Mr. Wright's Art Class: Living With Art, Chapter 13 - Architecture, Part 1

William Wright・2 minutes read

Architecture serves a functional purpose of protection and security, with two main categories of shell systems and skeleton and skin systems. Different architectural styles and techniques, such as post and lintel construction, Greek columns, and Roman innovations like aqueducts and arches, have shaped the development of architectural structures throughout history.

Insights

  • Architecture can be categorized into shell systems, where structural support and sheathing are the same material, and skeleton and skin systems, where a support frame is covered with a more fragile sheath.
  • Roman innovations in architecture, such as the invention of concrete and the use of metal reinforcement, revolutionized construction methods by increasing tensile strength and expanding architectural possibilities.

Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free

Recent questions

  • What are the two categories of architecture discussed in the lecture?

    Shell systems and skeleton and skin.

  • What is load-bearing construction in architecture?

    Piling layers with thicker bottom layers for support.

  • What are the different types of columns in Greek architecture?

    Doric, Ionic, Corinthian.

  • What are buttresses in architecture used for?

    Additional support outside walls to bear weight.

  • What is the significance of domes in architectural design?

    Created by spinning arches in circles for structural support.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

Architectural Systems and Styles in Lecture

  • Lecture by William Wright over Chapter 13 of "Living with Art" by Mark Getline, focusing on architecture.
  • Two categories of architecture: shell systems and skeleton and skin.
  • Architecture serves a functional purpose of providing protection and security.
  • Shell system: structural support and sheathing are the same material.
  • Skeleton and skin system: support frame covered with a more fragile sheath.
  • Load-bearing construction involves piling layers with bottom layers thicker for support.
  • Adobe is a building material made of sun-dried bricks, used in structures like Taos Pueblo.
  • Post and lintel construction uses pillars and beams for interior spaces like Luxor Temple.
  • Hippostyle halls feature rows of columns for structural support and decoration.
  • Greek architectural styles include Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns, each with distinct features.

14:13

Architectural columns, entablature, and innovative structures.

  • Different types of columns in architecture: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian.
  • Description of the entablature and frieze in architectural structures.
  • The Parthenon's construction as a post and lintel system with a load-bearing interior.
  • The significance of the Temple of Nike and its architectural features.
  • Introduction to bracket systems in Asian architecture for supporting roofs.
  • Explanation of interlocking wooden brackets in Asian architecture.
  • Description of step trusses and trusses in building structures.
  • Mesopotamians' use of trusses to support arches and the Roman advancement in arch construction.
  • Roman innovations with aqueducts and bridges using arcades of arches.
  • Development of barrel vaults, groin vaults, and pointed arches in European architecture.

28:39

Architectural Innovations in Structural Support and Design

  • Groin vaults are strengthened by adding extra material at joints, creating bays that are stronger and larger.
  • Pointed arches and ribs are used to support weight in structures, with the arches shaped like ovals or ellipses to push weight downward.
  • Buttresses are additional columns or piers placed outside walls to support more weight, with flying buttresses extending from walls to piers for added support.
  • Domes are created by spinning arches in circles, with coffers in ceilings for aesthetic and structural purposes.
  • The Pantheon features an oculus, a 29-foot opening in the dome, and a rotunda beneath the dome for structural support.
  • The Hagia Sophia has a dome on a squared structure, utilizing pendentives to transition from the dome to the walls.
  • The Taj Mahal showcases pointed arches and corbeled arches, stacking stones slightly in or out to create domes.
  • Mycenaeans used corbeled domes for tombs, extending the corbel all the way to the ground.
  • Romans invented concrete, using metal reinforcement in the late 19th century to increase tensile strength and architectural possibilities, revolutionizing construction methods.
Channel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatar

Try it yourself — It’s free.