[Archived Class 1] Week Six - Encorporating Architecture and Aesthetic Style

[Gundersen]

great images guys! my right click finger is numb.

Earendil: Yeah strong 3 point is probably the obvious choice for gothic, seeing as it has that overpowering 'man is powerless' aesthetic. Base it off your research...

Gundersen: I like that thumbnail, though like your other pieces it is falling back into that wide ration, presentational format. Its very front on. I wouldnt mind seeing a more dramatic 3 point from you, or maybe something shot from POV inside a small crowd of people? Just some ideas to stretch your comfort zone. Think about when you have visited train stations, and the views you get. From the platform? Maybe coming up or down the stairs to the platform? Stuff like that

Yes i totaly agree, have done some sketches on it, will try a bit more today and see what i can manage. You havent put a deadline on this project, when is it?

[Form]

wed 19th fixed

[Gundersen]

here is some new sketches...

Think i will go for the last one of these. Interior

[Form]

great dude. i like the last one. just make sure the geometry is belivable; that it has a structural function, and also that it shows some consistent shapes throughout

[chaosrocks]

has nothing to do withth assignment ...just playing with atmosphere

[Form]

the compression makes it really hard to read, chaos

[chaosrocks]

better?

[robmorfin]

Ey, Gundy's sketchbook is not only on paper anymore, cool.

[Form]

better now chaos. now if only it was on topic...

[chaosrocks]

I know I know
*mumbles*

crx

[Gundersen]

just arrived in Munich atm, start of my christmas holliday, havent had time to start paintin yet, will do some later and post up. But dont worry my friends, i will have a piece ready til wednesday before i continue my travel to Norway

hehe

[Earendil]

just arrived in Munich atm, start of my christmas holliday, havent had time to start paintin yet, will do some later and post up. But dont worry my friends, i will have a piece ready til wednesday before i continue my travel to Norway

hehe

You dirty rat!

[robmorfin]

Work in progress.

[Gundersen]

a tips to both you Rob and Chaosrock, before you start working on the final piece, write the "essay" about your style first, so you know whats important and what you want to show. You might find out that your sketch doesnt realy funtion with what you want to show...

just a tips

[chaosrocks]

gundy..you do realize the thing Iposted has nothing to do witht the assignment....right?

[Gundersen]

hehe ok read it now

Here is a WIP on my piece.
Working in B&W atm to get value correctly. And also working on the mood of the place. I imagine since its in egypt there is a large busssssing market area with cloths in many colours as roofs

well comments critts welcome ..

[chaosrocks]

Gundy. the value composition concerns me. At the moment you have two focal directons sins the white squares on the laft are popping out and the perspctive is going of to the right. The heavy black framework is making a visual stop to the eye movement around the page. you might want to try looking away form it an then glancing back quickly to see what your fresh impression is. or just squint.
crx

[Earendil]

Ok, this isn't 500 words, but I don't consider this my final anyway. Form, or any of my classmates, if you have questions you think I should answer, it might help me write about more stuff and investigate into certain ideas etc...right now I'm not sure what questions to ask. I think I've answered both questions, but it's still kinda short.

Anyway, here goes:

Gothic Architecture

Abbot Suger of France, with his new ties to the monarchy, endeavored to rebuild his abbey to outshine all others. He wanted to emphasize the harmonious order of God’s universe, and the spiritual realm to a much higher degree than before. Using new and evolved elements from Romanesque architecture such as the pointed arch, the ribbed vault, the columns of supporting ribs, and flying buttresses, Suger was able to endow his new abbey choir with heavenly ambience, and at the same time, in a sense, invent Gothic architecture.

Romanesque already introduced buttresses and ribbed constructions, but it was the introduction of the pointed arch (ogival) that brought about new engineering tools for structural support and weight distribution, and as a result styling was also given greater flexibility. Vaulted ceilings were able to be raised much higher than before since the pointed arch transferred the weight to the support pillars at a steeper angle. The very form of the arch, suggested an upward motion that symbolically and subconsciously represented a drive towards Heaven. This emphasis on verticality is a major feature of Gothic cathedrals, with massive spires projecting up from the exterior, and on the interior extra decorative columns that rise from bottom to top in an unbroken line.

