Light and Architecture

Light is one of the most vital aspects in Architecture. Where lights play a major role on how the architecture is seen. Since ancient time, Architecture uses light to tell story and to express the atmosphere of the space that is given. Ancient architectures such and Greek and Egyptian uses light to express the feeling of power to the people. For example the Pantheon at Athens was designed so that light could pass into the building and shine straight to the statue of Athens to represent the powerful and sacred. The sun god of Ra was represented as light, where the pyramid is pointed to the sky to illustrate the path to heaven. This is to be said that light is a powerful tool that could use to create and intangible feeling that is express out to the people from the architecture.

The Abbey Church of St Denis- The lighting effect of the sun that shines through the glass would give the feeling and atmosphere of heaven to the Cathedral.

Gothic Architecture is a good example of how light is incorporated into architecture. The way they increase windows to create the lighting effect also changes the structure of the building. Having the invention of the flying buttress would increase the height of the ceiling and provide more space to install the glasses.

Romanesque Architecture

Romanesque architecture emerged during the early medieval period. The style and architectural uses are influenced by the Byzantine and Christian architecture. The use of Roman arches were incorporated to the buildings, by transforming it into semi-circular arches to decorate window opening. The arches are usually made of bricks to show the new age of the building. Roman domes were not used any more, therefore heavy thick walls were carry by vaults. This lead to the decreasing of lights that would shine in to the building, making it kind of dark inside.

Moreover, the beliefs and religious teachings where place on to how the buildings were basically used. The influence of how the Christian believe in the spaces of teaching and gathering were reflected on to the style. Universities such as University of California Los Angeles also use Romanesque architectural style to express the meaning of educational space. This way, the Romanesque architecture would create a symbolic icon that it is a place for learning.

Indian Architecture

Indian civilization is rich in its religions, with three major religions, which consist of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. Therefore, these religions are the major influence of Indian architecture. Their religions are express on to the form and shape of their architecture. Symmetrical is the basic form of how they design their temple. This is because they believe in energy, and unsymmetrical plan would destroy the path of the energy to the building and people itself. The Taj Mahal is a very sacred place on how they translate their symmetrical belief on to a piece of architecture.

The Taj Mahal was built by Shaha Jahan fro his wife Mumtaz. The building was a perfect symmetry except for Shaha Jahan's tomb.

The Taj Mahal was design to be seen in a perfect perspective view, in which the viewer would see it in its most beauty. This method is sort of similar to the Pantheon in Greece where viewer have to see it in a 45 degree angle to see it in a perfect beauty. As like Taj Mahal, the building was elevated parallel to the river that would give the feeling of heaven. It is visible all boat traffic that passes by.

Park 51

Project Park 51 is a new Islamic Community Center located near Ground Zero. There had been many controversies regarding to the idea of this new Islamic center. It was referred to be the Ground Zero mosque and could be a thread to the community where it is and insult toward 9/11 situations. Although America is a place that except every race and religion and Park 51 is a place for peace but it is not acceptable for them, since its location and situation does not fit the consequence of feeling due to the horror that happened at 9/11.

Even though Park51 look like an ordinary building as the surrounding, but it has a meaning underneath. The strong and intense beliefs of the Islamic are expressed through this geometric form. An example of this geometric form is the façade. Although the building was not built in the same form as a Mosque, it still has the patterns and intricate designs used in typical Islamic art.

In most Islamic buildings, there is symbolic repetition in its pattern and tilling order. This shows that the form never ends, leading to the belief that the Islam religion doesn’t have and end to it

Roman Empire

Roman empire was overflowed with wealth and knowledge. They were once considered to be the greatest empires of all. This is because they came up with many new technologies such as arches and public spaces. These new inventions create a positive effect to the people, which allowed them to be able to expand their empire. Roman architecture was first to really consider public space; this is because of their large population than the Geek. It led to the formation of basilica during the Hellenistic era. Saint Peter’s Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, consisted of many arcuated ceiling. The invention of arch allowed them to be able to build larger scale structures.

The Byzantine and Early Christian Architecture

The Byzantine and Early Christian Architecture was basically based on religious believe, having the use of light and number as a tool to lead for good fortune of their religion. However, Christianity is the religion that is based on congregation worship, where people have to gather around and worship to do activities together. Therefore, there should be place for them to gather around. Nevertheless, Christianity is persecuted during that time, so they have to hide their activities from Rome. Christianity had to be practice clandestinely at home. They believe in burial to cremation, but had to do it in abandoned quarries or catacomb. The religion was not presented clearly and they use roman architecture to camouflage their religious practices. Most of Roman's public space were transformed into Christian use. For example the Roman gathering basilicas which served as law courts in the Roman became the sacred place to worship for the Christian, this is because of the strong influence.

Vitruvius Principle

Vitruvius principle of architecture has become the standard beauty of architecture today. The idea of creating a perfect perception of true beauty to the people toward the architecture. The Parthenon had proven the real eurhythmy, as it is well plan with its arrangement that create an elegance effect, making it into one single ideal of work. The building was oriented that it had to been seen from a perspective view of 45-degree angle to see the true beauty. It is also describe in the rhythm of 2x+1=w, creating one cohesive form of architecture. It also shows the symmetry and repetitions of columns.

Le Corbusier

After the rise of ancient Greek architecture, Roman architecture emerged. Classical architecture was use as a tool for innovation. It became the Renaissance age where people would copy every aspect of ancient Greek architecture such as columns, statue, white buildings, and etc to apply it to themselves; believing in its perfection and also representing their power. It is the period of exploring, where history is the future and history is taken from the past to build history. In other word, ancient architecture was retrace in modern architecture. This is similar to Le Corbusier’s notion of pure form. Le Corbusier has return back to the origin of all architecture, which is the use of geometrical forms such as cube and cylinder. He is the very first architect to start modernism.

Villa Savoye built between 1928 and 1931 is the example of Le Corbusier manifesto of new architecture; having the famous “Five Points”. Villa Savoye was design with pure geometrical form that is supported by columns to elevate the building form the ground that allows the continuity of grass. The roof serves as garden and terrace. Having free floor plan to allow the wall to be placed freely and where needed. Long horizontal windows to provide air ventilation and lastly, free designed facades to serve as the skin of the wall and windows.

Tanado Ando's 4x4 house.

Ancient Greek

In ancient Greek architecture, the beliefs of God and Goddess have played a major role on how the Greek pursue their life. It is quiet similar to the ancient Egyptians, however, Greek focus more on the vital of human more than the God; not like the Egyptians do. Ancient Greek architecture focus more on the structure

that they see compare to the real world. Analyzing human anatomy forming it in to columns (Doric; proportion based on human muscle). Studying the proportions and structure of the real scale and adapting it to their architectures. They reflect their victory and beliefs on their work, and pay more attention to the details. Even though the Greek built temples for their god, but they still make it visual for human. Just like The Parthenon, it got its own perfect scale, where we would see a perfect vision of the temple on the right angle. Everything is perfect on numbering of columns, lighting, and sculpture. Not like the Egyptian that everything has to base on the god scale; Having big columns and etc. Overall, ancient Greek is proud of their victory and life, showing what they have and expressing it out to their temples and buildings, recording their beliefs out on the stone. Therefore it last till today world.