foundations

     

      If examined closely, there are connections that can be made between mundane objects and some of most magnificent structures in the world. A plastic straw out of your favorite coffee drink for example can be a connection to the Pantheon of Ancient Rome. Turn the straw on it's side and a horizontal line is seen, creating the base of the frieze. Hold the straw vertically and you see the columns that line the front of the Pantheon. Hold the straw up so light comes down through the tube and you can see that its shape mimics that of the Pantheon's oculus, connecting Earth to the heavens above.

     These familiar lines and shapes come together to form humanity's first elements and principles. These elements and principles repeat them selves over and over again through out history. Circles, groves and stacks, whether used individually or combined serve as the foundation for all architecture we have seen thus far. If you take a look at Stonehenge and many the many other formations similar to it, it is easy to see the use of a circle formation. Within Stonehenge you can also see groves. Large stones are lined next to each other to create a form. Egyptian pyramids are a good example of Stacks. Layers of stone are stacked on top of each other, together they form a grand structure. Ancient temples are formed by the combination of stacks and groves, as are many other structures we are familiar with.

     This combination of groves and stacks is used over and over again in ancient Greece. There are a row of columns lining the front of the structure and stacked above it is a pediment. The columns are strategically placed so that the human eye views them as being symmetrical. After Greece, there is Rome, who mimicked much of what we saw in ancient Greece. Romans created structures using what they learned from the archetypes created by Greece, but the Romans were focused more on the surface of the building than they were the substance. Known to make things as grand as possible without following the processes that were used before them. Upon the development of the arch the Romans were able to build on a larger scale than ever before.

     This notion of building things on a grand and elaborate scale carried over in to Gothic cathedrals as they were being built. Large arched windows were used to allow a lot of light in. It allowed a larger space in which stained glass windows were placed. Stained glass windows were a tool used to convey a message to those entering the cathedrals. Plans for cathedrals went through an evolution before eventually different plans in to one. The plan is one we still see today, two sections that intersect at a circle in the middle.

     With each period covered we see a common theme and that is, each one is borrowing ideas and practices from those that came before them. The Design repeats itself. History serves as a foundation and inspiration for new design and architecture.