Theme 2 Perception Shape and Geometry

Name the 4 senses through which we can experience arch. from most to least frequent. And one we do not

1. Sight

2. Touch (walking)

3. Hearing (acoustics)

4. Smell (wood)

5. Taste - no

Name a 6th sense that gives us an understanding of arch + examples of sensations it gives us

Intuitive perception - cold, warm, homely

Name the 5 scales of perception

1. Minor fragments

2. Major fragments

3. Mid-size complete planes (interior)

4. Big-size complete planes (exterior)

5. Complete building + context

What German word means “configuration”?

gestalt

What is the main concept of Gestalt?

We percieve things as a whole rather than individual components

Psychological connotations of a square/cube

stability, strength

Psychological connotations of a ciclre/sphere

movement, continuity

Psychological connotations of a triangle/tetrehedron

unsteadiness, agressivity

Name of building, architect, dates, movement

Public Library Stockholm, Asplund, 1920, introduces modern architecture in Scandinavia

Analysis of plan

Axis of symmetry and balance, regular shapes (rectangles and circle)

Influence and significance of monumental door

egyptian influence + highlights the function of the building - a library is a deposit of knowledge

Influence + significance of stairs

Acropolis, Athens + represents spiritual ascension

Give an example of a vertical building

Seagram by Mies van de Rohe

Give an example of a horizontal building

Robie House by Frank L. Wright

Name the two ways of analysing shapes in arch

1. objective description of forms

2. subjective experiences - heavy or light shapes, movement and rhythm

Name a characteristic of buildings with curves

the hard material appears soft (illusion)

How can a building appear “heavy”?

short and thick column

Name of building, period, where, significance

Panthenon of Adrian, 120 AD, Rome, purity of shapes

Significance of dome

largest unreinforced concrete dome + harmony between Earth and heavens + designed to reduce weight and appear to float

Significance of shapes

purity in monumental shapes

Name of building, architect, dates, place, key feature, movement

National Assembly Building, Louis Khanm 1901-1974, Bangladesh, monumentality, brutalism

Influences of Louis Khan

structural rationalism and Viollet Le Duc

Characteristic of Louis Khan

uses typical shape combinations

Analysis of plan

hierarchical, octagonal central chamber, radiating supporting blocks with secondary functions

Name of building, architect, period, where, movement

Villa Rotonda, Palladio, 16th century, Italy, Renaissance

Analyse this plan 

the 4 axes converge under the central dome and transform into a vertical axis + main shapes include central square, 4 secondary squares, central circle

Singular feature about the façades of Villa Rotonda

the 4 façades are identical (not one dominant façade) - creates balance and visual clarity

Name of building, architect, dates, where, movement

Casa del Fascio, Terragni, 1930s, Como, mature naturalism

What is inside the building

a courtyard

Name 3 ways that Casa del Fascio contradicts International Style

1. No pilotis (stilts elevating building)

2. No free façades

3. No horizontal ribbon windows

What is the effect of an open façade?

shadows - creates depth

Relationship of building with exterior

it is an extensions of the plaza - feels like a warm embrace

Name of building, architect, date

Orphanage in Amsterdam, van Eyck, 1960s

What layout does van Eyck use and which one does he reject?

city-like layout over a functionalist approach

What does a city-like layout include?

human-centered spaces with both private and communal spaces

What important feature did van Eyck use throughout this project? (e.g. playgrounds)

used primal shapes and created playgrounds that encouraged imaginative and physical play

What is the Golden Ratio based on?

human body proportions

Name 3 ways in which we understand a point in arch.

1. centre of a composition

2. projection of a building (tower)

3. an element with an implies isolation attitude (opening)

Name 4 things a line tells us about a building

1. height

2. horizontal component

3. inclination

4. curve

What are the 3 basic planes in arch?

1. base

2. roof

3. wall

Name the 2 types of volume

1. void volume

2. full volume