The main theme in Unit 3 – Alternatives, is to Know the Rules before you Break the Rules. We are taught at a very young age to follow rules no matter if we agree with them or not. The people who help guide our lives do this to keep us on the right path until we can make good decisions for ourselves. If we did not have this instruction and direction unnecessary mistakes are made and our potential would not be realized. The same thing is true in design. The foundations of architecture have taught us where design started and how important it is to learn from designers before us so that when alternatives are introduced there is a greater chance for success.
Since Egypt, geometry has guided us and will continue to be a repeating theme as the rules are applied and then broken. The complexity of the geometric matrix used in the design of the Amiens Cathedral in France is interesting to me because it moves us from mathematics to illusions. Keeping within the rules of geometry, Gothic details are added and become the dominant focus. This concept is important because the church represents the whole universe; both logic and spirituality are represented in this monumental building. The Cathedral at Florence is an example of another church that also reaches vertically toward heaven. Through the grouping of columns they become stronger and make it possible for them to reach higher. The light that came into the space at the top of the highest point was intentional, dramatic, and resembled The Divine.
Geometry continues to be present in the Villa Rotunda and the Villa Barbaro designed by Palladio. Circles, squares, proportion, and rhythm are simple to understand and are repeated in these buildings. Villas were all about the control of the designer. Palladio wanted to tell the people what to feel, where to look, and where to walk. He wants them to feel relaxed, entertained, and worldly. He wants them to see the landscape from specific locations, and have a definite direction in which they enter and leave the villas. This control makes Palladio the Man who is the Measurer of all Things.
Michael Angelo continued to use geometry during the Renaissance but added to it with his own ideas of testing limits. Bringing new shapes such as ovals and trapezoids allowed his architecture to have embracing entrance spaces. I appreciate the way he mixed previous styles such as Gothic and Classical with the upcoming Baroque style. He obviously saved room in his mind to design with innovation as the leading drive. Also incorporating water features and movement brought theatrics to the experience, which tapped into people’s emotions and helped them feel engaged into the space. He influenced the Baroque with these ideas and then designers such as Bernini took it further. Breaking out of the box and connecting with all our senses is shown by the fluid, theatrical ornamentation on both the exterior and interior of buildings. Interacting with our surroundings is fun and brings positive feelings to people.
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