The Americas (Extra Credit Post)

Here is a link to a video done by the history channel that talks about the rise of the aztec civilization.

http://www.history.com/topics/machu-picchu/videos

And another video from the national geographic website that talks specifically about Machu Picchu and gives a little tour of the site.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/peru_machupicchu

The Americas

The Americas cover and extensive time period, extending from 2000 B.C.- 1521 A.D. and includes 4 different cultures/people groups. These different groups were located in various areas of the Americas; the Olmecs were the 1st dominant culture in Southern Mexico, Mayans-Toltecs in Central America, Incas in Peru, and Aztecs in Mexico.

Although there were these four different groups they had some cultural similarities such as the status of nobles and commoners, hereditary leadership, divine rights, farming as a way of life, and sporting events. Religion was also a large part in all of these cultures. There were temples which were the center of the town, pyramids were common to each of these groups and were meant to represent the gods of the specific region. All of these groups were also polytheistic which means that they worshipped many gods; lastly these groups practiced human sacrifice as an act of worship to their gods.

I thought that the most interesting thing we learned about in the Americas was Machu Picchu. It is such a beautiful and architecturally stunning establishment. The size alone is astounding and the fact that it was made without any mortar shows how advanced the Aztecs were and how they really had an eye for architecture and design. Seeing the video and pictures of Machi Picchu made me want to visit Peru someday to get to see Macchu Picchu in person! Below are a couple of pictures of Machu Picchu.

Another element of the Americas that I thought was really neat was the Olmec stone head that was representative of their ruler, the size of the statue is so impressive and is such a cool piece of art. 

Modern Application 

One modern application that I thought of was the popular use of Aztec prints in both fashion and interiors, such as in the colorful patterned rug and the printed table runner in the pictures below. 

Peer Reviews:

First I read Haley's blog; she did an excellent job giving a detailed description of the Americas, the 4 different groups and their cultures. I enjoyed the pictured that she shared that showed where the Temple Mayor would have stood if it were still standing today. I also liked the modern application pictures she shared, especially the image of the Machu Picchu inspired building. 

I also read Katie's blog post on the Americas. The information that she shared about Machu Pichhu was interesting, like how that civilization rose to power in the 1400's and many of the structures have been reconstructed to give an accurate portrayal of what the entire structure looked like so tourist can really get the full picture. She also shared that the Olmec stone heads weigh about 40 tons, which I thought was so amazing! 

Gothic (Extra Credit Videos)

Here is a short clip of a tour of the Regensburg Cathedral in Germany.

Here is a second video clip that gives a good explanation and examples of the differences between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. 

Gothic

The Gothic time period was from 1114-1500 and was a bridge between the Romanesque and the Renaissance. Paris was known as the center for the gothic world. The main architectural structure of the gothic time were the cathedrals, perhaps because the black plague was the cause for all the cathedrals because the people were searching for God in their times of trouble more than they had in the past. The standard features of the gothic cathedrals were pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses. There were many tall windows with stained glass to let in abundant light, which was a big emphasis in the gothic time. Many of the cathedrals of time used design to transcend the visitor to a heavenly experience. The cathedral of St. Denis, located in France is a good example of the gothic style. You can see the pointed arches and all of the stained glass windows letting light into the church.

Another cathedral of the gothic time period is the Regensburg Cathedral in Germany. Once again you can clearly see the gothic features such as the pointed arches, stained glass, buttresses, and gargoyles. 

Modern Application

Peer Reviews

The first blog that I read was Miryam's blog. She had a good overview of the gothic style and really hit on the main architectural features of the style. She had great pictures that really exemplified the gothic style and her modern application pictures were clearly influenced by the gothic style as well. 

The second blog I read was Shannon's. I enjoyed all of the close up detail pictures she posted, I enjoyed being able to see the unique details of the gothic style close up. I also really like the modern application picture she shared of the bedroom with the gothic influenced iron bed!

Extra Credit Post (Islamic)

Here is a neat video on the engineering of the Taj Mahal which is part of the Islamic style of design.

http://www.history.com/topics/taj-mahal/videos/seven-wonders-the-taj-mahal

Islamic

The Islamic style of design is based off of the Islamic religion. Mohammed was the figure head of the Islam and he lived from 570-632. This style of design spanned many regions where the religion was and various slightly from region to region. The three main regions where this style was most popular were Africa, Europe, and Asia. The mosque was the central architectural building of this style. A mosque is a facility where the Muslim people gather multiple times a day to pray and worship Allah. 

One of the main features of this style was the horseshoe shaped arch a well as the ogive arch. A perimeter wall was also another feature of this time. Many of the halls of the mosques were contracted from columns that war covered and bordered a courtyard. The most famous mosque in Northern Africa displays many of these signature features such as the horseshoe arch and perimeter wall The mosque is called the Great Mosque of Kairouan and was built between 820-836. A few photos of the mosque are below. 

Another amazing architectural structure that was produced during the Islamic design period is the Alhambra. This structure is a large fortress and palace complex located in Granada. I think that the Alhambra is a magnificent example of the Islamic design period and really showcases the best and most beautiful features of this style. A few photos are below. 

Current Application 

This photo shows a modern application of the horseshoe arch that was so common during the Islamic period. 

