Point : Reflections

The switching of breaking the rules, and obeying the rules seems so interesting and abrupt to me. From going to the Renaissance and human measure to baroque where that idea is completely thrown away. The baroque period focuses on the facade extending beyond just the face of the building. A good example of this concept is the Palace of Versailles. The boundaries themselves, or therefore, lack there of, create the experience and the progression of space. The overflow of naturalistic details swallows the space. It is about bringing the outside in, and creating a more whimsical feeling through out the space. The hall of mirrors especially creates this holistic experience. Every wall space has a mirror, which only enhances the aura of nature by means of reflection.

Other buildings are being built in France that portray the same architectural characteristics. The Louvre is one mile long, and was literally stamped with repeated classical details. Because the scale of the Louvre is so large, the classical details seem watered down. The scale of a lot of the buildings is growing for the soul fact that the middle class is growing and rising. This is when the idea of making things seem grandeur then they actually are. The front facades tell a completely different story then the inside does. The Palace de Vosges was built for middle class residents. The exterior facades are all identical and have a 'wealthy' appearance, when in all actuality, the rooms this exterior contains are very small in scale. This residential building just screams with contrast.

Another big thing we discussed in class is the revolution. Revolution corrects the excess, aka baroqueness. Extra curves and frill were taken out of furniture after the revolution. But then in the 1820's, curves come back and furniture is about movement and flexibility. This is a direct reflection of Roman influence.

Another fact I learned that I found interesting was about the White House. The white house was built with an Irish palace influence, whom which hate the british (oxymoron?). A fire was set to the house, and it was practically destroyed. Then, it was restored back exactly to what it was before. This symbol supersedes moving forward in design. I think this concept is still true today for some designers. They are constantly trying to copy Charleston houses, or victorian houses. Why not move forward and create something new?

In the 19th century, glass and iron are introduced. This completely changes the idea of architecture. Glass and iron allows spaces to be larger and grandeur. It also allows buildings to have curves and bends. The Crystal Palace built in 1851 was six football fields long made completely out of glass and iron. It was a place meant for people from all classes, and for people from anywhere in the world. It was meant to be a show of goods that all the different kinds of people bring. Again, bringing back the idea of contrast from inside to out, the decorative goods themselves speak a different language then the sleek exterior that contains them.

Some things never stay in the past, and people are constantly stuck on the ideas that have already been thought of.