Light was able to play a much larger role, literally, with the increase of window sizes to the grand proportions of Gothic, from older Romanesque designs, which were smaller because of the thicker, weightier walls. With the new ribbed construction provided by the pointed arch, the thick and heavy walls of Romanesque were no longer required and large stained glass windows could fill more of the space, and endow the choir with more “heavenly” light. Flying buttresses also allowed for forms in the interior walls to appear light and effortless since more weight was directed towards the exterior.

In order to show the harmonious nature of God’s universe, the Gothic cathedral uses ratios and subdivision of its surfaces and forms to a much tighter degree than previously before. Keeping in line with this harmony, sculpture is more defined in its arrangement and placement upon the structure, as opposed to its previous usage in Romanesque, which was relatively lax. This disciplined use of divisions, repeating forms, and ratios is one way in which Gothic architecture is distinguished from Romanesque.

[Form]

makes me remember why i love gothic architecture earendil

rob - looking good. Careful not to lose that top spire too close to the canvas edge.

gundersen - as discussed, the value heirarchy needs a 'rational' approach, deciding on the light source and then 'becoming the light' and moving through the piece. Try to visualise the path of light as rays coming from the light source. What do they hit? Where do they bounce off and reflect? Etc... and using reference for the proportions and shapes of different structural elements.

[daldbaatar]

Ok...long time no see...

Chinese architecture

Chinese architecture style is the most common and influenced throughout many Asian countries ( Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese architectural designs are heavily influenced by Chinese architecture ). Especially during and since the Tang dynasty ( around 8th century AC ) The structural principle remained the same but only the decorations had changed in ages. All of the building architectures are same regardless in what use they are.
Basic principle of Chinese architecture was already established, wherein columns spaced at intervals, rather than walls, provided the support for the roof. Walls came to serve merely as enclosing screens. Decorative possibilities were soon realized in the colorful glazed tiling of roofs and the carving and painting of brackets, which became more and more elaborate. The most important is the emphasis on the horizontal axis, in particular the construction of a heavy platform and a large roof that floats over this base, with the vertical walls not as well emphasized. This contrasts Western architecture, which tends to grow in height and depth. Chinese architecture stresses the visual impact of the width of the buildings. Another important feature is its emphasis on symmetry, which connotes a sense of grandeur; this applies to everything from palaces to farmhouses. Chinese buildings may be built with either red or gray bricks, but wooden structures are the most common, these are more capable of withstanding earthquakes, but are vulnerable to fire. The roof of a typical Chinese building is curved, there are strict classifications of gable types.
There are 3 major divisions in Chinese architectural style. Imperial architecture, religious and commoner architecture.
The imperial architecture records the great intelligence and creation of the laborious ancient people that had a profound influence on the design of modern architecture at home and abroad. It features the highest achievement of the Chinese ancient architecture that includes imperial palace, imperial mausoleum and garden architecture.The wooden columns of the buildings, as well as the surface of the walls, tend to be red in color. Black is also a famous color often used in pagodas. They believe the gods are inspired by the black color to descend on to the earth. The Chinese dragon, an emblem reserved for Imperial China, were heavily used on Imperial architecture - on the roofs, on the beams and pillars, and on the doors. Only the buildings used by the imperial family were allowed to have nine space between two columns, only the gates used by the Emperor could have five arches, with the centre one, of course, being reserved for the Emperor himself. The ancient Chinese favored the color red. The buildings faced south because the north had a cold wind.
Buddhist architecture follow the imperial style. A large Buddhist monastery normally has a front hall, housing the statue of a Bodhisattva, followed by a great hall, housing the statues of the Buddha’s. Daoist architecture, on the other hand, usually follows the commoners' style. The main entrance is, however, usually at the side, out of superstition about demons which might try to enter the premise. The tallest pre-modern building in China was built for both religious and martial purposes.

