Art appreciation revel chapter 14

post-and-beam-

(post and lintel) In architecture, a structural system that uses two or more uprights or posts to support a horizontal beam (or lintel) that spans the space between them.

What is one advantage of the BMW Guggenheim lab?

It is moveable

What is one draw back to cast-iron buildings?

It is not heat and fire resistant

What is the architectural significance of Joseph Paxton's CRYSTAL PALACE?

The scale of its cast iron construction

Cantilever-

a beam or slab projecting a substantial distance beyond its supporting post or wall; a projection supported only at one end

One way for architects to earn green points for their designs is to

rehabilitate old buildings

keystone

the stone at the central, highest point of a round arch, which holds the rest of the arch in place

Masonry-

building technique in which stones or bricks are laid atop one another in a pattern

GOTHIC ARCH

A pointed arch (or Gothic arch; FIG. 14.13) is steeper than a round arch, and therefore sends its weight more directly downward, but a substantial sideways thrust must still be countered in tall buildings. Medieval builders accomplished this by constructing elaborate supports called buttresses at right angles to the outer walls. In the most developed Gothic cathedrals, the outward force of the arched vault is carried to large buttresses by stone half-arches called flying buttresses

COLONNADE AND COURT OF AMENHOTEP III

A row of columns spanned, or connected, by beams is called a colonnade, as seen in the Colonnade and Court of Amenhotep III (FIG. 14.4). Most ancient Egyptian temples were symmetrical, with aisles for processions that connected adjacent pavilions. Their massive appearance is partly a structural necessity for their height, and partly a design feature intended to create an awe-inspiring appearance of authority and power.

balloon frame

A wooden structural support system developed in the United States in the middle nineteenth century in which standardized, thin studs are held together with nails.

Louis Sullivan, WAINWRIGHT BUILDING

Among the first of these skyscrapers that survives in good condition is Sullivan's Wainwright Building (FIG. 14.18) in St. Louis, Missouri. The building boldly breaks with nineteenth-century tradition. Its exterior design reflects its internal steel frame and emphasizes the height of the structure by underplaying horizontal elements in favor of tall vertical shafts. Sullivan demonstrated his sensitivity and adherence to the harmony of traditional architecture by dividing the building's façade into three distinct zones, reminiscent of the base, shaft, and capital of Greek columns (see FIG. 16.5). These areas also reveal the various functions of the building, with shops at the base, offices in the central section, and utility rooms at the top. The heavily ornamented band at the top stops the vertical thrust of the piers located between the office windows.

What do experts consider necessary for a work to be architecturally important?

An innovative structure

(fer) studio, THE GREEN BUILDING

Building green; An important way for architects to earn green points for their designs is to rehabilitate old buildings rather than build new ones. (fer) studio did just that with a mixed-use commercial structure in 2009 that the Louisville, Kentucky, locals soon dubbed The Green Building (FIG. 14.29). Re-adapting the disused 120-year-old dry-goods store began with the task of sandblasting it: not with sand but with corn husks. The original brick walls were then insulated with material from recycled blue jeans. New flooring in the building is 100 percent recycled as well. Insulated glass and an energy-recovery system that captures both hot and cold air also help to reduce energy use. During the planning process the architects discovered some geothermal wells below the building, which they tapped for heating both air and water. Solar panels on the roof shelter an open-air event space. The building's energy use is so low compared to a conventional structure that the building comfortably offsets the carbon footprint of the cars of all employees who work there. Certified Platinum, the building now anchors a pedestrian-friendly arts district.

Michelle Kaufmann, MKSOLAIRE HOME

Building green; The mkSolaire Home by Michelle Kaufmann (FIG. 14.28) represents the leading edge in green single-family home design. This prefabricated house can be placed on a wide variety of sites in an orientation to maximize sunlight. It uses the most efficient insulation available, and window placements maximize cross-ventilation. On-demand water heaters, low-flow fixtures, and a green roof also reduce energy demands. The architect certifies that this home, depending on where it is located, will earn either a Gold or a Platinum certification.

What was the consequence of builders using the pointed arch and vaulting system in Gothic Cathedrals?

Buildings emphasized verticality and light.

