Interior Design of the Alhambra - Essay Example

ALHAMBRA: Its relation to Interior Design Interior design is a profession that is focused on anything that is found inside a space. It includes walls, windows, doors, finishes, textures, light, furnishings, and even furniture. All these are so called elements that are used by designers to develop a functional, safe, and aesthetically appealing space. In this case, I chose the interior design of the Alhambra because it portrays a unique yet exquisite beauty that has become an inspiration to artists and designers of current times. The way the colors played in the palace's decorations also heightened the elegance of the Alhambra. There is an attention to detail and patterns to where intricate forms are made. In addition to the interior aspect, it has a massive interior space but even so, the smallest corner has great significance in the entire presentation of the building. It then has these momentous domes that are loaded with art work and glass that allow light to enter the space making it a different place in different times of the day. I will now present a detailed description of the Alhambra and the meaning of its designs. The "red fortress" or the Alhambra is the only most significant and most conserved Arabian palace. The Alhambra is built by Moorish kings during the 12th and13th centuries and is located in the southern part of Spain. Its chief glory is its exceptional ornamentation. The name also refers to the color of the mountain to where it is built. The palace is an ensemble of exquisite artistic designs that can be attributed to the following inspirations such as religion, nature, music, culture, important personalities, and the foreign influences. It is a genuine expression of the once prosperous Moorish civilization and its architecture in Spain. The interior of the structure is decorated sumptuously with impressive examples of the honeycomb and stalactite-like vaulting1 of roof or dome which are eminent and typical of Islamic style of decoration. The famous beauties of the palace are: The Gate of Justice, The Court of Alberca; The Court of Lions with its alabaster basin peeling diamond drops; The Hall of Ambassadors; The Tower of Canaries; The Court of Myrtles; The Hall of Justice; and several gardens, fountains, panoramas, chambers, towers, and balconies. Little and beautiful patterns containing vines and Arabic characters are interwoven into a structure of red, black, blue, and gold unspeakable richness. Decoration is simply defined as the act or process of putting ornaments to beautify, adorn, or enrich a place. Once all these concepts are implemented in the interior of a building or a structure, it now becomes interior decoration. In the Alhambra, the embellishment or decoration within the palaces epitomized the vestiges of Moorish dominion within Spain. The seclusion with the rest of the Islam, and the commercial and political relationship with the Christian kingdoms also influenced in the concepts on space; columns, muqarnas and stalactite-looking ceiling decorations, are visible in several chambers, and the interiors of numerous palaces are decorated with arabesques and calligraphy. Muqarnas is an Arabic word that illustrates a traditional element distinctive to Islamic architecture. They are small niche-like components that are combined with each other in successive layers to enclose a space and produce surfaces rich in three-dimensional geometric compositions.2 It is a unique Arabic/Islamic space-enclosing system used for the decoration and ornamentation of domes, minarets and portals. This type of design is often applied to domes, pendentives or devices used allowing the placing of a circular dome, cornices, squinches and the underside of arches and vaults. Indeed, the Alhambra is one of the olden structures to use the muqarnas. At the same time, arabesque is an elaborative application of repeating geometric forms that often resonates the forms of plants and animals. Usually this type of design is found in the walls of mosques. Arabesque designs found in the Alhambra did not only beautify the place but also it has religious implications for it is also symbolizes Islam's unity in faith and the way which traditional Islamic cultures perceive the world around them. It is often accompanied by calligraphy, a form of visual art. In the case of the Alhambra, it is an aspect of Islamic art that encompassed the religion of Islam and the Arabic language. Being a visual expression, the calligraphy for the Muslims is the highest art of all, the art of the spiritual world. What are also visible from the palaces are decorations that consist of stiff, conservative foliage, Arabic inscriptions from the Qur'an or the holy book of Islam, geometrical patterns fashioned into arabesques. Such is true about arabesque designs which are thought of as both art and science. The artwork is at the same instance mathematically precise, aesthetically satisfying, and symbolic. But nevertheless, for many Muslims there is no distinctions; for they believe that all forms of art, the natural world, mathematics and sciences are all creations of God and therefore reflections of God's will through His Creation. Such are the construction of column arcades, fountains with running water in most of the rooms, gushing from the mouths of lions in the famous Court of the Lions, and dazzling pools that added to the artistic and functional intricacy. These Alhambra lions have their equivalents in animal-shaped bronze and pottery vessels; although merely replicas, their function keeps them within the category of decorative art. Sun and wind are freely circulated the building. Colors such as red, blue, and golden yellow are rather faded through time and exposure. Also, painted tiles are largely used as paneling for the walls. All the sections that comprised the Alhambra followed the unswerving theme of "paradise on earth." Finally, the stalactite-like or honeycomb works of art in the Alhambra are ornamental designs used in certain types of Islamic architecture that was popular during the 12th century in the Islamic world. It is also called the mocrabe which means the overhang. It is constructed in an assortment of materials that include wood and plaster. Under the Nasrid, mocrabe was formerly engraved