[rvdtor]

Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy. New architectural concerns for color, light and shade, sculptural values and intensity characterize the Baroque. But where the Renaissance drew on the wealth and power of the Italian courts, and was a blend of secular and religious forces, the Baroque was, initially at least, directly linked to the Counter-Reformation, a movement within the Catholic Church to reform itself in response to the Protestant Reformation.
The Baroque played into the demand for an architecture that was on the one hand more accessible to the emotions and, on the other hand, a visible statement of the wealth and power of the Church. By the middle of the 17th century, the Baroque style had found its secular expression in the form of grand palaces, first in Italy and then throughout Europe.
In the 17th century, the Baroque style spread through Europe and Latin America, where it was particularly promoted by the Jesuits. Important features of Baroque architecture include:
• long, narrow naves (the central approach to the high altar) are replaced by broader, occasionally circular forms
• dramatic use of light, either strong light-and-shade contrasts, chiaroscuro effects (bold contrasts of light and dark), or uniform lighting by means of several windows. Magnificent use of ornaments (puttos [the baby angels] made of wood often gilded [covered in gold], plaster or stucco, marble or faux finishing)
• large-scale ceiling frescoes
• the external façade is often characterized by a dramatic central projection (the middle formation is highest)


• the interior is often no more than a shell for painting and sculpture (especially in the late Baroque)
• illusory effects like trompe l'oeil and the blending of painting and architecture (it’s a very cool effect IMO)

• in the Bavarian, Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian Baroque, pear domes are ever-present.


Still my unanswered question from the previous post...."I have a question, baroque architecture spread italy to many other places like turkey, france, belgium, scandinavia and england and many others. when taken iin by a new culture there are aesthetic differences that suit that community right? so in essence MY cutlure scenario can incorporate from all these when it comes to referencing right? i mean there are differences between them but the basics remain, the main features."

[Gundersen]

an update on mine, values better? widened the shoot a bit, added people, added the train and also some texture details on some walls. The train is not good yet, to be honoust it looks like shit ... on the bottom of the shaft with all the tiny people ...

[Form]

dald:

great man, there are some very particular, specific elements of that to work into your concept (obviously) - the column structure, curved roof, horizontal emphasis etc. Cheers, great read.

RVDTOR: sweet man.. another good read, good summation. How you gonna turn this into concept? Seems like it will require detailed painting? Is that last photo from the louvre? I think ive been in there...

Gundersen: getting there, but you still arent clicking into logical mode... why would the bottom of that bridge be so light if the light source was above it? You are missing a lot of cast shadows and not thinking about areas that would be partially concealed from the light. Push it... push your mind to do it... kgo!

[jodali]

Mayan Architecture

Not to much is known about the mayan simply because of the age of the civilization, and also because of the fact that the people lived in a jungle at the time, since then the jungle has once again taken over. the mayan people used their environment to their advantage. If the land lowered in elevation and water collected there than that would spawn a city due to the fact that irrigation was a lot easier. If they were stuck in aN area where there was no readily available stone to quarry, then they mostly used adobe bricks, and since adobe weathers down not to much is known about their original architecture of adobe huts. Where they had access to stone they built large temples dedicated to deities. they mostly used limestone because of how easy it is to work with. many of the temples were mostly used for religious purposes, and not really for utilitarian purposes. they often decorated the out side of the temples with statures and carvings. Some believe and have found some evidence that some of the structures were painted lavishly and very colorful. they have also found that the outside of a majority of the temples were coated in a stucco like material made from crushed limestone. This stucco material gave the temples a bright white appearance. A few temples grew to be very tall, this is because the mayan never really had a set laid out plan for how the structure would be built, if there was free space, a few stones and some people they would put up a temple. Although one of the only rules was that they all face the same way, they generally lined up with the stars. Every 50 years or so someone would order the reconstruction or remodeling of a temple. depending on that persons particular taste, any temple could be different from he next. Most of the temples were bi-symmetrical. Since most temples were constantly being reworked they often did not destroy the temple but would just take of the outer layer and the build up from there, some of these temples grew to be huge after many years, one is believed to be constructed over 1500 years, being approximately 230 feet tall, the largest of the known mayan temples. the footprint of the temples was never a main focus, more the height was important.

