This first blog examines the
theories and works of Ruskin, Viollet-le-Duc, and Semper. These three men from the 19th
century each attempted to analyze architecture from their time period and
earlier to determine how architecture should be approached from then on into
the future. Different methods were
used by each of them to come up with their theories. There are similarities and differences between the three
great minds, which can be seen in their writings and architectural works.
John
Ruskin was a firm believer in the value of craftsmen in the field of
architecture. He valued the spirit
of the building created by the people physically crafting the
architecture. The process of
creation was more important than the final outcome of the building. Ruskin was a fan of gothic architecture
because of the craft that went into the gothic style. “The Seven Lamps of Architecture” is an essay written by
Ruskin outlining his principles of architecture. The seven “lamps” are sacrifice, truth, power, beauty, life,
memory, and obedience. He felt
these seven values kept architects moral in their work.
Viollet-le-Duc
boiled architecture down to its basic components, mostly architectural
forms. He examined buildings based
on features such as domes, arches, and other aspects found both in plan and
section. He studied these forms to
see what type of space they created within the building. From his studies he came to the conclusion
of the building appearance needing to reflect the rational construction of the
building. He also believed the
function of the building should be what dictates the style of the
building. Every visual aspect of
the building should reflect some functional reason within the building. The included image shows how
Viollet-le-Duc approached using the new material. The drawing below shows the new material being used to create a
functional aspect within the space, just as his theory describes. Viollet-le-Duc spent much of his career
dealing with restoration. His
architecture theory carried into this work with the mindset of using the forms
originally found in the building to enhance the restoration project.
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| http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/lecture-4/deck/2692077 |
Gottfried
Semper viewed architecture in a very scientific way. He first simplified architecture down to four main
components.
1.
Hearth: social point in a building.
2.
Substructure: raise the hearth off of the ground.
3.
Roof: protect the hearth from rain and elements.
4.
Enclosure: keep wind and cold out of hearth.
The second major theory Semper came up with was an equation
to explain architecture. This
equation stated the final result is equal to a formula including every aspect a
building can contain including materials, culture of the area, and personal
influences of the architect. By
viewing architecture in this way, Semper was able to better understand
different aspects of architecture and how they work together to create a
style. An example of his work can
be seen in the image below. This
image shows Semper’s support of ornamentation on buildings.
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| http://www.smerus.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/111a3670.jpg |
After
reflecting on the thoughts of these 19th century thinkers, I was
able to apply them to my own opinion of architecture. Before studying these men I never gave much thought into the
importance of what makes existing buildings successful. By understanding the three methods
explored in this post I am now better prepared to understand how the style of
architecture is formed. I can now
apply this concept to use in my own work.
