Humanities through the arts - Architecture - Essay Example

Architects have been creating great feats of engineering for centuries. Gustave Eiffel was a prominent architect between 1800 and 1900. Frank Lloyd Wright was a successful architect during 1900-1949. Jørn Oberg Utzon has become one of the most famous architects of his time during 1950-present. These architects created great works of art. The Eiffel Tower by Gustave Eiffel was an epic piece of engineering. The Johnson Wax Administration Building and Research Tower by Frank Lloyd Wright is a research lab and corporate office resembling a great work of art.

Jørn Oberg Utzon created the Sydney Opera House which is one of most recognizable buildings in the world. These men made architecture an art form. Gustave Eiffel’s most recognizable work is the Eiffel Tower. Eiffel created a skyscraper for the first time that did not religious meaning or a military purpose (Dupre 2001:16-17). The intricate patterns of iron work that make up the Eiffel Tower are constructed to hold up from the wind. The pattern is abstract with no significance except to be wind proof.

This immense tower is dated 1889 (Dupre 2001:16). The measurement of the height is 968 ft, or 300 m. (Dupre 2001:16). This structure was at the time the tallest in the world. Eiffel created a true masterpiece. The Johnson Wax Administration Building and Research Tower was created for the Johnson and Son Corporation by Frank Lloyd Wright. Part of the building was finished in 1939, but construction continued until 1955 (Lipman 2003:111). This building only cost $750,000, which gave Wright a commission of $50,000 (Lipman 2003:142).

The new building had ascetic curves along with practical spaces. All of the new amenities like air conditioning, elevators, and other conveniences were created for this wax company. The work space was directly above the rest rooms, break rooms, and lockers connected by a spiral stair (Lipman 2003:183). This building was modern architecture at its best. Jørn Oberg Utzon designed the Sydney Opera House. This achievement in surreal architecture has given Utzon a placed on the world monument list.

The wooden ceiling is suspended from the roof (Giedion 1967:680). Utzon used new surreal concepts and made them a reality. This created a building suitable for opera. The shells that are used on the Sydney Opera House allowed Utzon to come up with a unique structure. Although many of the spaces in the Sydney House are not functional, the building has been considered a masterpiece. These three structures are all famous. The Johnson Wax Administrative Building and Research lab are famous because they were by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The space and structure was well used, like in any Wright house, but this was not his most famous work. Other personal houses became Wright’s trademark. The Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House are famous. While the Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous French structure, Americans might think the Statue of Liberty as more famous. Eiffel had a hand in creating the Statue of Liberty. Utzon’s Sydney Opera House was his most famous work. This building became a landmark for Australia. All of these men had distinctive designs and ideas.

The will be remembered in the future. On the other hand, the Johnson Wax Administrative Building and Research lab, Eiffel Tower, and Sydney Opera House are different. The Johnson Wax Building was a corporate office. The Eiffel Tower was a structure created for the World Fair. It is now a tourist attraction. The Sydney Opera House was created in order to have art shows and performances. Each space was created for a specific purpose. Through out the years many architects have created famous memorable work.

Eiffel, Wright, and Utzon will forever remain in the annals of history as great builders. If not with the structures mentioned, their other work they completed. Architectural students need to aspire to be what these men had achieved. BibliographyDupre, J. (2001). Skyscrapers. New York: Blackdog and Leventhal. Lipman, J. (2003). Frank Lloyd Wright and the Johnson Wax Buildings. New York: Dover Publications.Giedion, S. (1967). Space, time and architecture: the growth of a new tradition. Online.