Alternatves

Alternatives are another way of thinking about architecture. The alternatives while incorporated design from the foundations unit were a new style all their own. In this unit we have discussed three periods during history, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the Baroque period. These time periods give newer and different options rather than the architecture of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. In the middle ages the architecture was focused on a new way of architecture and was focused greatly on religion this was Gothic design. With cathedrals that reached toward heaven the people of the church had hopes of being closer to God. The cathedrals were often the heart of the city that surrounded them and they were the main attraction and focal point of the city. Religion was extremely important to the people of this era; this is why so much care was placed upon cathedrals both inside and out. The exterior was designed with great detail and were supported with flying buttresses made of steel and the interior was filled with vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows all of which gave the cathedrals character. In class we compared cathedrals across Europe to find the similarities and differences. The Duomo in Florence, Italy was the one that was different from the rest. We also discovered that the pointed peaks were very popular and really gave cathedrals their gothic look. We then moved on to the renaissance period where we discussed cities such as Venice, Italy. Venice is known for being “the floating city”, it uses the water that encompasses it to make the city something incredibly unique and functional. Venice was greatly known for glassware and lace. In some of the buildings in Venice you see that lace-like details were incorporated onto the exterior of the building. We next moved into the baroque period. This was a time when the interiors of cathedrals started to take on stories. Stories were told throughout sculptures and paintings placed inside the church. On the walls and ceilings masterpieces were created by famous artists of the time such as Michelangelo and Bruneschelli. These stories were biblical and created to give you the sense of being a part of the church. Facades were also discovered and the front side of buildings were placed with a decorative and very detailed face or facade. These unique pieces of work caught the eye of people who walked the streets and drew them into the building where then they would proceed to the inside to see what was in store next. The alternatives unit was focused on a new a different way of design. The architects of this time used the foundations placed for them by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to create a new style of architecture that focused on religion and gave the world a new way of looking at architecture.