Paul Woodworth - Blogs 9 and 10

The ancient cultures that we first studied created monolithic, organizational structures in attempts to interpret their universe. Rock formations found at sites like the Nabta Playa and Stonehenge are almost purely this. The formations were organized to track cosmological patterns and sun paths, among other things. Whatever the purpose, these civilizations found it important to use their man made structures to understand more about how the universe works, and also perhaps why. In a way, these early structures are similar to our blog entries. The blogs provided opportunities for us to really look at the historical ideas we covered and apply them to the world around us. The search for details and structure throughout the city helped spark a more wondrous appreciation for the physical world around us and the potential to see it through different perspectives.

Alycia Schramm Blog 9 + 10

This semester, I have been very interested in our exploration of the roots of classical architecture. It has been very intriguing to see the layers of history and interpretation that make up the architecture of each era. Vitruvius looked back to antiquity the Greeks and established his own criteria for architecture. Jacopo Sansovino saw the Orders through a Venetian lens. Palladio's foundation was Vitruvius, with special attention to temples. Architecture in the classical style changed in many ways over the centuries as each person built upon or shifted the ideals of the person before him. This architecture is not just one idea; it is a collaboration of culture, history, and the ingenuity each individual contributes to their epoch.

Ashley Bressette Blog Nine & Ten

Out of all of the lectures we have had, I found the lecture on Buddhist and Hindu Architecture to be the most intriguing. Each has similar values and beliefs, yet when expressed architecturally, they are completely different, making it that much more interesting. The stupa may not be the most intricate of architecture, however its connection to the mandala and religious traditions to me make it a very complex and meaningful place. As time progressed, the stupa as well altered and the introduction of more intricate exterior and interior elements were added. Although intricacy is a desirable trait, I admire the simplicity of the structure because it makes the stupa very easy to understand and interpret. After all it is not about what it looks like, but more of the experience and movement that occurs upon entrance. This applies with everyday architecture as well, just because the exterior of a building may not be anything special, the internal experience may be life changing. This course also did a fine job at highlighting a buildings connection and experience with its culture and surroundings. I was able to understand the material at a deeper level because it was never just about the obvious physical traits.

Anette Balestrand Blog 9&10

Kailasnath, Ellora (750) made me think about Architecture in a different way. In school we have become accustomed to the additive process and often forget about subtraction. It is very fascinating to me to see a building created through a strict subtractive process. The care and detail that went into the work is something that we do not see much of in today’s architecture. Today there are not many stone carvers and sculptures working in architecture, and to use them for a project is very expensive. In ancient times stone carvings were considered a craft and it was very common to have a stonemason or craftsman work on a project. Those people took pride in their work. Today we have become so obsessed with manufacturing and cheap shortcuts, that we do not appreciate this type of work.

Mitchell Haughton: Blog Response 9/10

The section that interested me most was the Ise Jingu shrine. This building to me embodies the relationship between a physical building and the ideals of the people that occupy it. The Japanese have a close connection with nature, which highly influences this building. It is made out of materials (mostly wood) which are found close to the site. Yet the most incredible thing about Ise Jingu is that it is rebuilt every 20 years. It symbolizes the life/death cycle which we see so often in nature. Organisms die and their remains nourish new life. The shrine is rebuilt with new materials every year, and the old materials are given to other shrines to use. This is a most extreme case in which a building closely relates to the beliefs of the people who occupy it, which is why, out of everything we learned, it caught my interest the most.

Steph Greenlaw Blog 9&10 Response

The Egyptians have always baffled me. I’ve always found it very interesting that from the outside, Egyptian architecture seems simple but in reality it is probably one of the most complex and mysterious. Even still, it is one of the most easily recognizable types of architecture throughout the globe. Because the pyramids are such complicated puzzles even today, many people don’t believe that humans actually constructed them. A new theory that aliens built the pyramids has emerged to explain the meticulous orientation, connection to other structures and rivers, and the labyrinth type circulation through the pyramid. Personally, I think that it is just very unfortunate that over time the technology that the Egyptians developed was lost.

James Fulton -- Blog Response #9+#10

At the beginning of the semester, we discussed the caves at Lascaux. We spoke of them in terms of their significance with regards to the origins of the human spirit and man's cosmic foundation, and we also briefly touched upon a similar site in Cheveux that Herzog has recently made a documentary about. Having had the pleasure of seeing the Herzog film at a press screening over the Summer, I had learned that the nation of France had decided to close off the caves in Cheveux to all but a small and selected group of scientists and researchers.

The part about these cave sites that really interests me, architecturally, is not the original site but the hyperreal recreations that have been or are being made by France in order to draw in tourists. Lascaux II, as it is known, is a replica of two of the famous caves from Lascaux that was opened in 1983 after the "real" cave was closed in the 60's. At the point of filming, the caves in Cheveux had been digitally mapped to an almost molecular level of detail -- with plans to reconstruct the cave with excruciating care in an adjacent site.

While namedropping Baudrillard may not win merits with some people, I think his ideas concerning reality become extremely important in this instance. Are these replica sites capable of becoming hierophanies? If yes, is it an acceptable condition for them to embody, or should this opening of replica sites be disallowed? The arguments certainly have parallels in the old arguments that came about when the ability to quickly copy and mass produce poster-quality replicas of famous art works came about, but the discussion is not entirely the same.

Having visited neither site, my gut opinion is that, regardless of the quality of the copy, the temporal nature of the original caves is so overwhelmingly important that its absence must completely overshadow all of the makeup applied to the replica caves in an attempt to fool you into a false spiritual connection with our history as a species. So, while they are probably not worth the money, I do not think they are actively detrimental to the integrity of our spiritual history.