Reading Composition 3.

[1] Vertically, symbolism, culture, and era all play important roles in the building and architecture of a cathedral. Some cathedrals are completely balanced in harmony and symmetry while others are more off center and unique, but they all serve the same purpose; it is the culture that makes their architecture tell the story of their beliefs and purposes. Some of the cultural traditions of cathedrals are carried on from era to era, and then some new traditions are created. When all is said and done, they are put on display for all the community and the world to see.

My main cathedral to analyze is the Cologne cathedral of Germany. It is certainly a building of vast scale which demands immediate attention of anyone who lays their eyes on it. It is very 'upright' in in stance in comparison to it's surrounding city and also compared to the Salisbury cathedral of England. Salisbury is also shares very grand details of architecture, but in contrast to Cologne, it has lower, more relaxed structure that plays along with the green, soft, landscape. The entrances of the two are also different. Cologne has two large 'spikes' to declare it's entrance while Salisbury only has one. The exteriors of the two are very different from each other, but share the same style of Gothic architecture. I believe this is because of the space and the people surrounding the two. From the airplane views of the two, I gathered my own speculations of the cities that home them. The Cologne cathedral is in a very rural looking setting, similar to my view of Manhattan. There are rural type buildings, few trees, all gray of color, a river, large bridges, etc. As for Salisbury, it is surrounded by a grass lawn, trees, and warmer colored buildings. I believe this is the reason for the low, agriculturally involved architecture of the Salisbury in contrast to the Cologne which is in a city environment. It needs to be a strong symbol for all the hustle and bustle. Strange enough, as different as their exteriors are, the interiors are almost identical. They both share axial progression of initiation and contain clerestory windows so naturally illuminate the religious space. They have the details of vaulted ceilings and arches, both of which tie into the Gothic theme of the exterior architecture. Even thought these two cathedrals were built at different times and in different places, but still have numerous things in common. I think this happened because the architectural traditions of cathedrals are timeless and carry on from generation to generation. Therefore, the cathedrals share many of the same characteristics even when they're built years apart.

Amiens and Cologne are similar structurally and floor plan wise. One main thing they have in common are the two towers that indicate their entrances. Historians say that these towers represent certain regions. I believe this to be a valid point in different societies and would promote unity among these different regions considering they are set on the same cathedral. These two cathedrals stand in cities among other cathedrals (sister cathedrals) that also share the same characteristic making it a regional style that was adapted. The buttresses were also a common characteristic among these cathedrals. They were added for structural support making the buildings more complex, massive in scale, and also stronger structurally (I also believe to add delight). They also share the axial progression characteristic when entering. They also have vaulted ceilings which will leave the people in awe as they enter. Even though these cathedrals were built during the 'dark ages', they are so innovative and creative.

The Cologne cathedral and the Florence cathedral of Italy are probably the most diverse out of the cathedrals I have already discussed. The Cologne has numerous 'spikes' along with large towers. Florence has one small 'spike' and adds a dome into the new idea of cathedral architecture. Florence still carries Gothic characteristics along with it but adds the new inovative idea of a dome. It was truly a break through for a religious gathering space. All of these cathedral's main idea was verticality to the heavens. Adding a occulus to a dome takes that concept to a new level. It is like heaven shining down in on the people practicing worship and religion (just like the pantheon's dome). It is almost like Florence was trying to break away from the tradition and add something new to the old. Which is true, why create something that's already been copied and created before? The church still symbolizes the same thing it always had, it just uses the dome now, instead of the tower, to portray that.

[2] The whole purpose of architecture in the renaissance era was to focus on older building methods and forms to respond to societies functional needs (particularly Roman architecture that is still standing, Roth). This was because the Roman empire had just been destroyed, and Christianity was the only thing people could lean on. Life had changed drastically.

The area, of what can be seen, in this photo seems to be rather minimalist, just like historical homes, where function was the only thing that mattered and there was no such thing as delight. The woman seems to be standing in what looks like a kitchen. There is a carrot on the floor and she seems to be making something. The windows and door looks like they lead to outside. Roth says in 'Understanding Architecture' that the kitchen is typically in the back of the house which I assume is where the door in the picture leads.

In this time, the fireplace was the center of the home. Families where the center of society in this time. The 'Great Hall' is where everything happened in the household; sleeping, eating, entertaining, socializing, everything. Tapestries and screens provided warmth. The giant stone walls provided protection for the family. These structures showed zero axial progression, unlike the cathedrals previously discussed, instead, the rooms were almost put there with zero thought about any architectural elements such as balance and harmony.