Frank Lloyd Wright, FALLINGWATER (EDGAR KAUFMANN RESIDENCE)

Cantilever; Wright also made extensive use of the cantilever to unite indoor and outdoor spaces. When a beam or slab is extended a substantial distance beyond a supporting column or wall, the overhanging portion is called a cantilever. Before the use of steel and reinforced concrete, cantilevers were not used to a significant degree because the available materials could not extend far enough to make the concept viable. One of the boldest and most elegant uses of the principle occurs in Wright's Edgar Kaufmann Residence (also known as Fallingwater) at Bear Run, Pennsylvania (FIG. 14.21). Horizontal masses cantilevered from supporting piers echo the rock ledges on the site and seem almost to float above the waterfall. The steel frame is sheathed in local stone, visible at the structure's core. Vertical accents were influenced by surrounding tall, straight trees. The intrusion of a building on such a beautiful location seems justified by the harmony Wright achieved between the natural site and his equally inspiring architecture.

What did Frank Lloyd Wright use to unite indoor and outdoor spaces in buildings like FALLING WATER (Edgar Kaufmann Residence)?

Cantilevers

Walter Gropius, BAUHAUS BUILDING

International Style; Walter Gropius used the principles of the International Style in his new building for the Bauhaus when that design school moved to Dessau, Germany (FIG. 14.20). The workshop wing, built between 1925 and 1926, follows the basic concept illustrated in Le Corbusier's drawing. Because the reinforced-concrete floors and roof were supported by steel columns set back from the outer edge of the building, exterior walls did not have to carry any weight: they could be curtain walls made of glass. Even interior walls were non-load-bearing and could be placed anywhere they were needed.

LE CORBUSIER, DOMINO CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM

International style; The Swiss-French architect and planner Le Corbusier showed the basic components of steel columns and reinforced-concrete slabs in a system that he called the Domino Construction System (FIG. 14.19). The six steel supports are placed in concrete slabs at the same approximate locations as the spots on a domino game piece. Le Corbusier's idea of supporting floors and roof on interior load-bearing columns instead of load-bearing walls made it possible to vary the placement of interior walls according to how the various rooms were used. He called one of his homes a "machine for living in," but in fact its flexible spaces made it very comfortable. And because walls no longer bore any weight, they could become windows and let in a great deal of natural light.

Jeanne Gang/Studio Gang Architects, AQUA TOWER

Most skyscrapers, with their heavy structural skeletons, sealed interior environments, and glassy exteriors, are very energy inefficient. But the Aqua Tower in Chicago (FIG. 14.31) incorporates several green characteristics that emboldened the owner to seek LEED Certification. The curving and irregular balconies that give the residential tower such a striking appearance also have a practical function: They reduce the building's sway in Chicago's prevalent winds, so that the structural supports on the upper floors can use less material. Heat-resistant glass in the building reduces the need for air conditioning in summer. The three-story entrance pavilion at the base has an 80,000-square-foot garden on its roof, a literal "patch of green." Inside the building, the apartments have sustainable bamboo floors and energy-efficient appliances. A 24-car electric vehicle charging system awaits drivers in the basement. Aqua Tower architect Jeanne Gang has been working for several years to make tall buildings more sustainable and user-friendly (see Jeanne Gang: Rethinking the High-Rise on next screen).

What is one reason that the Y.S. SUN GREEN BUILDING RESEARCH CENTER, a university building in Taiwan, received a LEED platinum rating?

No construction materials were imported for the building.

HAGIA SOPHIA (exterior)

One of the most magnificent domes in the world was designed for the Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") in Istanbul (FIG. 14.11a and FIG. 14.11b). It was built in the sixth century as the central sanctuary of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. After the Islamic conquest of 1453, towers were added for its later use as a mosque. It is now a museum. The dome of Hagia Sophia rests on curving triangular sections called pendentives over a square base.

HAGIA SOPHIA (interior)

One of the most magnificent domes in the world was designed for the Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") in Istanbul (FIG. 14.11a and FIG. 14.11b). It was built in the sixth century as the central sanctuary of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church. After the Islamic conquest of 1453, towers were added for its later use as a mosque. It is now a museum. The dome of Hagia Sophia rests on curving triangular sections called pendentives over a square base.

