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History OF Architecture Lecture Notes

Theory Of Architecture 1 (Technological Institute of the Philippines)

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HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NOTES

MODULE 1: ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE

Pre-Historic Architecture
In this module, we will be discovering the following topics
3 Periods Of Prehistoric Age
1. Stone Age (Paleolithic Era) – characterized by stone implements such as the use
of chipped stone tools.
2. Bronze Age (Mesolithic Era) – the cultural period between the Paleolithic and
Neolithic era marked by the appearance of cutting tools
3. Iron Age (Neolithic Era) – last phase of prehistoric age characterized by the
civilization of growing crops, domestication of animals, settlements.

INFLUENCES

1. History

 Direct human ancestors evolved in Africa from 2.3 million years ago - Homo habilis,
Homo erectus, homo sapiens, homo sapiens sapiens
 The success of the human race was largely due to the development of tools – made
of stone, wood, bone

2. Religion

 No Organized Religion
 The dead are treated with respect to burial, ritual, and monuments.

3. Geology/Geography

 Prehistoric people are known as Nomads.

 Fire- Chief invention of Man.

4. Primitive Dwellings

Ancient Near-East
In this Module, let us explore why ancient near-east is called as the cradle of Civilization? Why
is this region named this way? What is it in the middle of or near to? It is the proximity of these
countries to the West (to Europe) that led this area to be termed "the near east." Ancient Near
Eastern Art has long been part of the history of Western art, but history didn't have to be written
this way. It is largely because of the West's interests in the Biblical "Holy Land" that ancient
Near Eastern materials have been regarded as part of the Western canon of the history of art.

Below are some of the topics to be covered:

Architectural Influences

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3 periods of Ancient Near East Civilization

1. Mesopotamian
2. Assyrian
3. Persian
Construction System - Arctuated, lack of columnation on structures
Architectural Structures

 White Temple – Origin of Ziggurat; serves combined 2 function concept of function

( religious= recreation of the sacred mountain; Secular= permanent reminder of the
populace of political, social and economic pre-eminence of the temple which is
dedicated to sky God Anu)
 Ziggurat precinct of Ur – remodeled by Urnammu, Complex comprised the ziggurat,
court attached to it, and three great temples.
 Temple complex at Ischali – terrace type of ziggurat
 Temple oval at khafaje – the layout of the oval was rectilinear, the corners are
oriented to four cardinal points of three ascending terrace levels
 Royal cemetery at Ur – Displayed at its best engineering skills of Sumerians
featuring the vaults, domes, and pendentives.
 Royal Palace at Mari - destroyed by Hammurabi, function as a royal residence,
center for receptions and audiences, offices and a school for civil service, servants
quarter and numerous storerooms (trivia: One of the rooms of the palace stores a
thousand of cuneiform tablets (pictographs) constituting the royal archives which
have been evidence to uncover the history of ancient near east).

Egyptian Architecture
Egypt's impact on later cultures was immense. You could say that Egypt provided the building
blocks for Greek and Roman culture, and, through them, influenced all of the Western tradition.
Today, Egyptian imagery, concepts, and perspectives are found everywhere; you will find them
in architectural forms, on money, and in our day to day lives. Many cosmetic surgeons, for
example, use the silhouette of Queen Nefertiti (whose name means “the beautiful one has
come”) in their advertisements.
This introduction will provide you with the primary filters to view and understand ancient Egypt.

4 periods of Egyptian Monarchy

1. The old Kingdom

2. Middle Kingdom
3. New Kingdom
4. Late Kingdom
Architectural Structures

1. Tomb- Burial Chamber or s a repository for the remains of the dead.

a. Mastaba - Tomb for the commoner

b. Pyramid - Tomb of Pharaoh

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c. Rock-cut - Tomb of Nobility

1. Temple - An Edifice or place dedicated to worship or presence of deity

2 Main Classes of Temples
a. Mortuary Temple – a temple for offering and worship of a deceased person usually
a deified king.
b. Cult Temple - Temples for popular worship of ancient and mysterious Gods.
2. Dwelling - Residential / Domestic Settlement.
a. Ordinary Dwellings
b. Mansions

MODULE 2: CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE

Greek Architecture
The Ancient Greeks had a unique style of architecture that is still copied today in government
buildings and major monuments throughout the world. Greek architecture is known for tall
columns, intricate detail, symmetry, harmony, and balance. The Greeks built all sorts of
buildings. The main examples of Greek architecture that survive today are the large temples
that they built to their gods.

