Employablity presentation and Future Career Plan.pptx
Raffles Institute_Design past and present_Middle ages
1. Design research of historical styles
Content: Middle Ages:
Early Christian
Byzantine
Romanesque
Gothic
2. Methodology
Define a “discourse” of the style, define time frame & etymology
Analyze historical, economical, political, social background
Recognize major historical events
Analyze urban movements and planning
Analyze theoretical and philosophical influences
Analyze available technologies, engineering, science, materials
Acknowledge regional, geographical, climate, religious impact on
the style development
Find the relationship between the above and the design
movement and visual and ethical characteristics
Structure the main style characteristics: forms, shapes, building
technologies, materials, common motives, ornamentation, décor,
colors
Analyze “genius loci”, symbolism and meanings
Emotional and aesthetic effects
3. Why?
• approach existing designs with a critical sense of their
deeper social, historical and aesthetic values
• discern symbolic associations in design and express links
with a historical vocabulary of images and metaphors which
operate in traditional interpretations
• support their critical and intuitive opinions either in favor of
a design or against certain designs with reasoned argument
and engage the language of criticism in debating the sense or
the vanity of certain spaces and objects
• be able to engage in the imaginative task of analyzing
design in ways which reveal its strengths and weaknesses
• be able to interpret design and find arguments to elaborate
certain premises and relationships to explain influences on the
design processes and characteristics, ability to assign
meaning
5. Middle Ages
Timeframe: 395 AD – 15th century
Historical events: Breakdown of Roman Empire that
splits into Western and Eastern Roman Empire in 395 AD.
Western empire collapses in 476 AD.
Influences on design: Decline and breakup of the Roman
Empire let to slow down and decay of Roman classical
tradition in the design and architecture
Political conditions: Breakup with democratic system
and values, lack of strong central government, space for
political anarchy, social problems. Christianity became the
strongest focus of the period.
Architecture: Almost exclusively at service of a religion,
churches, sacred buildings
6. Middle Ages
Religion: In 313 by Edict of Milan, Christianity was
officially recognized by Constantine-I and became official
religion. By 326 it became official religion of the Roman
Empire.
Capital: Its Capital was based in Byzantium (renamed
Constantinople).
Geography: The empire stretched from Milan, Cologne
(west to Syria), south to Greece and Egypt.
Architecture: In architecture were adopted roman
characteristic: typology – Basilica (a rectangular assembly
hall that could serve as anything from market hall to law
court)
9. Early Christian design
Architecture: Churches as significant building type,
Mausoleum and Baptistery (octagonal)
Influence: Roman “court” basilica, large rectangular building
became the model for the early Christian church. Christian
Sacred Architecture was directly influenced by centralized
plans of Roman Buildings “Basilica”.
15. Early Christian design
1) Propylaeum- the entrance building of a sacred precinct
2) Atrium- the forecourt of a church; as a rule enveloped by four
colonnaded porticoes.
3) Narthex- the entrance hall or porch proceding the nave of a
church.
4) Nave- the great central space in a church.
5) Side Aisle- one of the corridors running parallel to the nave of a
church and separated from it by an arcade or colonnade.
6) Crossing- the area in a church where the transept and the nave
intersect.
7) Transept
8) Apse- usually semicircular, altar.
9) Nave elevation- term which refers to the division of the nave
wall into various levels, usually is composed of a nave colonnade
or arcade and clerestory.
10) Clerestory- In churches, the clerestory windows above the
roofs of the side aisles permit direct illumination of the nave.
16. Early Christian design
Historical references and characteristics:
Open interior space,
Flanking aisles permitting a clerestory with high windowed wall
to lit the central space
Arches and columns from Roman practice, less details and
decoration
Mosaic as major decorative tool, geometrical and religious
motives and subjects
Clerestory – The roof of the aisles were lower than that of the
nave.
Gallery – The aisles were sometimes surmounted by a second
storey; or gallery
Arcade – The nave and aisles were divided by rows of
columns or piers, surmounted either by arches to form an arcade.