They mayan believed in deities, their gods. they often performed human sacrifice to please their gods. a large portion of the temples were believed to be used used for sacrifice. They also believed in the after life, and ball courts were used to plat games that were significant in the passage to the after life. Along with the large ball courts, there were many large open spaces for people to gather. From what i have gathered it seems that the mayans believed in the closeness of the community. many of the smaller buildings were open and made it easy for people to move in and out, however the larger temples, had large steps leading up to the top, usually one way up and down, this probably has to do with the importance of their leaders. Many mayans were fascinated with time and the cyclical nature of the stars, sun and moon. Its believed that some wise elders constantly studied this and influenced the people who built the temples to orient the structures in such a way that they could tell what time of the year it was. It was important to know and study the past events that happened over and over again so that the people who know would be able to "tell the future". Its not known if this was a completely unknown aspect of the mayan world or weather it was used to control the masses. The mayan were constantly at war fighting among the local tribes. This is believed because of all the intricate figure that were carved into the large temples, while these temples were there to represent their gods, the local leaders also painted depictions of themselves at the top of the temples to show any approaching tribe or travelers that the people were very strong and powerful. the mayan made their cities large and widely spread out, i believe they did this because they were a proud and successful civilization.

[chaosrocks]

hmm I had to go back and read to figure out what architecture Gunderson was aiming at.
Gundy I think you are getting "train station " really well but losing egypt. those bridges and spans have a geometric quality but they are so delicate and unsubstatiantial. My impression of egyptian architecture has always been huge solid massive structures. IT was always interesting to compare the transience of the cloth and the bright markets with the huge solid Ageless masses.

[Gundersen]

I agree with you Chaosrock that its not completly egyptian architecture. But i have tried to work on the idea of a large open indoor area to protect it from the heath. The structures is supposed to be massive. This will hopefully show when i put in ALOT more people. I am aimeing for a bussy sci-fi train station with hints to point back in history to Egypt.

Will work more of bringing egyptian architecture into the design ...

Here is an update to make it look a bit dirty and bussy ... with neon signs

[Edit fixed some more details]

[daldbaatar]

guys im lost...give a hint...i will put a train in the front and will make the hall inside glow deep.

[Earendil]

Ok...long time no see...
Chinese architecture
Chinese architecture stresses the visual impact of the width of the buildings. Another important feature is its emphasis on symmetry, which connotes a sense of grandeur; this applies to everything from palaces to farmhouses. ...The roof of a typical Chinese building is curved, there are strict classifications of gable types.
...

Based on this, I don't think this angle supports the architecture. You can't really show off symmetry from this viewpoint. Slanted roofs are harder to see as well. Neither can you stress the width of buildings from this view...


I'm getting closer...the biggest problem I'm having is trying to get a 3point that doesn't DISTORT so much on the Z-axis...I'm trying to find something like a 2-point with an "almost infinite" 3rd vanishing point below. I'll post some stuff I've been working on.




I think 2 has potential...this 3rd one also has potential, but it's too distorted, I want something a little wider. I may take that ribbed vaulting on the right and move it further to the right. Maybe move the vanishing point to the right as well...

[Earendil]

Ok, I think I'm zeroing in on what I was after. What do you guys think? It might not read well at this stage but I wanted to show you...

[jodali]

daldbaatar - As for the image you have so far, the perspective seems to be working great for me. I defiantly get the sense that i'm in a huge hall with sky windows for a ceiling. but i agree that it doesn't really give a sense of the Chinese architecture. If you decide to keep going with this one, you may want to put something in there that resembles your choice

Earendil - ''Z-axis" do you work with 3d programs at all, it seems like sometimes you describe things like you work with them. with your earlier post if you want that infinite VP on your third point, I've found that you need to get rid of the other 2 points or a least one of them (not get rid but not have them visible in the final viewable area) If you want to keep the 2 horizon vps then keep the 3rd way off to the bottom. which is why i think your last post looks much better. I cant tell what kind of space it is but the perspective looks good, i dont think you'll get to much distortion off that one. I like the gothic arches you got going so far.