This photo shoes another modern application of the arch that was so popular in the Islamic period as well as the beautiful tile work that was signature of this time period 

For my peer reviews I read Miryam and Alex's blogs. I liked how Miryam gave a precise synopsis of the Islamic design period and explained the overview well. I also really liked her modern examples and thought that the picture of the dining room really captured the feel of Islamic design while still being modern. I really loved the pictures that Alex shared of Mohammed's farm, I thought it was really interesting to see all the architecture of the building where the leader of the Islamic religion resided. I enjoyed Alex's modern application pictures too, I loved how they were so bright and colorful and I just through they were a really great example of taking an ancient style and making it something new! 

Romanesque

The Romanesque was a style of art that first emerged out of France and Italy around 800 A.D. This style can be highly contributed to the emperor of Rome at the time, Charlemagne. He emphasized the importance of learning and the arts, established schools and monasteries, and encouraged building by using the technology of Roman structures. The Romanesque style was rather in inornamented  but had a very strong and fortifying appearance.

Although the style began around 800, before 1000 AD there was little architecture that was built, however, due to a strong religious movement there were well over a thousand new churches built. Some of the characteristics of these churches are the semicircle arches and vaults, masonry roofs, gilded sculptures, rich tapestries, and a color scheme of blues, greens, purples, and golds. The layout of the church also changed during the Romanesque time period. It moved away from the classic basilica and added multiple aisles, a side chapel, an area for a choir and better illumination. One of the most famous pieces of architecture from this timer period is Fontenay Abbey, located in France. This abbey was established in 1118 and was seen as a religious and economic force of its day. A couple of pictures of the abbey are shown below; in both of the photos you can clearly see the semicircular arches and the abundance of light that was signature of the Romanesque time.

There  are few examples of residential design from this time period, homes were primitive and made of wood and mud with dirt floors and a fire at the center to warm the home and cook on. Most people had chests in which they would keep important belongings and could be easily transported. 

Modern Application 

This is an image of Caesars palace in Las Vegas. I think it is a good example of Romanesque architecture because you can clearly see the multiple semicircle arches as well as lots of daylight being let in through the windows. 

This is a wooden and iron chest that is similar to those that people used during the Romanesque timer period to store their things in. 

I read Nicole's blog and I really liked the drawing that she shared that showed the structure and different features of the time period, I thought it was a really good illustration and accurately showed the main features. I also liked how her current application pictures showed the influence of Romanesque in residential settings. 

I also read Alexandra's blog, I liked how she broke down the Romanesque period into the three categories of churches, homes, and furniture; I thought she gave a really good synopsis of each category and then followed that up with really unique modern application pictures. 

Byzantine

The Byzantine empire was the longest in history, lasting from 324-1453. The Byzantine, which is now modern day Istanbul, was associated with eastern culture and influenced by both the Greeks and the Orient. Differing from the Early Christian time, the basilica plan changed to more of a centralized plan and the invention of the pendentive emerged. The pendentive was a dome that was atop a square base.

The Hagia Sophia is a great example of a pendentive from the Byzantine time. Located in Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia is the fourth church located on the site. The pendentive is made of hollow tile that is intricately and elaborately decorated. Below are a couple of pictures of the Hagia Sophia:

I think this picture really exemplifies the pendentive structure with the dome top and the square base.

The Byzantine empire was big into lighting and often placed lots of windows near the ceiling to let in lots of natural light. The floors were often tiled in geometric shaped marble tile. 

Modern Application

The different geometric tiles are a reflection of the Byzantine empire.

The small windows at the top of the walls reflect the Byzantine's desire for natural light flooding the space. 

Peer Review

I read Miryam 's blog, I really enjoyed all of her pictures and especially her modern application pictures.  I thought that the tile behind the grill was so pretty and a good application of the Byzantine time.

I also read Haley's blog. She did a really nice job of giving a complete and detailed overview of the Byzantine time period. She gave a lot of history and I also thought that the pictures she shared were really good, they were bright and captivating and represented the time period well. 

Early Christian (Extra Credit)

Here is a link to a video that I came across that gives a brief 2 minute history of St. Peters Basilica.


http://www.history.com/videos/history-of-saint-peters-basilica#history-of-saint-peters-basilica

Early Christian

The Early Christian timer period is between 330- 880 A.D. This is the beginning of a new religion, Christianity, which began with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but was illegal until Constantine made it legal in 313 A.D. Because Christianity was not legal, churches were constructed as  public places to worship.

There were several things that were unique to the Early Christian architecture such as centrally planned buildings, separate baptisteries, clearstory windows, and towers flanking exonarthex.

One good example of classic Early Christian Architecture is St. Peter's Cathedral. This is considered to be the chief monument of Christianity and may be the tomb of the apostle Peter. The interior of the cathedral is covered in fresco of biblical accounts. Below are a few pictures of the famous Cathedral's exterior and interior.

The Early Christian time also included many different motifs which included the cross, dove, fish, grapevine, and lamb. The furniture of this time period is not well known about, however it follows the style of the Romans and contained stools, thrones, and elaborately decorated furniture.

Modern Application 

Pictured above is a modern day basilica much like the basilica made popular in the Early Christian time period. 

 

this images of a Barcelona stool is a modern application of the Early Christian stool. 

Peer Reviews

One blog that I read was Katie K's, I thought that she did a really good job explaining and then giving modern examples of the common characteristics of the early Christian period. I really liked the intricate ceiling designs of two of her modern application posts and felt like they really showcased this time. 

I also looked at Sammy V's blog post. I liked her description of the catacombs and how they came to be, I think that it is amazing that it stretches 60-90 miles long and in some cases were five levels deep!