World History Civilization - Report Example

World History Civilization Architecture and the design of a building necessarily reflect some aspect ofthe culture from which it emerges. The term ‘architecture’ usually refers to the actual building shape and form itself, the way in which the structure is built, its angles and curves, materials and dimensions while ‘design’ usually refers to the allocation of space inside, the way in which it is decorated to reflect a certain idea or philosophy and the materials used to cover walls, floors, windows and other interior surfaces. Frank Lloyd Wright identified the importance of architecture and design to a culture when he said, “Every great architect is – necessarily – a great poet. … He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.” To Wright, the architect was responsible for a reciprocal social relationship that would inevitably develop between a building and the public. “It was to be a relationship that preserved the dignity and the integrity of all interactants in the relationship, and it was the job of any ‘true’ architect to envision and to make this human relationship” (Satler, 1999, p. 31). This interaction between the building, the interior spaces and the public were as important in some of the ‘classic’ cultures as they have proven to be in the modern age. The best way to understand the various ways in which cultural interaction affects architecture/design and what the results reflect regarding the culture itself is to compare the architecture of a culture such as that of 6th century BC China and Hellenistic Greece in the 4th century BC. Much of the architecture left for us to investigate regarding early Chinese culture is in the form of the Pagoda or temple. These were often built of wood and consisted of columns spaced at intervals which supported the roof. Walls were merely enclosing screens that could be set up or not depending upon the structure’s intended use or need for separate rooms. By the 6th century BC, roofs had already taken on the graceful, curving features that have come to be known as the example of Chinese building (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2005). These were often decorated with small figures, all facing southeast, and with paint or tiles. What is known about the Chinese ground plan is also scanty, but seemed to consist primarily of an entrance gate, followed by a spirit gate and then the public areas of the building, whether it was a temple, a palace or a private dwelling compound. Private quarters were in the rear of the structure and the compound typically surrounded a court or garden, which was maintained with a similar simplicity of style and elegance that characterized the buildings themselves (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2005). What has been learned about this architecture reflects a great deal of what has been learned about the culture. The buildings were based upon the principles of balance and symmetry as well as a close connection to nature. The main structure of these buildings is the axis, much like the trunk of a tree, with secondary structures placed as wings on either side. This reflects the foundations of the Taoist teachings which centered upon a balance and coexistence with nature. The division of the spaces within the buildings was assigned based upon familial rank, again reflecting deep cultural values of the Chinese. Although people in the West have almost always had a sense of individualism, the Chinese culture is based more upon a collectivist conception (Hofstede, 1994). Their belief system valued the common good as being much greater than the desires of self interest just as the group was held to be of far greater significance than the individual’s achievements. It is this system of belief that established the early respect for vertical status hierarchies that are reflected in the multiple levels of the pagodas and other structures. The sloping, graceful curves of the rooftops also reflected the cultural beliefs of the people in that the curved lines were felt to help ward off evil spirits, which were attracted to the unnatural feature of a straight line (Lee et al, 1998). Like ancient Chinese architecture, much of what is known about ancient Greek architecture is brought to us through the remains of temples and palaces that survived to be recorded such as the Parthenon. While it is believed that the earliest buildings in Greece were constructed of dried mud, sticks and stones, by the Hellenistic age, the Greeks had become experts at building with limestone, which was plentiful throughout their lands. The limestone offered several advantages, not the least of which was the ability to carve it into the desired shapes and forms for various uses. Buildings were typically constructed in rectangular or square shapes as it was easiest to cut the limestone into roughly equal sized blocks with an efficient expenditure of energy (Crystal, 2005). Occasionally, especially for religious uses, the Greeks would use marble as a building material; however, this material was not as plentiful and therefore introduced several economic restrictions on its use. The architecture of the building was, again much like that of the Chinese pagodas, relatively simple and geometrically balanced. Walls were of secondary importance as the bulk of the buildings rested upon the use of the columns. Especially in earlier constructions, rooms were more typically separated by the careful placement of columns rather than solid walls leaving a generally open floor plan within the average home. However, walls, when present, were built of a more solid material, the limestone of the columns, than those of the Chinese tradition which were more usually constructed of rice paper or reeds. Like the Chinese, the innermost areas of the buildings, the cella, were reserved for the most important and sacred uses of the building, the home of the statues of the gods and goddesses or the place of most devout worship (Crystal, 2005). The columns used within these structures, built in the Doric style, demonstrate the solid, high-minded ideals of its builders while later incarnations (Ionic and Corinthian) reflected a more free-spirited and loosely decorative turn of mind. It is in the design of the buildings that we learn the most about the people who constructed these structures. The malleability of their building materials enabled the Greeks to achieve a high level of expression within their constructions through the inclusion of sculpture within the monuments themselves. An example of this can be found in the Parthenon itself, in which friezes depict scenes of battles between the gods and mythological races such as the giants and the centaurs, as well as the defeat of the Amazons and what is believed to be the citizens of Troy. The enclosed area of the building was also surrounded by a frieze, this one presenting the Procession of the Panathenaea, which has been identified as one of the most formal religious celebrations observed by the citizens of ancient Athens (Crystal, 2005). The detail with which this frieze is constructed, illustrating the figures of gods, beasts and at least 360 people, as well as its placement upon the inner walls of the building and therefore its most sacred, further indicates its importance to the people. Finally, the pediments of the temple depict more mythical scenes, this time illustrating the battle held between Athena and Poseidon in determining the name for the city and then the birth of Athena, who eventually triumphed in this struggle (Crystal, 2005). By including such depictions within their buildings, much can be learned about the society that placed these images. Although their construction was based on rigid rules of the Golden Measure, indicating a high degree of thought and science, it was also based upon brutal war and conflict as can be seen in the images they left behind. While their mythology represents a greater respect given to women in its depiction of a female goddess openly contending with a male god and winning, it also demonstrates a contentious relationship with nature through its depiction of battles with centaurs and giants. While both of these ancient civilizations, the Chinese and the Greeks, are primarily remembered through the architecture of their most sacred structures, these are sufficient to glean a great deal of information regarding the culture that constructed them. Both societies demonstrate a concern for stability and balance, a certain simplicity of form and a close relationship with the gods. In the construction of the pagodas, a reverence of the natural forms of nature, including curved lines, vertical structures and layered, overlapping roofs, can be discerned in keeping with the Taoist traditions that have been preserved. In the construction of the temples of Greece, the adherence to a geometric conception of the ‘perfect’ form can be found in every aspect of construction and design. Works Cited ( The) Columbia Encyclopedia. “Chinese Architecture.” 6th Edition. (2005). Columbia University Press. June 22, 2007 Crystal, Ellie. “Greek Architecture.” (December 2005). June 22, 2007 Hofstede, G. “The Business of International Business is Culture.” International Business Review. Vol. 3, No. 1, (1994), pp. 1-14. Lee, Alex; Arndt, James & Goldmacher, Shane. “Chinese Architecture.” Architecture Through the Ages. (1998). June 22, 2007 Satler, G. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Living Space: Architecture’s Fourth Dimension. Dekalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press, 1999. Read More