What wall insulating material was used in the GREEN BUILDING?

Recycled blue jeans

Pont du Gard

Roman builders used the arch and arcade to create structures of many types throughout their vast empire in most of Europe, the Near East, and North Africa. The aqueduct bridge called the Pont du Gard, near Nîmes, France (FIG. 14.9), is one of the finest remaining examples of the functional beauty of Roman engineering. The combined height of the three levels of arches is 161 feet. Dry masonry blocks, weighing up to 2 tons each, make up the large arches of the two lower tiers. Water was once carried in a conduit at the top, with the first level serving as a bridge for traffic. The excellence of its design and construction has kept this aqueduct standing for 2,000 years.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson, SEAGRAM BUILDING

Steel-frame construction (FIG. 14.22) came into wide use after 1945 as a simpler and more efficient version of the International Style. We see this in the Seagram Building (FIG. 14.23). Non-load-bearing glass walls had been a major feature of plans for skyscrapers for years, but only in the 1950s, with greater public acceptance of modern architecture, could such structures be built. The Seagram Building created enough office space through sheer height that it allowed the architects to leave a large, open public area at the base. The vertical lines emphasize the height and provide a strong pattern that is capped by a top section designed to give a sense of completion. The austere and decoration-free design embodies architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's famous statement "Less is more."

Joseph Paxton, CRYSTAL PALACE

The Crystal Palace (FIG. 14.17), designed by Joseph Paxton, was a spectacular demonstration of what cast iron could do. It was built for the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, the first international exposition, held in London in 1851. Designed to show off the latest mechanical inventions, the Crystal Palace was built in six months and covered 19 acres of park land. This was the first time new industrial methods and materials were used on such a scale. Paxton used relatively lightweight, factory-made modules (standard-size structural units) of cast iron and glass. By freeing himself from past styles and masonry construction, he created a whole new architectural vocabulary. The light, decorative quality of the glass and cast-iron units was created not by applied ornamentation, but by the structure itself. Paxton, inspired by leaf structures, said nature had given him the idea. The modular units provided enough flexibility for the entire structure to be assembled on the site, right over existing trees, and later disassembled and moved across town.

Joe Shih Architects, Y. S. SUN GREEN BUILDING RESEARCH CENTER

The LEED occasionally certifies buildings outside the United States; the first building in Asia to earn the highest Platinum rating was the Y. S. Sun Green Building Research Center, a university building in Taiwan (FIG. 14.30). Half of the roof is covered with drought-tolerant plants; the other half collects solar energy. Fourteen small wind turbines around the exterior generate about 5 percent of the building's needs. Three vertical shafts inside the structure passively cool the interior by venting rising warm air upward and out above the roof. The sustainably produced concrete in the framework of the building was strengthened by the addition of metal slag leftover from smelting steel. Indoor carpets and curtains are made from corncobs and recycled plastic bottles. No construction materials were imported for this building, which uses only about 30 percent of the energy per square foot used by the average building of this type.

Atelier Bow-Wow, BMW GUGGENHEIM LAB

The Tokyo firm Atelier Bow-Wow recently created a public seminar space using carbon fiber (FIG. 14.26). All this building's components are light enough to be handled easily by one person. The BMW Guggenheim Lab can house talks, exhibitions, discussions, screenings, and workshops; all the implements for such functions are stored in the upper portion on pulleys, to be raised or lowered as needed. The building's lightness was advantageous, because it eventually housed seminars on three continents.

What technological innovation made the balloon frame possible?

The mechanical saw

Jeanne Gang, 40 TENTH AVENUE

The rectangular bulk of most tall buildings gives them a forbidding appearance from the street as they block sunlight and throw public spaces into shadow. In colder climates, such shadowed spaces are especially unconducive to pausing and interacting. Gang worked to remedy this problem in the new 40 Tenth Avenue, an office tower in New York City (FIG. 14.33). She designed the "solar carved" silhouette of this building to maximize solar exposure on the streets and park below to make them more people-friendly. The shaved and faceted surfaces of the building align with the sun's path in both winter and summer (FIG. 14.34), so that sunlight has sculpted its façade. The building rises alongside the High Line, a popular urban park on an elevated section of a former railroad. The design of 40 Tenth Avenue not only allows more sunlight onto the park, but also affords park users wider vistas of the nearby Hudson River. These features and others less visible, such as a green roof and frequent use of recycled materials inside, allow this building to target a LEED Gold sustainability rating.

What is one reason most skyscrapers are energy-inefficient?

They have glassy exteriors

concrete

a liquid building material invented by the romans; made of water, sand, gravel, and a binder such as lime or gypsum.

Colonnade-

a row of columns usually spanned or connected by beams

barrel vault

a semicircular arch extended in depth; a continuous series of arches one behind the other

trusses

a structrual framework of wood or metal based on a triangular system, used to span, reinforce, or support walls, ceilings, piers or beams

flying buttress

a strut or segment of an arch carrying the thrust of a vault to a vertical pier positioned away from the main portion of the building; an important element in Gothic cathedrals

groin vault-

a vault formed by the intersection of two barrel vaults.

International Style-

an architectural style that emerged in several European countries between 1910 and 1920; characterized by the use of modern materials (concrete, glass, steel), avoidance of applied decoration, and focus on a building's inner uses; expressed the function of each building, it's underlying structure, and a logical (usually asymmetrical) plan that used only modern materials such as concrete, glass, and steel.

Pier-

an upright support for an arch or arcade; fulfills the same function as a column, but is more massive and usually not tapered at the top.; supports an arch

What Roman development enabled them to cut costs and build on a massive scale?

concrete

What architectural element ensures the continuous load-bearing capacity in a continuous arch?

keystone

NOTRE-DAME DE CHARTRES

pointed arch; After the round arch, the pointed arch was the next important structural advance in the Western world. This new shape seems a small change, but it had a spectacular effect on the building of cathedrals. Vaults based on the pointed arch made it possible to build wider aisles and higher ceilings. We see the results of this new technology in the awesome height of the central aisle in the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Chartres, France

Much of the world's major architecture has been constructed of

stone because of it's permanence, availibilty, and beauty

What distinguishes dry masonry construction?

stones are stacked without mortar

Following the lead of the Egyptians,

the Greeks further refined stone post-and-beam construction. For more than 2,000 years, the magnificence of the Parthenon and other classical Greek architecture (see FIG. 14.6) has influenced the designers of a great many later buildings.

There are only three ways of constructing almost any building:

the load-bearing method of piling blocks or planks atop one another; the skeletal method, which involves erecting a framework and wrapping it in a skin of some kind; and the molding method, in which a liquid such as mud or concrete is poured into a mold and allowed to harden. Structural systems for buildings throughout the world are based on these, and they are as varied as the humans who use them.

pendentive

A curving triangle that points downward; a common support for domes in Byzantine architecture.

Which ancient building technique could enclose the largest volume of space using the least amount of material?

A dome on pendentives

Dome

A generally hemispherical roof or vault. Theoretically, an arch rotated 180 degrees on its vertical axis.

Curtain walls

A non-load-bearing wall, typical of the International Style. Generally well-endowed with windows.

arcade

A series of arches supported by piers or columns.

ARCADE

A series of such arches supported by columns forms an arcade (FIG. 14.8).

What do FALLING WATER and JEPPESEN TERMINAL BUILDING have in common?

Both use forms inspired by their surroundings

What was one innovation that made possible structures like the Guggenheim Museum Bilboa?

Computer modeling applications

PATH Architecture, THE RADIATOR BUILDING

Cross-laminated timber (CTL) uses wood in a new way, by laminating slabs of wood with their grains at an angle. This makes wood as strong as concrete, but much lighter. CLT slabs can range up to 11 inches thick and 60 feet long, and their flexibility makes them more earthquake-resistant than concrete. The compression of the wood during CLT manufacture makes the material fire-resistant. Using trees harvested from sustainable forests also makes CLT a carbon-neutral building material. The Radiator Building in Portland (FIG. 14.27) is one of the largest structures created with this old-new material. The wood that makes up its structure was sustainably harvested nearby. The vertical accents in the design allude to the lumber that makes it up, while over the windows the angled slats are programmable to admit the most appropriate amount of natural sunlight. Although this building is already seismically safer than its steel-framed neighbors, it still has sensors embedded in the earth 12 feet underground. In the event of a temblor, all elevators go immediately to the ground floor, the gas is shut off, and all workers in the building who have registered their cell phones get a text message.

Which modern technology is comparable to the flying buttress in its ability to allow for larger exterior windows?

Domino Construction System

GREAT ZIMBABWE

Great Zimbabwe in East Africa (FIG. 14.2) is an elliptical structure made of dressed local stone that gave its name to the country in which it is located. Probably built between 1350 and 1450 ce, it was used for about 300 years. Great Zimbabwe ("Great Stone House") is nearly round, with several conical structures inside whose original function is still unknown. Its stone walls are approximately 30 feet high and, for added stability, they were built up to 15 feet thick at the base, tapering slightly toward the top. Roofing was probably grass or thatch held together with sticks. The structure is the largest of a group of stone dwellings that formed a trading city of perhaps 20,000 people at its height. Although the outer walls of Great Zimbabwe have openings in selected locations for entry and exit, there are no windows; because these tend to weaken masonry walls, only structures that are considerably smaller can use them without external support.

Frank O. Gehry, GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO

In recent years, art museums have become showplaces for cutting-edge architecture. Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (FIG. 14.25), is more like a piece of functional sculpture. The development of computer graphics and modeling applications in the 1980s made possible this design, which the architect called a "metallic flower." The museum's exterior is a dramatic limestone and titanium-clad cluster of soaring, nearly dancing volumes that climax in a gigantic, glass-enclosed atrium. These billowing forms completely conceal the steel structure beneath, with its blocks of rectangular galleries

What is one reason that the mkSolaire home represents the cutting edge in green single-family home design?

It uses the most efficient insulation available

What is one drawback to using carbon fiber in architecture?

It's expense

Who influenced Walter Gropius design for the Bauhaus?

Le Corbusier

What was one negative consequence of the popularity of the International Style on world architecture?

Loss of unique regional styles

Which architectural detail of Hagia Sophia serves no structural purpose?

Minarets

steel frame construction

Steel-frame construction (FIG. 14.22) came into wide use after 1945 as a simpler and more efficient version of the International Style.

Fentress-Bradburn Architects, JEPPESEN TERMINAL BUILDING

Suspension structures were known for decades through their use in tents and bridges, but the most dramatic recent use of this technique in a major public building was in the Jeppesen Terminal Building at Denver International Airport (FIG. 14.24). Its roof is a giant tent composed of 15 acres of woven fiberglass, making it one of the largest suspension buildings on Earth. This white roofing material lets in large amounts of natural light without conducting heat, and it is coated with Teflon for water resistance and easy cleaning. Its exterior design was inspired by the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, which are visible from inside.

The LEED-

The Council then makes annual awards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

vault

a curving masonry roof or ceiling constructed on the principle of the arch

which detail reduces the aqua tower's sway in windstorms?

The curving balconies

What allowed curtain walls to be used at the Bauhaus building?

The exterior walls did not need to carry weight.

What distinguishes Louis Sullivan's WAINWRIGHT BUILDING from INTERNATIONAL STYLE buildings?

The heavy ornamentation at the top of the building

What innovation was made possible by the development of steel for a skeletal structure?

The skyscraper

the great defect of early cast-iron buildings:

The unprotected metal struts tend to buckle on exposure to heat, making such buildings very susceptible to destruction by fire. The Crystal Palace indeed burned in 1936 after a fire broke out in its interior.

in post and beam-

Vertical posts or columns support horizontal beams and carry the weight of the entire structure to the ground.

What architectural feature would have weakened the GREAT ZIMBABWE?

Windows

What material is used in CLT?

Wood

When extended in depth, the round arch creates a tunnel like structure called

a barrel vault

Arch-

a curved structure designed to span an opening, usually made of stone or other masonry; roman arches are semicircular, islamic and gothic arches come to a point at the top; this invention allowed builders to transcend this limitation and create new architectural forms

traditional materials of architecture

include wood, stone, earth, and brick

dressed stone

stone used for building that is cut, trimmed or ground down to fit into a masonry wall.

Early Mediterranean and western Asian civilizations used arches and vaults for which of the following structures

tomb chambers