The Leaning Tower of Pisa - Essay Example

Linqiu Li Dr.Michael Bukowski AAD251 25/10 The Leaning Tower of Pisa The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most unusual buildings constructed during medieval times in the city of Pisa, Italy. Although it was meant to be completely straight however it started leaning during its construction stages. Instead of standing at about 90 degrees, up until 1990 the Leaning Tower of Pisa was inclined at an angle of 5.5 degrees putting it risk of toppling over (BBC News, n.pag.). The tower had starting tilting since its early stages and efforts were continuously made even after its construction so as to reduce its inclination (Harris, n.pag.). In 1990, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed for public as a rigorous restoration plan starting in the following years. It was reopened in 2001 and the scientific committee revealed a recovery in inclination of the tower in August 15, 2013 (Ridet, n.pag.). Due to its unusual tilted architecture, it is a popular tourist attraction and Pisa is one of Europe’s most visited cities as a result. The Tower of Pisa was constructed hundreds of years ago in Romanesque style of architecture. Its construction began in 1173 soon after which it started tilting. Its name comes from an ancient Greek word which literally means marsh land. Since it was a marshy land the soil was unbalanced because of its composition. The soil contained mud, clay, and sand due to which the tower’s foundations began tilting towards the north. After its engineers noticed the defect, they tried to make up for the tilt by making the columns taller in the north (Harris, n.pag.). However, the tower continued to incline and it started tilting towards the south, the direction where it still tilts till today although efforts by the engineering bodies have reduced the inclination greatly. It reached its greatest tilt in 1990 when it was being feared that the tower might fall over due to gravity. Restoration project started so as to reduce its inclination to maintain the site as a remarkable historical building. Romanesque architecture was an early medieval style of architecture that was popular in Europe during the medieval times. The form of architecture was defined by the presence of arches shaped semi circularly. Although there are various other medieval buildings in Pisa, Italy that depict a Romanesque style, perhaps the Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most remarkable ones due to its tilted structure. Just like a typical Romanesque building, the tower has 6 galleries that have been laid one top of the other (Stalley, 202) making a total of 8 storeys. The tower stands at a height of 56 meters as a bell tower or campanile. The Tower of Pisa is made up of white marbles that has been inlaid towards the outside with colored marble. It is a part of the Cathedral of Pisa which is located close by. The building techniques that have been used during the construction of the tower include load bearing masonry, cut stone construction, inlaying, and round plan. Load bearing masonry is probably one of the oldest forms of construction which involves the layering of masonries one on top of the other thereby building walls and other structures. Load bearing masonry has given the tower strength although it has been tilting since years. Also, the technique has made aesthetically beautiful walls which give a structurally rich look to the Tower of Pisa. In order to cut stones to make dimension stones for the construction for the tower, the technique of cut stone masonry construction was used by the designers. These dimension stones were the used for the making of its walls. The tower has various galleries with columns supporting the curved arches in between. Although white marbles were used as the masonry for the construction, the exterior side of the tower was inlaid with colored marble so as to give it a creatively rich appearance. The Leaning Tower of Pisa comes under the category of Romanesque architecture. It is a building that was built as a toure de force (Stalley, 202). The building is a perfect archetype of Romanesque style of construction having a mix of Byzantine and Gothic influences. Due to its distinctly defined structure as a visual object it falls under the category of architecture. Its architecture and design is what makes it a graphically incorporated object. The style of design and construction used, that is Romanesque style, gives it a different identity among the buildings constructed during the medieval era. Its walls, arches, galleries, columns and the tower as a whole illustrate a visual object that is an archetype of the Romanesque style of building. Its physical features as directed by the architecture style together with the interpretation it conjures up in one’s mind makes it a noticeable artistic object. The leaning of the tower is associated with the gravelly soil of the land. The land of the city contains several layers of Pleistocene sands which forms an aquifer (Grassi & Cortecci, 0). The main reason why the Leaning Tower of Pisa appeals to the public is due to its strange and unusual structure. Although it tilted to a dangerously high degree it continued to stay inclined without falling over. Tourists from all around the world came to saw the Tower of Pisa due to its remarkable structure. It is also one example of Romanesque architecture in Italy that was popular around the 15th century followed by the Gothic style of architecture. It has 8 storeys, stands at height of 56 meters, has rounded arches, and is made up of white marbles. It is still unknown who exactly designed the tower however when its construction was completed, it was one of the tallest towers of Europe. Although there is nothing “unexpected” about it, the tower holds immense importance in architecture due to its curious structure which puts people into thinking how the tower stands disregarding gravity. Scientifically, the Tower of Pisa should fall over due to its dangerously inclined structure. However, reinforcement projects have lessened the inclination. Although it was not intentionally constructed to incorporate the tilted property, the flaw occurred in the design and the unbalanced soil beneath added to the problem. It is necessary to view the Leaning Tower of Pisa through only specific image styles so as to maintain its aesthetically rich appearance without damaging the view. The artistic experience which the Tower provides due to its structure and architectural features including the columns, arches, and