Gothic

The Gothic period was between 1140-1500. The center of the Gothic world was Paris and churches were the center of the city life.  The Gothic period was birthed from the Romanesque period. However, the Gothic introduced pointed arches, ribbed vault, and fly buttresses. In the cathedrals they wanted a weightless appearance. Also, they included tall walls with several stained glass windows.
Below is a great youtube video to better help you understand the differences between Gothic and Romanesque architecture.

One gothic cathedral is the Notre Dame at Chartes. It was built from 1145-1220 and I think one of the most beautiful cathedrals. Below shoes an interior of the cathedral and up close of a stained glass window which is called a Rose window. 

Another gothic cathedral is located in Siena, Italy and I was lucky enough to visit it. It was built in 1245-1380. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with red marble on the facade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena which is linked to black and white horses of the city's founders, Senius and Aschius. 

Interior showing the marble stripes

Interior

Exterior

Current Applications:

Tracery

Rib Vault

Discussion: 

I reviewed Justine's blog and her three pictures of the pointed arch, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses were very clear and helped me understand and identify them better. Also, I liked how she put the picture of the Notre Dame in Chartres and the Notre Dame in Paris next to each other so I could see the similarities and differences between them. The other blog I reviewed was Melanie's. The beautiful cloisters on the English Gothic cathedral, Salisbury, caught my eye. Also, I learned that there is a octagonal chapter house that houses one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta. 

Islamic

Mohammed is the figure-head of the Islamic religion and the religion is the foundation of Islamic design. Mosque's were created and they were for prayer and worship. A place where people could com and pray to God by kneeling on a carpet and facing Mecca.

An example of a mosque is The Great Mosque of Kairouan which was built in 670 C.E. It is the most famous ancient mosque in Tunisia, North Africa. Below are pictures of the mosque. The inside shows the classic capitols with Islamic and horseshoe arches.

Another mosque is Sultan Ahmed, Constantinople. This mosque has over 20,000 hand made tiles, over 50 different tulip designs, 200 stained glass windows, walls that looked like carpet and its decoration is geometric. 

Alhambra is a large palace and fortress complex in Granada, Spain. It's an arabesque design with acanthus leafs and vines. The alhambra's most notable features are the muquarnas. This palace is filled with arches and domes.

Current applications:

The beautiful geometric patterns and designs can still be found in interiors today for several different uses. 

Here is a youtube video on Islamic Architecture.

If you want to know more about Islamics geometric patterns they used in their designs watch the video below.

Discussion:

I reviewed Rachael's blog and she made a good point that the Taj Mahal shows a detailed use of outdoor design. Also, how it is so unique and a great example of Islamic style. Lindsay's blog caught my eye with the current day applications she found on Islamic design. I liked how she compared a  horseshoe arch design from back then and now. Also, I learned that only geometric shape figures and designs were used. Animals and people weren't included.

Romanesque

During the Romanesque period, schools and monasteries were established. The religious movement was becoming strong and it was important for people to be educated on it. They encouraged building using the technology of Roman structures. There was a minimum of 1,587 churches built between 1000 and 1100. Romanesque has an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. It is known by its massive quality, thick walls, round arches, sturdy piers, groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcading.




















The nave, transept, and apse were modified for better spacing. Also, they added a side chapel in the transept along with multiple aisles. The churches were larger for more worshipers and large enough to add a choir.

The roofs where masonry, not wood.

The walls were painted rich greens, blues, purples and gold. Their tapestries were very rich looking and gilded sculptures were found. Bibles and chalices were gold, silver, and ivory set with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls.

Current Applications:

Curved arches

Churches today are still built with large curved arches

Masonry/stone walls

Discussion:
I viewed Lindsay's blog and I loved the windows she showed us of ones that we would find today. The round arches on the residential windows relate to the Romanesque period. Also, her last current application photo really caught my eye. It has decorative vaulted ceilings in a very modern commercial space. I like the mix showing the old and the new. In Justine's blog I noticed the carved ceiling in her photo from a home in New York. It is so beautiful and detailed like many sculptures and wall art in churches from the Romanesque period.

Pompeii

Pompeii was an ancient Roman city near Naples in Italy. Pompeii, along with many villas in the surrounding area, was mostly destroyed and buried under 13 to 20 feet of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Evidence for the destruction originally came from a surviving letter by Pliny the Younger, who saw the eruption from a distance and described the death of his uncle.
Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy with approximately 2.5 million visitors every year. I have been lucky enough to visit Pompeii this past summer. It is sad to see such a destroyed city and dead bodies placed in the position they died in. Below is a collage of images I captured from Pompeii. As you can see from the bottom right picture, the wall paintings are very detailed and colorful. They have painted stucco and frescos style, and this picture shows that on a ceiling. Also, you can see 2 bodies from men that died from the eruption and architectural pillars that are still standing in Pompeii.

This image below was a fast food restaurant in Pompeii. You can see the holes where they placed the food for people to line up and grab food on the go. Fast food restaurants have obviously changed dramatically over time.

Then

Now

Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano and it is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc. Its elevation is 4,203 feet. I had the chance to climb this volcano while visiting Pompeii. Below is a image from the top of the volcano. It was an amazing experience because when you finally reach the top you are in the center of clouds. 

This image I took below is in a wealthy families home in Pompeii. This reminded me of a Domus from the Roman time period. It is in the 1st room atrium and the roof is open for the rain to fall into the space below. 

Current Applications:
Wall paintings are still popular today in interior and exterior places.

Discussion: I reviewed Yo's and Kristina P's blogs. In Yo's blog I learned about the four different styles of paintings. I like how he discussed each one and posted a picture of an example of the style of painting. Also, his photo of the overall view of the city of Pompeii was neat to see. I didn't realize how large the city actually was. In Kristina's blog, I enjoyed how she focused on the architecture. It was awesome that she related Pompeii's architecture to a hotel she stayed at with her family. Also, her image of the beaded tile was beautiful. I wish I saw more flooring that looked like that today. 

Byzantine

Byzantine Empire was founded in 330 AD on May 11th. It is influenced by the Greeks and Orient and predominately Greek speaking. Though the western half of the Roman Empire fell in 476, the eastern half survived for 1,000 more years. The Byzantine Empire finally fell in 1453.
During this era, the long and narrow basilica style changed to a more centralized style.

Hagia Sophia, church of the holy wisdom is an example of this. This central plan has a lot of circle windows along with a massive tile dome that gives a sense of importance to the exterior. To create a circular dome on a square base, the pendentive method was the contraction type they used.

Hagia Sophia Floor Plan

Interior 

Tile Dome

Byzantine Interiors
- Flooring was tiled in marble- often geometric designs
- The surfaces on walls or ceilings were marble, frescos, mosaics and alabaster
- Buildings that remain are churches or temples 

Byzantine Interiors Today:

Discussion:

Kristina P's was a blog I looked like and I really liked her pictures she found of Byzantine construction because they were labeled. She showed the exterior of a dome with the pendentive and the interior of one as well. On Melanie's blog I enjoyed reading the differences she wrote from the Byzantine design period to the Early Christian period. They seemed very similuar so I definitely learned something from reading her blog.