Greek Columns

The Greeks built most of their temples and government buildings in three types of styles :Doric,
Ionic, and Corinthian. These styles (also called "orders") were reflected in the type of columns
they used. Most all of the columns had grooves down the sides called fluting. This gave the
columns a feeling of depth and balance.

 Doric - Doric columns were the most simple and the thickest of the Greek styles.
They had no decoration at the base and a simple capital at the top. Doric columns
tapered so they were wider on the bottom than at the top.
 Ionic - Ionic columns were thinner than the Doric and had a base at the bottom. The
capital at the top was decorated with scrolls on each side.
 Corinthian - The most decorative of the three orders was the Corinthian. The capital
was decorated with scrolls and the leaves of the acanthus plant. The Corinthian
order became popular in the later era of Greece and also was heavily copied by the
Romans.
Temples

Greek temples were grand buildings with a fairly simple design. The outside was surrounded by
a row of columns. Above the columns was a decorative panel of sculpture called the frieze.
Above the frieze was a triangle-shaped area with more sculptures called the pediment. Inside
the temple was an inner chamber that housed the statue of the god or goddess of the temple.
The most famous temple of Ancient Greece is the Parthenon located on the Acropolis in the city
of Athens. It was built for the goddess Athena. The Parthenon was built in the Doric style of
architecture. It had 46 outer columns every 6 feet in diameter and 34 feet tall. The inner
chamber contained a large gold and ivory statue of Athena.

Other Buildings

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Besides temples, the Greeks built numerous other types of public buildings and structures. They
built large theaters that could hold over 10,000 people. The theaters were usually built into the
side of a hill and were designed with acoustics that allowed even the back rows to hear the
actors. They also built covered walkways called "stoas" where merchants would sell goods and
people held public meetings. Other public buildings included the gymnasium, courthouse,
council building, and sports stadium.

Architectural Elements

 Column - The column is the most prominent element in Ancient Greek architecture.
Columns supported the roof, but also gave buildings a feeling of order, strength, and
balance.
 Capital - The capital was a design at the top of the column. Some were plain (like the
Doric) and some were fancy (like the Corinthian).
 Frieze - The frieze was a decorative panel above the columns that contained relief
sculptures. The sculptures often told a story or recorded an important event.
 Pediment - The pediment was a triangle located at each end of the building between
the frieze and the roof. It also contained decorative sculptures.
 Cella - The inner chamber in a temple was called the cella or the naos.
 Propylaea - A processional gateway. The most famous one is at the entrance to the
Acropolis in Athens.

Roman Architecture
The Romans developed upon Ancient Greek architecture as well as introducing new technology.
The arch and dome-style dominated and created a new architectural style specific to the
Romans. As the style evolved and the usage of Roman concrete increased the style shifted to
monumental architecture. Some of the best examples of this are the Coliseum and the many
aqueducts.

As architecture in Ancient Rome expanded and exploited the use of arches, vaults, and domes
led to several innovations. The range of developments in housing changed how people used
technology and made life a bit more hygienic. The Romans expanded upon and created several
new types of public and private baths, underfloor heating, and piping hot and cold water. It
allowed for society to evolve and Romanesque architecture to echo through Western Europe
starting around 1000.
Sources:
http://www.romanconcrete.com/ (Links to an external site.)
http://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Architecture/ (Links to an external site.)
http://foundtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Coliseum-Rome-3.jpg (Links to an
external site.)
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01611/france-pont_1611426c.jpg

MODULE 3: SACRED ARCHITECTURE

Early Christian Architecture

By the beginning of the fourth century, Christianity was a growing mystery religion in the cities of
the Roman world. It was attracting converts from different social levels. Christian theology and

