Category Archives: Monday 11/12

Architecture Lecture-11/12-Ariana Z.

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Today’s seminar welcomed Professor Richard Powers to our class. He gave us a lecture on the many things that go into understanding the aspects of architecture. What I enjoyed most about the lecture were the different hints Professor Powers gave us to recognize the different styles of architecture.

We first learned the word, ethos which means the whole culture of the society. Apparently, some call architecture a symbol of the ethos of a society. One example included the Parthenon, which was built in 447 BC and thought of as a pose to power. Essentially, it meant that you have to use brute force to get anywhere as a society. The Parthenon represented an intellectual power, symbolizing how reason rises above nature and towers over everything else. This making reason most important in a culture trying to move forward. The goddess of the Parthenon being Athena, the goddess of reason. Definitely fitting for this building.This style of reason is widely used for banks (which I found interesting) since of course banks should be reasonable. This makes perfect sense as when I go to the bank I am usually at my most serious state focusing on serious things.Having a bank look anything but reasonable would be quite confusing to my mindset since so much of it is dependent on the environment.

During the 1830s and 1840s, architecture made a shift from neoclassicism to Gothic culture.This was characterized by pointed arches otherwise known as the Gothic arches. Gothic architecture also symbolized the religion of the rulers of the time period, which tended to be Episcopalian. This exemplified how religion and the church was held extremely high. One example of it was Trinity church. Gothic style is also appropriate for school buildings.

One term that stood out to me is that the paths that people crate on their own, as a kind of detour path to a destination, are actually called “paths of desire.”

Another aspect of the lecture that intrigued me was the thought of Central Park as a building. With the beauty and nature that has developed in Central Park, it is easy to forget  that it is in fact, a man made structure. Central park is a romantic structure. It is not symmetrical and it reminds you that even in the midst of the big city, you can be in the middle of nature. It is a symbol of romantic nature.

The passion that someone has for their work never ceases to amaze me and though history is not my forte, I enjoy listening to someone like Professor Powers share the knowledge he has on architecture to our Arts In New York City seminar class.

Professor Powers on Architecture: 11/12/12

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I’m not one for architecture…I never have been.  But Professor Powers came to our seminar class today as a guest speaker, and he introduced some interesting facts about architecture that I never knew.  Obviously, certain things were common sense and had been taught in past history classes.  But other things, some of the art forms and where and how they originated, were new to me.  It didn’t really change my perspective on architecture as a whole, but I did find it interesting to hear why some of the most well – known buildings in NYC are built the way they are, how even places like Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge fit into a certain style of architecture.

It is common knowledge that many buildings and other significant edifices were built and modeled after ancient Greek and Roman architecture.  What I did not know was that the Parthenon, in Greece, stands as a symbol of reason and intellect, which is why it stands taller than the other buildings that surround it.  Apparently, many buildings that we see every day and learn about in school are modeled after the Parthenon and for the same reason – as a sign of reason and intellect, as a sign that the mind is more powerful than anything else.  Some well known buildings that fall in this category include Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s approach to symbolizing reason; Saint Paul’s Chapel, built in the neoclassical style of brick, with white trimming and corners made of limestone; and the US Capitol, which stands as a significant mark of the Founding Fathers’ ability to build our nation, mostly based on reason, intellect, and order.  This was the “ethnos” of that period and of their frame of mind: that reason was the best approach in creating a sound and stable nation.  I think, for me, this was the most interesting part of the lecture.  This seminar class has taught me many things, but one thing stands out in particular: I can appreciate and enjoy many different art forms, and I can be analytical.  But I am also a very concrete person, not very abstract.  Therefore, the idea of reason and intellect appeals to me, sometimes more than out-of-the-box, inventive and creative art forms.