Apse – at the end of the arcade, the apse, usually domed and
articulated with a triumphal arch, altar
25. Byzantine design
Political background: Constantinople became the Capital of
the Byzantine Empire (East Roman) in 330 AD. “Byzantine”
people called themselves Romans
Religion: Promoted orthodox Christianity, as opposed to
western Christianity, which was centered in Rome
Architecture:
churches,
roman structural techniques and details,
mosaic as decorative art, icons, manuscripts, crosses,
foliage and geometric patterns.
domed structures, pendantives, squinch
symbolism in form, motives and colors,
26. BYZANTINE VOCABULARY:
•CATHEDRAL: principal church of a diocese, where a
bishop is
•CODEX: a manuscript book
•ICON: a devotional panel depicting a sacred image
•ICONOSTASIS: a screen decorated with icons, which
separates the apse from the transept of a church
•MOSAIC: decoration using pieces of stone, marble,
or colored glass, called “tesserae”, that are cemented
to a wall or floor
•PANTOCRATOR: literally “ruler of the world”- a term
that alludes to a figure of Christ placed above the altar
or in the center of a dome in a Byzantine church
27. •PENDENTIVE: a construction shaped like a triangle
that transitions the space between flat walls and the
base of a round dome
•PSALTER: a book of the Psalms or sacred sung
poems from the Bible
•SQUINCH: the polygonal base of a dome that makes
a transition from the round dome to a flat wall (also a
really fun word to say!)
•TRIPTYCH: a three-paneled painting or sculpture
BYZANTINE VOCABULARY:
31. - a round dome on flat walls: PENDENTIVE!
-triangle-shaped piece of masonry with the dome resting on
one long side, and the other two sides channeling the weight
down to the pier below.
PENDENTIVE allows dome to be supported by four piers, one
in each corner of the building.
33. • SQUINCH has same function as PENDENTIVE (transition
weight of a dome onto a flat wall
• Architects designed pendentives and squinches so that
artists could later use these broad surfaces as painted
spaces
36. HAGIA SOPHIA (“holy wisdom”)
designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus
532-537, Istanbul
Built in 5 years!
37. •Plan includes a unique
combination of elements-
centrally planned and
axially planned
•Dome rests on 4 arches
that carry weight up to the
piers using
PENDENTIVES
•This allows for taller,
lighter and more
economical domes
•The plan also recalls
basilica of Constantine,
uniting east and west
42. • Altar at end of nave, not
directly under dome
• Large central dome with 40
windows at
Windows in
wall space, fill
structure with
light
43. • Exterior is plain and massive, little decoration
• Patrons were Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora, who
commissioned the work after the original building burned down
Minarets added in Islamic period when Hagia Sophia
functioned as a mosque
44. Capital, Hagia Sophia
Motifs of scrolls and
foliage, derived from
classical
architecture, but
effect is radically
different- no longer
look as if they
cushion the impact
of the weight of the
column- now is
delicate and pattern
defies the weight of
the stone.
48. • Eight-sided church
• Plain exterior except for the
porch, which was added
later in the Renaissance
• Large windows let in light
• Octagonal plan, central
dome like Sta. Constanza in
Rome, but S. Vitale is much
larger and richer in spatial
effects
• Commissioned by Ecclesius,
bishop of Ravenna
San Vitale
526-547 CE
Ravenna, Italy
49. Plan of San Vitale
• Central-domed octagon extended
by semicircular bays, all
surrounded by ambulatory and
gallery, all covered by vaults. It’s
got it all!
• Rectangular sanctuary and
semicircular apse project from one
side
• Circular rooms flank apse (typical
Byzantine)
51. • Round dome is hidden on the exterior by an
octagonal shell and tile-covered roof
• Structure strengthened by interlocking ceramic
tubes mortared together
54. • In the half-dome of the
sanctuary apse, we see a
mosaic of Christ enthroned –
flanked by St. Vitalis and
Bishop Ecclesius, who
presents a model of the
church to Christ
55. The interior elements look tall and
slender like the figures in the
mosaics and paintings
62. •Domes separated by barrel vaults and supported by pendentives
•Space doesn’t “flow” like Hagia Sophia – more complex space with
separate areas
•Central dome shows Pentecost scene (when the Holy Spirit fell upon
the apostles)
63. Procession at St. Mark's Square 1496
by 15th century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini
64. Saint Basil’s Cathedral
By Barma and Postnik
1555-1561
Moscow, Russia
Late Byzantine style
extended outside the
empire in regions that had
Eastern Orthodox
Christians
Constantinople fell to
Ottoman Turks in 1453
Leadership of Orthodox
Church shifted to Russia
Moscow = “Third Rome”
65. • Commissioned by Ivan the
Terrible (first ruler to be
crowned as Tsar of All the
Russias.
• Tall, slender pyramid-like
central tower crowned by
small, onion-shaped dome
• Central spire surrounded
by eight smaller domes of
various sized with fancy
decorative surfaces
• Low, flat, rounded arches
mixed with triangular forms
and tall, slender window-
like shallow spaces
69. • Most characteristic work of Byzantine art is the ICON – a religious
devotional image usually of portable size and hanging in a place of
honor either at home or in a religious place
• ICON has wooden foundation, covered with coats of paint,
sometimes includes fish glue or putty, cloth placed over this base,
layers of stucco applied on top.