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art were enriched through cultural interaction with the Greco-Roman world. But Christianity
would be radically transformed through the actions of a single man.
Rome becomes Christian and Constantine builds churches
In 312, Emperor Constantine defeated his principal rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian
Bridge. Accounts of the battle describe how Constantine saw a sign in the heavens portending
his victory. Eusebius, Constantine's principal biographer, describes the sign as the Chi Rho, the
first two letters in the Greek spelling of the name Christos.
The Colossus of Constantine, c. 312-15 (Palazzo dei Conservatori, Musei Capitolini, Rome)
Colossus of Constantine, c. 312-15 (Palazzo dei Conservatori, Musei Capitolini, Rome)
After that victory, Constantine became the principal patron of Christianity. In 313 he issued the
Edict of Milan which granted religious toleration. Although Christianity would not become the
official religion of Rome until the end of the fourth century, Constantine's imperial sanction of
Christianity transformed its status and nature. Neither imperial Rome or Christianity would be
the same after this moment. Rome would become Christian, and Christianity would take on the
aura of imperial Rome.
The transformation of Christianity is dramatically evident in a comparison between the
architecture of the pre-Constantinian church and that of the Constantinian and post-
Constantinian church. During the pre-Constantinian period, there was not much that
distinguished the Christian churches from typical domestic architecture. A striking example of
this is presented by a Christian community house, from the Syrian town of Dura-Europos. Here
a typical home has been adapted to the needs of the congregation. A wall was taken down to
combine two rooms: this was undoubtedly the room for services. It is significant that the most
elaborate aspect of the house is the room designed as a baptistry. This reflects the importance
of the sacrament of Baptism to initiate new members into the mysteries of the faith. Otherwise
this building would not stand out from the other houses. This domestic architecture obviously
would not meet the needs of Constantine's architects.
Emperors for centuries had been responsible for the construction of temples throughout the
Roman Empire. We have already observed the role of the public cults in defining one's civic
identity, and Emperors understood the construction of temples as testament to their pietas or
respect for the customary religious practices and traditions. So it was natural for Constantine to
want to construct edifices in honor of Christianity. He built churches in Rome including the
Church of St. Peter, he built churches in the Holy Land, most notably the Church of the Nativity
in Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and he built churches in his
newly-constructed capital of Constantinople.

The basilica
In creating these churches, Constantine and his architects confronted a major challenge: what
should be the physical form of the church? Clearly the traditional form of the Roman temple
would be inappropriate both from associations with pagan cults but also from the difference in
function. Temples served as treasuries and dwellings for the cult; sacrifices occurred on outdoor
altars with the temple as a backdrop. This meant that Roman temple architecture was largely an
architecture of the exterior. Since Christianity was a mystery religion that demanded initiation to
participate in religious practices, Christian architecture put greater emphasis on the interior. The
Christian churches needed large interior spaces to house the growing congregations and to
mark the clear separation of the faithful from the unfaithful. At the same time, the new Christian
churches needed to be visually meaningful. The buildings needed to convey the new authority
of Christianity. These factors were instrumental in the formulation during the Constantinian

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period of an architectural form that would become the core of Christian architecture to our own
time: the Christian Basilica.
The basilica was not a new architectural form. The Romans had been building basilicas in their
cities and as part of palace complexes for centuries. A particularly lavish one was the so-called
Basilica Ulpia constructed as part of the Forum of Emperor Trajan in the early second century.
Basilicas had diverse functions but essentially they served as formal public meeting places. One
of the major functions of the basilicas was as a site for law courts. These were housed in an
architectural form known as the apse. In the Basilica Ulpia, these semi-circular forms project
from either end of the building, but in some cases, the apses would project off of the length of
the building. The magistrate who served as the representative of the authority of the Emperor
would sit in a formal throne in the apse and issue his judgments. This function gave an aura of
political authority to the basilicas.

Byzantine Architecture
To speak of “Byzantine Art” is a bit problematic, since the Byzantine empire and its art spanned
more than a millennium and penetrated geographic regions far from its capital in
Constantinople. Thus, Byzantine art includes work created from the fourth century to the
fifteenth century and encompassing parts of the Italian peninsula, the eastern edge of the Slavic
world, the Middle East, and North Africa. So what is Byzantine art, and what do we mean when
we use this term?

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