Professor Powers then explained various other types of architecture styles, including Gothic, Beaux-art, Art Deco, and International Style.  While I do not particularly “like” architecture, my favorite is definitely Gothic.  Old, castle-like, semi-formal buildings always catch my attention and fascinate me.  Trinity Church looks like a beautiful building, one that I would enjoy exploring.  I think the Beaux-art section of the lecture was my least favorite, mostly because the idea behind it, of stepping out of the lines a bit, trying something new, seems like something I would expect of an artist or architect.  Art Deco and International Style, on the other hand, did interest me, because the ideas were new to me.  Art Deco is a style where designers feel that architecture should be honest and everything should have a purpose.  For example, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building fall in this category.  It is interesting to see how the shapes and designs of these buildings were influenced by this idea, that rather than just copying architecture from ancient civilizations, designers should create new architectural styles.  Then there was the International Style.  When Europeans and later, Americans, began toying with this architectural style, it was a break from historical references and business civilization.  These designers felt like capitalism ruined society, and therefore, buildings should not be new, abstract shapes, nor should they resemble ancient Greek and Roman edifices.  Instead, buildings should have the logical shape of a building.  There is no culture or meaning attached.  Le Corbusier was a famous architect and designer who came from this mindset, and he developed the Human Model, based on Da Vinci’s Vitrvian Man.  The view that culture, intellect, and history are all part of extra baggage that is not needed is a radical idea, and I think that is what made this category attractive and interesting to me.

It seems that architecture is a key to the past.  It is a key to different ideas and views, and how people perceived certain ideas.  People were extremely concerned with the architecture that made up their societies and their cities and each building represents different ideas from different time periods.  While I do not find interest in studying architecture itself, these concepts behind the architecture, its meaning, is intriguing and I am glad Professor Powers came to provide insight into this art that I had never really truly appreciated before.

Oddly enough, some of the ideas concerning architecture segued into a brief discussion concerning Claude DeBussy and his musical style.  His musical style is one that is very abstract and open, with no clear cut definitions or limitations.  Maybe it’s because I am concrete and don’t have creative ability, but I really like the idea of abstract music, of “dancing around” rather than just getting to the point.  It’s open to interpretation and is enjoyable to listen to.  I look forward to hearing Professor Kahan perform his work tomorrow night at the concert.

Stephanie Solanki, 11/12/12

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Today in class, Professor Powers spoke to us about architecture and how it is a symbol of society. His thesis was “architecture tries to provide a context for the life that will go on in an around the building. Some scholars call architecture a symbol of the ‘ethnos.'” It is a frame for the society of the time. I never thought of architecture as a tool to set the tone and capture the feel of the time in which it was built.

The Parthenon is the iconic architecture of Western civilization. It symbolizes reason powering over brute force. Monticello was Thomas Jefferson’s effort to do what the Parthenon did for Western architecture. He wanted to show off the intellect of America. The ethnos of the founding fathers was enlightenment, reason, and order. The type of building shows the type of country that the rulers of the country wanted to have. The Massachusetts State House is a building that shows that the founding fathers were enforcing reason and intellect in their new government. Its architecture shows the world that the American government is rational and intellectual.  St. Paul’s Chapel in Downtown New York. CSI is Georgian architecture. It is a very rational and structured architecture. The US Capital is also Federal, Neo-Classical, and Greek in style. It shows an extremely rational approach to the world. Southern plantation houses were also Greek-inspired because the Southern people drew a parallel between their lifestyles and the lifestyles of the ancient Greeks in that they both owned slaves.

This next part was very interesting to me because of the irony of the situation. The Museum of the American Indian was once called the Customs House. Its architecture showed the way that the entire world was subjected under the English way of living. Beaux-arts architecture shows that Western civilization dominates over all civilizations. Now it is the Museum of the American Indian. American Indians were pushed out because the Western civilization thought it could dominate over them.

I’ve learned in various history classes that pointed arches symbolize Gothic architecture. This type of architecture symbolizes religion. The religion was tied into society. It is very appropriate for churches and schools. It shows a lot of romanticism. It is more about individualism, irrationality, and emotions.

Professor Powers addresses the Brooklyn Bridge as a building in New York City. I think this is very appropriate because the bridge is a very essential and iconic part of the city’s charm. The Brooklyn Bridge is a completely scientific building. It is all steel and suspension. However, the engineers wanted to tie it in to the notion that the country is tied into its religious roots. It has pointed arches; it is a Gothic bridge.

This contrasts the George Washington Bridge, which is a more honest kind of architecture. This means that a building should reflect its structure, purpose, and materials. Everything on the bridge has an engineering purpose.

After WWI a big change occurs in architecture. It is a rejection of traditional civilization. The carnage of WWI produces very left-wing engineers. They have an ethic that rejects all cultural associations of historical architecture. The buildings should be shaped logically and scientifically. The society was very scientific. It is called the international style. After WWII America starts to believe that culture creates a war atmosphere. The international style erases all culture, and it is more peace-favoring. The UN building is an example of this style. This type of building indicates the idea that work is more important than thought. This was the idea that intellect and culture should be trumped by the energy of the worker. The future belongs to the masses of the workers.