• Coated with varnish to protect it.
• Icons carried in religious processions, sometimes placed on city walls
in times of invasion
• Some believe they possess spiritual powers – sacred to Byz. people
• Icons are not IDOLATRY = the worship of images
• Icon = Veneration of an idea or holy person depicted in a work of
art
• Icons are aids to meditation and prayer – a bridge between
worshippers and the holy people they depicted
• Icons displayed on screens in churches - ICONOSTASIS
71. Virgin and Child with
Saints and Angels (Icon)
6th century
Encaustic (wax) on wood
•Many images of the Virgin
and Child show Mary on a
throne with Christ in her lap
•Theodore (left) and George
(right) are warrior-saints
(dragon slayers!) = symbolic
of the church over the “evil
serpent” of paganism
•Angels look up at heaven-
more realistic looking than
saints. Saints have rich
patterns on their cloaks-
hardly show bodies beneath
72. Virgin of Vladmir (icon)
11th-12th century
Tempera paint on wood
•Probably from Constantinople
•Mary and Christ embrace
tenderly
•Humanized image- personal
•Thought to protect people of
the city where it resided (went
to many cities)
•Now in Moscow
73. Justinian and Attendants, 547 CE, San Vitale, Ravenna
Byzantine Emperor Justinian w/ military and clergy
75. • Empress Theodora =
Justinian’s wife
• Mosaic is positioned by
altar – Theodora and
Justinian participate in
the Mass
• Shimmering gold,
colored stones, and
glass – each piece
positioned at an odd
angle to catch flickering
of candles or sunlight,
glittering world of gold
and floating shapes –
what they thought
heaven would be like
Detail
80. PANTOCRATOR, late 11th century, Church of the Dormition, Greece
•mosaic
•Christ in dome over
nave of church- he
sees and understands
as he looks down from
heaven
•Christ as Pantocrator
(ruler of the universe
82. Old Testament Trinity
by Andrei Rublev
15th century, tempera
paint on wood
•Heads of angels nearly
identical
•Extensive use of gold
•Flat, nearly spaceless
background
•Deep colors in fabric
•Luminous colors
•Poses mirror each other
•Byzantine artists liked
repeating older art, no
modern advances here
•Old Testament angels who
appeared to Sarah and
Abraham in the book of
Genesis- symbol of Christian
Trinity (God, Christ, Holy
Spirit)
83. Harbaville Triptych, 10th century, ivory (don’t buy ivory!)
(small portable altar for private use, small-scale relief, 24x28 cm
84. •Individualized heads, similar bodies-
same size, dressed alike, symmetrically
arranged
•Mostly frontal, but some bodies are
slightly turned
•Sharp, crisp lines, delicate carving, jewel-
like cuts
•Angels are in medallions
•Many have hands covered= sign of
respect/ approaching someone higher
•Name labels (Medieval trend)
86. Etymology: The term “Romanessque” originated in the early 19th century in
reference to the architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries because it revived
classical precedents established by the Romans.
Timeframe: 900-1200AD, in Europe
Architecture: churches, monasteries, castles (defending, protections-new
building type)
Characteristics of a style:
Material: stone, brick
Semicircular arch, barrel vaults, exuberant surface decoration and
towers, Roman structural techniques
Simplicity, symmetry, organic quality of space, expressed in the clarity of
building plans, practical purpose – canon for the liturgy, worshiping
Impressive dimensions, spans, heights
Minimal furniture, undeveloped standards of comfort (benches, stools,
tables, portable beds, chests for storage, tapestries
Buttressed vaulting, piers
its starting point is the square module of the span, which is split in half in the
lateral naves, the transept, narthexes and atrium.
Geography: France and England, Italy, Spain and Germany.
Romanesque
106. Gothic
Characteristics of a style:
• Pointed arch and vaults, ceiling construction and roof have changed, windows
molding, less massive piers,
• Large vertical windows
• Multiply ribs vaulting – rich visual pattering known as “fan vaulting”
• Stained glass windows – decorative and religious
• Sculpture in interior and part of architecture – religious
• Exposed “stone cage skeletal” interior
• Furniture: rail and panel construction
• “Half timber” houses
• Buttresses, towers, rosette windows
Decorative art: The manner of decoration also changed, with figured and
narrative elements appearing not only on portal and capitals but also on
ribbed vaults, bundled piers, and pinnacles.
The layout:The plan of the hall church- with three or five naves, called “stepped”
when the central nave is elevated –conveys the sense of a single great space
lit directly by light falling from the window in the lateral naves.
• France , England. Spain and Portugal , Germany and Italy.