galleries, makes it soothing to the eye. Its features conjure up amazement and admiration of the building as it is built tilted having tinge of romanticism in its style because it represents an abstract form of design. Although the design of the tower attains its aim of idealistic aspect, it represses some experiences a viewer might have such as its presence, its balance, etc (Thomson, 32). Its tall elongated tower along with its thin and tall arched columns remind of the early Roman and Byzantine styles of art demonstrating peace and calmness. It was built as part of the cathedral as a bell tower however its unusual orientation intrigued visitors. When viewed from the classic view, the Tower of Pisa seems more relevant to the individual as it happens to combine architectural features with other elements in art that is interpreted as being serene. The lighting also impacts on how the Tower is viewed. The impressionist movement incorporated light and colors to their work of art therefore, although the color of the Tower does not involve bright hues, it still gives a different meaning when viewed in different lights. When viewed during the day light, it illustrates a serene and calm environment. Its white marbles provide a bright image of the tower and inspire people. People may also associate certain experiences and memories of their lives with the Tower. At night, the Tower depicts a different slightly dark and low mood. The tower continues to fascinate individuals with its unusual inclination. The way one perceives has a great impact on how the Tower is interpreted. As humans, I often select only certain sensory data that are received. Although the Tower has a great appeal to the eyes however its clearly defined architectural features particularly its inclines appearance quickly triggers a queer thought in the brain. One delves into the speculation of the Tower as one looks at the tilted tower. Being a lover of beauty, I am more psychologically inclined towards aesthetically rich objects and buildings. The architectural design and style of the Tower of Pisa appeals to my emotions and feelings. Its architecture is unique and its rich aesthetic qualities interest me to think about abstract and surreal things. I am open to experience and therefore enjoy visual objects and appreciate its curiosities. However, not all types of art attract my interest although my interests are broad. Due to my open personality, I find almost all aspects of the Tower of Pisa interesting and inspiring. A study has also shown that open people tend to engage in more art activities as compared to others (Chamorro-Premuzic & Reimers et al., 2). My personality guides my preference of building styles as I enjoy viewing Romanesque buildings made of white marble more than modern art pieces. Also, I possess a high degree of sense of visuals and spaces, which is why the Tower’s distinct structures and elements are quickly perceived by me. However, my mathematical intelligence side makes me think of the defects that resulted in a severely inclined building. Overall, my intelligence impacts my experience of the Tower such that it inspires thought. My experience of the Tower of Pisa is influenced by my social needs. I appreciate art and architecture styles as a need to attach myself to aesthetical items and celebrate their beauty. The Tower of Pisa touches my social needs to appreciate the Romanesque style of construction evident in the Tower of Pisa. Although the designers did not intend to construct a tilted tower, however the inclination of the Tower makes the inherent flaw in the design obvious. The Tower was constructed out of marble dimension masonry and was meant to be standing at about 90 degrees like normal buildings however the marshy soil weakly held the foundation, which is why the Tower started sliding towards the south. Although the quality of the Tower in terms of construction is not low, the quality of the soil makes it difficult for the Tower’s foundations to stand straight. Hence, the designer inaccuracy together with the unstable soil has resulted in the inclination which even once threatened to topple the Tower under gravity. The main purpose of the Tower of Pisa was as a bell tower to a cathedral located nearby (Dunn, n.pag.) however its unstable structure even during its constructions raised concerns regarding its balance. Efforts were made even during its construction to reduce its lean however delays hurdled its construction inadequacies. The queer nature of the Tower is surprising enough which makes an individual amazed at its tilted structure which still manages to balance the forces off against gravity so as to stand on its foundations. Indeed the flaw in its design was probably helpless due to the nature of the soil. The bell tower being tall tilted more due to its vertical height; however the cathedral which stands close by still holds a straight structure. The Tower of Pisa as a visual object particularly due to its strange shape has had a great influence in how I have perceived the medieval construction. Also, my experience of the Tower as a remarkable structure has been informational due to its constructional inadequacies. The Tower of Pisa is more of a learning object than merely a tower. The structure of the tower along with is Romanesque style induces one to climb over one. Works Cited "1990: Leaning Tower of Pisa Closed To Public." BBC News. BBC, 1 July 1990. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. . Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas, Stian Reimers, Anne Hsu and Gorkan Ahmetoglu. "Who art thou? Personality predictors of artistic preferences in a large UK sample: The importance of openness." British Journal of Psychology, 100. 3 (2009): 501--516. Print. Dunn, Jerry. "The Leaning Tower of Pisa." TLC, n.d. Web. 21 Nov 2013. . Grassi, S and G Cortecci. "Hydrogeology and geochemistry of the multilayered confined aquifer of the Pisa plain (Tuscany--central Italy)." Applied geochemistry, 20. 1 (2005): 41--54. Print. Harris, Wiliam. "Will the Leaning Tower of Pisa ever fall?." How Stuff Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. . Ridet, Philippe. "Leaning Tower Of Pisa Straightens Up." The Guardian. N.p., 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. . Stalley, Roger A. Early Medieval Architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. Thomson, Shawn. The Romantic architecture of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. Madison [N.J.]: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2001. Print. Read More