 I always thought that Central Park was created to be an escape from the urban lifestyle. Central Park has beaux-art elements. I learned today that it is romantically constructed, however. The paths wind in any which way. Central Park shows that even in a big city you can live in nature. However, it is very manmade because everything in it was moved from one place to the park. It is a work of art to become a symbol of romanticism. This shows that the urban nature of New York City is hard to escape. The creators of Central Park felt that the city needed a retreat from the harsh and dry city; however they had to plan out how this retreat would work. One can see that the idea of a retreat was structured and not spontaneous by looking at an aerial shot of Central Park. It is a perfect rectangle.

The Empire State Building was constructed in 1931. It shows that modern life is supposed to be fast and rational. These kind of buildings glorify capitalism. It shows the self-glorification of capitalism. This type of architecture reflects the lives we live not. They call our time the Commuter Age. We are always on the go and have very high expectations to meet. These buildings show that that we have to work hard and pick ourselves up from our bootstraps to get ahead in life. Rockefeller Center is also of the Art Deco Style. The dynamism and idea of maximizing profit was shown in these buildings. Ruthlessness was shown in this style. This ties back to the idea of an individual meeting his goals by himself and through hard work alone.

I really loved this class because I have always loved how the architecture of a certain place sets its tone. I never really thought what about the building sets the tone or why. It is really a very interesting subject. It makes me feel proud to live in New York because of the many different architecture styles that are right in my backyard. There’s so much to explore and learn about; the only thing we need to do is stop and think!

 

11/12/12 – Professor Powers Discussion on Architecture

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Today’s seminar class was a little different because we had a guest speaker come in and give a presentation of the architecture and culture of New York. His name was Professor Richard Powers and he explained that architecture tries to provide a context for the life that will go in and around various buildings. Some scholars call architecture a symbol of the “ethnos.” Professor Powers talked about numerous building all over the world, but in my blog I will only be discussing the ones I felt were important or relatable.

The first building we looked at was the Parthenon: (447-438 BC), which was an iconic building of Western civilization. It is a symbol of the intellectual power and relates to the idea of reason rising up above nature, in this particular case, it infers Greece. It’s not a building symbolizing Romanticism or a Gothic Castle

The next building we examined was Monticello, which is a Roman type structure (1772), and imposes a feeling that the mind can gaze over and impose such order. Along with that came, Federal Style Massachusetts State House, 1798, giving the idea that the Founding Fathers were enlightenment figures. Following the State House is a new form of architecture called Georgian, which was used in St. Paul’s Chapel, Thomas McBean (1776). This structure is very symmetrical, and uses a lot trim around the window. The brick and white trimmings make me think of CSI, because they both are constructed in a similar manner. By definition, Georgian means part of the British Empire.

Another building touched upon was the Customs House (1907) by, Cass Gilbert, which is a museum of the American Indian at bowling green. The four “continents” were done in a colonial fashion, in which the whole world was subjected to western civilization. I think it gives a sense that we are living in western civilization that is dominating the world. In the late 1800s, there was a great shift from neoclassical to gothic architecture. For example, Trinity Church (1846) represents this distinct shift. Some properties of gothic style are pointed arches; symbolizing religion, more specifically the rulers were Episcopalian. The gothic architecture is appropriate for schools.

The Ethnos of America is changing and becoming more sentimental, religious based, romantic (gothic), and irrational. Another structure we looked at was the Brooklyn Bridge, which is a completely scientific building. It is made out of all steel and ties into living in a country that still has contacts with its religious roots. However, engineers wants people to know it’s not a break of the past because it is in fact a gothic bridge.

The list of magnificent architecture goes on and on, but I will stop there and start discussing the wonderful performance that Professor Kahan will be performing in tomorrow night at CSI. She will be playing the piano and also be a part of other instrumental performances as well. I am looking forward to witnessing Professor Kahan in her true element. I’m definitely ready to be blown away, to say the least. Today’s class was another side of art that made me think about life and all it has to offer, and moving forward I am excited to attend such a spectacular show tomorrow night.