into its medium. Later on, moulds were to cast the designs with plaster or clay. The design comprise of complex array of vertical prisms that resemble stalactites. The mocrabe is somewhat related to the muqarnas and they may even be interchanged at times, but the latter do not always have stalactite formations. Its symbolic representation is that of the cave where Mohammed received the Koran. Also, that specific design is used on friezes or wall paintings, vaults, windows, arches, and columns. The Nasrid used it in the Alhambra predominantly in the "Sala de los Mocrabes." According to Edward Said, orientalism is a manner of regularized or orientalized writing, vision, and study, dominated by imperatives, perspectives, and ideological biases ostensibly suited to the Orient. It is the image of the "Orient" expressed as an entire system of thought and scholarship.3 Furthermore, orientalism can be a depiction or imitation of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by designers, artists, and writers. It is also the use or reference of typical eastern motifs and styles in art, architecture, and design. Irving, a writer, calls the Alhambra "an oriental palace amidst the Gothic edifices of the West; an elegant memento of a brave, intelligent and graceful people who conquered, ruled, flourished, and passed away."4 There are various buildings of this style, mainly mosques and palaces, especially to the countries that came under the Muslim influence. Also, many royal tombs and palaces give evidence to the artistic originality, and to the exceptional use of both arched and columnar construction at this time. The rich decorations and embedding precious gems are worthy of the majesty of the design. Also stated by Irving that the Alhambra was a royal abode of the Moorish kings, where, surrounded with the splendors and refinements of Asiatic luxury, they held dominion over what they vaunted as a terrestrial paradise, and made their last stand for empire in Spain. A section of the Alhambra's halls are recesses or niches for ottomans and couches, on which seemingly the lords of palace would have indulged in their dreamy repose that are greatly appreciated by the Orientalist. Imagine the ensemble of lanters that admits a tempered light and the free circulation of air; while on one side the sound of gushing water can be heard from the fountain of lions, and the other corner the soft splashes from the basin in the garden of Lindaraxa. This truly signified that it is of oriental beauty in a foreign land. I would like to compare the Alhambra to the Grand Mosque of the Sultanate of Oman. Mosques are noted to be Islamic public places of worship. There are similarities in terms of ornamentation and building structures of the Alhambra and the Grand Mosque of the Sultan of Oman. For one thing, they have domes that are richly decorated that served as chief features of both edifices. The mosque is comprised of main prayer hall, ladies prayer hall, covered passageways, a meeting hall, and library which expect to house up to 20,000 books. The whole interior of the Grand Mosque is paneled with off-white and dark grey marble paneling garbed in cut tile work. Ceramic floral patterns accent arch framed mural panels set in the marble forming blind positions in a selection of classical Persian, mostly Safavid, designs. Similar to the Alhambra, the inspiration taken from the Islam religion is well evident in the building since it is after all a place of worship. With that, the hall is framed by a border of Quranic verses and covered with gold ceramic surround. They both have precious and sparkling gems that emit light from within closed doors. In the case of the Grand Mosque, Swarovski crystal chandelier with gold-plated metalwork hangs down and the dome comprises a sequence of engraved stained glass triangles within a structure of marble columns. It is made splendid with elaborate decorations, but the prohibition against imitating God's works by creating living forms is observed at all times. Decorations are abstract, and geometric plant forms are so different from their originals that they are almost unrecognizable. It is heavily inspired by Islamic architecture. This form of architecture encompasses a wide range of both material and religious forms from the basis of Islam to the present times, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic cultures. Such as shown in the Alhambra, the building usually shows the wealth of the person that lives in it. In this type of architecture, the principal forms are the Mosque, Tomb, Palace, and Fort. Distinct distinguishing motifs of Islamic architecture have always been ordered repetition, radiating structures, and rhythmic, metric patterns. Finally, the role of domes in Islamic architecture has been extensive. Its usage spans centuries. As late as the 19th century, Islamic domes had been incorporated into Western architecture.5 The Alhambra does not only influence the visual arts such as graphic art and architecture, but it also had influences in music, and literature. One significant graphic art design that was inspired by the Alhambra's Tessellations is Escher's work on regular divisions of the plane. From the 19th century Romantic interpretations until current times, many buildings and sections of buildings worldwide have been motivated by the Alhambra. Footnotes: (1) Irving, Washington. Legends of the Alhambra.1832. Print. A.F. Calvert, The Alhambra.1907.Print.; S. Desmond, ed. The Alhambra.1974.Print. (2) Sakkal, Mamoun. "Geomtery in Islamic Architecture." 2001. Web. 27 May 2009. (3) Edward Said. Orientalism. US:Vintage Books.1978.Print. (4) Grabar, Oleg. The Alhambra. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.1978.Print. Other Sources: (5) Irwin, Robert. The Alhambra. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 2004. Print. (6) Jacobs, Michael and Francisco Fernandez. Alhambra. New York: Rizzoli International Publications.2000.Print. (7) Ministry of Information Sultanate of Oman. 2002.Web. (8) Creswell, K. A. C. Early Muslim Architecture, revised edition. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon, 1969; New York: reprint, Hacker Art Books, 1979. (9) Hoag, John D. Islamic Architecture. New York:Abrams. 1977; reprint, New York: Rizzoli.1987.Print. Read More