As a Chinese immigrant who lived in the USA for four years, I have been amazed by the western architects and architectures introduced in lectures and textbook. Buildings like Sagrada Familia, Guggenheim Museum, Burj Al Arab, and even the White House have attracted my interested toward architecture by bringing me endless awes and wonders. Out of so many famous and recognizable architects who designed marvelous buildings, this special Chinese family attracts extra attention. Maybe a highly skilled architect is honorable, but a loyal architect family who devoted their generations to architecture deserves the respect from all architects. In the following paragraphs, I will describe this family and their work, as well as their importance and contribution to the history of architecture.
“Yang Shi Lei”, meaning “the Lei style”, was a name for Lei family who worked as royal architects over 200 years of Qing dynasty. In the end of 17th century, like many artisans, Fada Lei came to Beijing and started working to build the palaces for Qing dynasty. Due to his outstanding building skills and different architectural style, he was prided to be the designer of many royal buildings. He had total of seven generals at the end the Qing dynasty, and they were all responsible for designing and building the royal buildings such as the main palaces, imperial tomb, the old Summer Palace, the Summer Palace and so on. To commemorate Lei’s family’s contribution to the Chinese architectural history,
Frank Lloyd Wright is Americas’ best known and most influential architect and arguably the greatest architect of the 20th century from anywhere in the world. Wright is known and respected throughout the world for his innovative and modern designs. As an architect Wright developed an organic and what became known as a distinctively American style throughout his work. Many believe that Frank Lloyd Wright changed the way we build and and live in the modern world. This essay will examine and evaluate Wrights life, career, influences and impact on the way we see American architecture.
Due to an unfortunate dying genre in the humanities; as a result of the contemporary economic tract housing, architecture has taken a backburner in the world of art over the last couple of decades. However, fragments of the beauty created many years ago still exists. Frank Lloyd Wright and Zaha Hadid, though different in their architectural visions both contributed and continue to contribute to the art of architecture today, surpassing their existence here on earth. While gender differences are evident, both renowned architects overcame obstacles to achieve a legacy far greater than expected. Wright, withstanding an era negatively impacted by race and war persevered through, managing his struggles with tragedy, misfortune and ill-fated
For a great many years, architecture has been a breaking point for different artisticeras in history. Some of the most famous “works of art” have been chapels, temples, and tombs. Among the most dominant and influential eras of great architecture are the sophisticated, stoic Greeco-Roman periods and the more mystical, elemental Japanese eras. These two very distinct and very different eras have more in common than you may realize.
Although architecture has no precise definition, it can range from being defined as an art, practice, or complexity of designing something, to being a challenging profession in itself. It is said that “architecture serves a purpose, stand erect, and is capable of moving us emotionally.” For one to understand how architecture is seen by the creator, it is important that we understand the theoretical underpinning of architecture, of its time, and also how it advanced up to that time. “Architecture is that great living creative spirit which from generation to generation, from age to age, proceeds, persists, and creates, according to the nature of man, and his circumstances as they change. That is really architecture.” Architectural
Question 1. Choose an architect or practice whose work is covered by or relevant to this course and discuss critically one or more of their design projects or drawings or urban proposals as precedent case-studies. Selectively situate this work in relation to their body of work, and against the practices and concerns of the period. Focus on the architectural qualities of a specific key aspect of the design of the projects. Selectively consider how they might relate to the historical situation, cultural values, theoretical concerns and design practices of the time. This may involve a selective analysis of compositional design practices, material fabrication production and the experiential reception of built outcomes of the projects.
“Architecture should not be seen as representing a magical transition from the worldly to the heavenly, as had been implied by the Baroque Style, but rather as a medium that told nothing less than the story of the “origins” of mankind.” (Ching 610)
traditions and religions as well as over searching stylistic trends and dates. A variety of styles have been used in the idea of architecture. The science of architecture begins with gravity. Gravity added with the creative manipulation and coordination of material, technology, light and shadow. Architecture comes with the durability, utility, and creativity. Through each generation these theories have developed and changed. The newly developed standards of today’s public safety has made an immense affect on the redesign of modern buildings. Modern buildings should be redesigned using these new standards because the security needs to be improved, materials have to be restored and replaced, and designs need to be modified or updated. Safety and security are very important in today’s society. There are thousands to millions of precautions taken to prevent harmful and dangerous things from happening. A couple years ago on the day of September 11, 2001 a series of events occurred that would change the United States forever. In between the states of New York and Washington D.C four events of terrorist attacks were made. Planes had been hijacked and flown into buildings attempting to be suicide attacks. Nevertheless these attacks ended up being more of a tragedy then suicide. In New York, The World
As an architect, former U.S. president Thomas Jefferson came up with architectural designs that came to define and influence American architecture and culture in general. This form of Neo-Palladianism and Neo-classism architecture came to be known as Jeffersonian architecture. Some of his notable structures include Monticello (his home), Poplar Forest which was his retreat, the University of Virginia which he founded as well as other homes which he designed for his political allies and friends, a good example being Barboursville. His style gained popularity in the early American period. Similarly, it was during the same time that the more conventional Greek Revival architecture was gaining popularity with his help. With his architectural designs, he later came to define America’s national identity and culture.