Architecture

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Usually, my blogs have one focus but today’s class had multiple topics worth talking about.  Firstly, I just want to say that Professor Richard Powers was funny and had a very likable personality.  On top of that, his last name is awesome, he drives a motorcycle and he looks like David Letterman (acts like him too).  The professor’s presentation was full of interesting content, particularly the parts about the Monticello and the United Nations building.

Thomas Jefferson is one of my most favorite people throughout all of history.  The man was extremely successful in his life; he was the third president, one of the founding fathers, an intellectual and was vastly rich.  A really interesting fact about Jefferson was that he had a very contradictory nature; although he was so successful, he had a tendency to never finish anything.  One of his unfinished works was one of his most famous, the Monticello.  That’s right, a building that is a prime example of excellent architecture, was never finished.

During class, Professor Powers brought up the classic film, North by Northwest.  Recently, I learned in my Intro to Film class that the United Nations’ scene was filmed illegally.  Hitchcock was not allowed to film in the building, he snuck in his crew and filmed the scene as fast as possible.  In addition, a replica of the building’s surroundings was made for the subsequent scene.

Lastly, I want to mention Rockefeller Plaza.  The ice skating rink in Rockefeller Plaza is one of the most popular attractions in New York and has a small but significant part in The Catcher in the Rye.  Hopefully, one of our next class trips will take place in this plaza.

I appreciate the visitors we have in Seminar and I look forward to the next one!

 

11/12/12 – Swathi Satty

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Today we received a presentation from Professor Richard Powers who did a talk on architectural history. He started off by saying that some scholars called architecture “ethnos” which is a frame for the time of society. Parthenon (447-438 BC) shows how western civilzation was during that time. It symbolizes the intellectual standing of those who built Partheton; it towers over everybody. A replica of Parthenon exists in Nashville. Another iconic building is called Monticello (little mountain) which is Roman as shown by the dome shape of the building. This allows the intellect over order over the world. The federal  style Massachusetts State House, 1798 shows the power of the founding fathers. The St. Paul’s Chapel, in 1776 is in Downtown. The trim around the windows is made of limestone and the use of brick shows its Georgian style architecture. The US capitol is roman and federal style which shows a rational approach to the world and the power in its function. Another federal style, neoclassical is Gracie Mansion.

Federal Hall, at the end of Wall Street, represents where President George Washington was inaugurated but the original was actually torn down.  It’s also greek revival because the success of Greece is shown through their use of Slaves which is what US did as well. The customs House is now a museum of American Indian; the building shows western civilization which is ironic to what it is now. Beaux-Arts architecture shows the dominance of Western Civilization over the world. In 1840’s is the transition from neoclassical to Gothic architecture which is shown by the pointed arches which shows religious. This ties America into Christianity. This transitions America from rational to sentimental and religious.

The Brooklyn Bridge is all steel and suspension. While it is sturdy and built for travel, it’s also highly religious because of its Gothic arches. The Engineers had to be careful because they didnt want to be seen as wanting to break away from their faith but they also have to make sure that the building is fully functional.Central Park also has also a Gothic feel but is mostly romantic. Its not symmetrical and it shows that even in a big city, you can live in a green neighborhood even if its not natural. Woolworth Building, 1913 is of Gothic Style and resides on city hall park. George Washington Bridge is an honest architecture because everything on the bridge serves an engineering purpose. This shows its rationality which is a roman way of thinking. The first skyscrapers were mostly of Beaux-Arts architecture or Gothic. The Chrysler Building, made in 1930, represents the role of modern life; the speed of life. The observations aid in the design of the building (streamlines, etc.). This is a gentle swift from historical revival because the role of engineers is more dominant. While the building is high, it was engineered to look high. The trim is of black marble and stainless steel which creates a shiny effect. The empire state building is made in a similar way in 1931. Buildings of this style promote and glamorize Capitalism.

The Rockefeller Center promotes capitalism as well since it asks to magnify everything. The big change is right after world war I which produced a generation of engineers who are very far to the left, some of them being communists.This kind of style is very present in our society now because we are a very capitalist based country.

Overall, I learned a lot about the role of buildings and how it represents what mattered most to the citizens of Western Civilization. As the focus of the westerners changed throughout the years, the building styles also changed to reflect the fascinations or interests of society. I really enjoyed Professor Powers’s presentation because it really aided in our study of the Arts of New York.