build with these characteristic so many years ago and how this has influenced modern architecture today. It compares later uses of material by the Romans and the Egyptians and analyzes which civilization introduced which material.

From the Paper:

'The architecture of a building is conceived with two things in mind: Structural stability, and aesthetic design. In all structures, stability is obviously the aspect which takes precedence over aesthetics. A visually stunning building is worth nothing if it cannot stand the test of time. This is an idea which the Egyptians created, and then took to its utmost extreme. Many view the Egyptian style of creation as the father of modern architecture, being as durable as it was stunning. Several common elements of architecture such as pillars were reputedly created by the Egyptians, and these are still used in the creation of modern buildings. The Egyptian engineers had a good grasp of fundamental physics, and the role it must play in the design of structures. The Architects then took this knowledge, and fused it with grand aesthetic design, creating buildings which would become a simple base of reference for all structures which were built in the future. Egyptian civilization is known primarily for the structures it left behind. Most of which still stand, either in whole or in part today. "Although 3000 BC is considered almost prehistoric, the style of architecture which resulted from Egyptian building in this period is one which has endured as a major contribution to modern design and construction styles."

More papers on History of Architecture:

• Research Paper # 95758 : "A Short History of Architecture"
• Essay # 15452 : "A History of Architecture" by Spiro Kostof"
• Descriptive Essay # 118267 : "The History of the Hagia Sophia"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: