Global History of Architecture Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering architectural history topics including Mesoamerica, Imperial China, Vernacular and Classical Africa, Traditional Japan, European Gothic, Renaissance, and Mannerism.

Tenochtitlan

Aztec empire capital founded in 1325 CE on Lake Texcoco, featuring planned grid sectors, causeways, and artificial agricultural islands.

Chinampas

Artificial agricultural gardens built off the edges of the island capital of Tenochtitlan.

Templo Mayor

Aztec temple complex built around 1400 in the center of Tenochtitlan featuring twin temples to the God of Rain and the God of War.

Tlachtli

Aztec ball game courts where the losing participants were sacrificed.

Cuzco

Incan empire capital laid out in the shape of a puma to symbolize power, divided into Hanan and Hurin parts.

Tambo

Incan road network typology placed at single-day walking intervals to facilitate communication across the empire.

Quilqas

Incan warehouses built along imperial roads to stockpile regional necessities.

Pukaras

Incan fortress typologies positioned along imperial boundaries to protect territory.

Machu Picchu

Incan royal retreat built with approximately 200 mortarless dry-stone structures and agricultural terracing.

Forbidden City

600-acre imperial complex in Beijing containing 9,000 buildings constructed during the Ming Dynasty for the emperor and bureaucrats.

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Imperial building in the Forbidden City constructed in 1407 on three elevated terraces where the emperor met subjects.

Hall of Middle Harmony

Small square building in the Forbidden City used by the emperor to warm up or prepare prior to events.

Hall of Preserved Harmony

Structure within the Forbidden City designated for public meetings.

Wangcheng Plan

Traditional Chinese organizational design method for a city based on modular grids of 3 or 9.

Dougong Bracket System

Traditional Chinese structural wooden bracket framing system used to support roofs while functioning as decoration.

Hutong

Narrow alleys between high-walled courtyard houses in traditional Chinese residential planning designed to enhance privacy.

Great Zimbabwe

Early sub-Saharan African settlement built on an elevated plateau to avoid insects, extreme heat, and mosquito-borne diseases.

Bet Giorgis

Monolithic rock-cut Christian church carved directly into the ground in the shape of a cross located in Lalibela, Ethiopia.

Toguna

Low-ceilinged political community building designed to force leaders to remain seated on equal levels during discussions.

Ise Shrine

Shinto ritual shrine constructed from cypress wood and thatched roofs that is dismantled and rebuilt every 20 years on adjacent plots.

Sengu

The ritual ceremony and preparation process of rebuilding the Ise Shrine every 20 years.

Tenshu

Japanese castle fortification built on a massive rock base with tall wooden upper structures to demonstrate wealth and military power.

Himeji Tenshu

Prominent Japanese castle constructed in 1610 near Kobe featuring a large rock base, four towers, and white exterior finishing.

Tatami Mat Module

Standardized flooring units used in Shoin-style Japanese architecture to proportion rooms and layout interiors.

Tokonoma

Small decorative alcove in traditional Japanese homes designated for displaying artwork or seasonal items for meditation.

Stroll Garden

Japanese garden design structured to offer dynamic landscape perspectives as a visitor walks through it.

Dry Garden

Japanese Zen garden composed of raked pebbles and stones within wooden boundaries, maintained daily as an exercise in meditation.

Gothic Architecture

Medieval architectural system defined structurally by the combination of pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses.

Cathedral of St. Denis

French church credited as the first Gothic cathedral, developed around Abbot Suger's philosophy of connecting to God through light and color.

Chartres Cathedral

French church considered the first fully planned Gothic cathedral, featuring asymmetrical towers showing structural evolution.

Sainte-Chapelle

High Gothic private royal chapel constructed in Paris in 1248 to house holy relics, including the Crown of Thorns.

Humanism

Renaissance philosophy focusing on human achievement, potential, autonomy, and secular values distinct from religious dogma.

Vitruvian Man

Leonardo da Vinci drawing illustrating human physical proportions fitted within classical geometric shapes of a square and circle.

Vitruvian Triad

The three foundational principles of classical architecture defined by Vitruvius: function, structure, and beauty.

Tempietto

Small circular martyrium in Rome designed by Donato Bramante in 1502 featuring a drum-supported dome built over the site of St. Peter's martyrdom.

Mannerism

Post-High Renaissance architectural style characterized by decorative rule-breaking, fluid forms, unneeded keystones, and non-structural column groupings.

Strapwork

Northern Mannerist decorative ornamentation composed of flat, interlaced bandings that mimic leather straps or ribbon.

Putti

Decorative depictions of chubby baby cherubs popular in Renaissance and Mannerist artwork and interior design.