At birth, it was his mother dream for him to become an architect and he indeed exceeded his mother’s wildest dreams by successful becoming one of the most amazing architects in the world. He was an architect for seventy-two years. He was the architect of in surplus of 800 homes, churches, museums, and office building and numerous still stand today. He retained brilliant skills in being creative. His originality grew throughout his lifetime. He demonstrated what an architect was and is. He was an aficionado towards nature and used organic materials to smear through his style. Frank Lloyd Wright was a self-taught architect, he was want they call one of the most well known architects and the greatest in the United States; he had his own reputations: not only was he an architect, he was a designer, educator and writer. “He remains the single greatest influence on twentieth-century design in America, and was the first American to exert significant influences on the internal scene” (Hart 1). Frank Lloyd Wright asserted architecture differently than the American way; throughout his early years, by learning to create his own style through changes and research, started to work with an organic style, and exploiting Japanese art.
The paper will explore the life of an American modern architect and interior designer, Frank Lloyd Wright, analyze his architectural career, and provide examples of his architecture. Wright is considered as the world-renowned American architect of the 20th centuries and a Nature lover. Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8, 1867, in the small town of Richland Center, Wisconsin. Wright’s mother inspired him by using her “Frobel kindergarten methods” to show him the “foundation of advanced geometric designs”, which he uses for his architectures (Eisenman, Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia). He was further inspired by the reflection of the natural world and apply its existing styles to his influential architectures. For more “architectural apprenticeship and training” during 1887-1888, Wright worked with his family
Architecture history is always suspicious when an idea sits by itself (Seligmann, 2005:56). Ideas, culture and people have always been analysed against time frames (fig.1). Taking a look at the modern age, especially the effervescent culture of the industrial period, it seems that Wright choose to be closer in the way of thinking to the Renaissance artists, “ than to any of his contemporaries” (McCarter, 2005:16). Although in his 91 years life he encountered many historical changes, he remained loyal to his vision of America and democracy. For him, architecture was never about progression, but about timelessness.
"Architecture In Words", by Louise Pelletier outlines a comprehensible history of the development of art performance space. On his literature review, he focuses on the early development of theatre with tiered seating on a hill side and circular acting platform. Francis Reid followed this spatial which is stating the need to get audience and performers closer together was satisfied by placing seating in a semi circle around the performance. Theatre performance was a huge success from the development of the Globe theatre in 1559. The Globe Theatre was an open arena based on the Roman coliseum but it built on a much smaller scale. It was a thrust stage in an encircling courtyard which was surrounded by a 300 degree audience in galleries and on the ground (Reid, Theatre Space,2006,P.210)
Before the end of my second year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture, I began to ponder on the possibility of quitting architecture. It was a convoluted time of uncertainty; I wasn’t sure whether I was prepared to become an architect and take on the responsibility and commitment to better the built environment. Nevertheless, I decided to give myself one last shot at architecture before giving up – I accepted the internship offer from MAD Architects in Beijing, China. There, I got to meet many young architects
A tour through Taliesin West would start at his office. But right before you enter, your attention is interrupted by the vibrant, yet complex Asian sculpture that stood in front of the entryway. The idea of him incorporating Asian art within his structure did not surprise me however. Ever since his visit to the Columbian exhibition in Chicago, Wright was closely influenced by Asian architecture and art, and had symbolized his appreciation for the arts by incorporating them throughout his buildings. The sculpture that lies by the front entrance of Taliesin West is one of many sculptures that’s scattered around the building, and it symbolizes a transition into the following area.
Because of architecture people have homes and can survive. It is interesting to consider that architecture began in the Crude Ages. Within architecture, buildings must have to main types of structures. Modern architecture is a type of architecture that focuses more of aesthetics than on function. In order to understand this topic, it is first necessary to know about architecture’s history, the fundamentals of architecture, and the modern aspect of architecture.