Make a follow-up of a student’s weekly discussion and respond with your opinion regarding to her post
——You don’t have to post this in APA format necessarily, it’s just giving feedback to the student .
Hello Professor and Classmates,
The first architectural structure I found intriguing was The Pantheon in Rome, Italy. This structure is still standing to this day which I find fascinating. “The Pantheon is the best-preserved building from ancient Rome and was completed in c. 125 CE. Its magnificent concrete dome is a lasting testimony to the genius of Roman architects and as the building stands virtually intact it offers a unique opportunity for the modern visitor to step back 2,000 years and experience the glory that was Rome”(Cartwright,2018). The use for this structure is unknown but was thought to have been designed as a temple for Roman gods. However, no cult is known to all of the gods and so the Pantheon may have been designed as a place where the emperor could make public appearances. This structure has two components. First, the porch which appears similar to many Greek structures and then there is the main building which is more roman style architecture. With that being said this structure is a combination of both Greek and Roman architecture. The columns in the porch structure I find to have influenced architecture in many ways. You see these in many buildings in many different periods of time. They not only provide a more aesthetic appearance but also help with the structure. Inside the Pantheon you’ll find a dome shaped ceiling with something called “the oculus” in the center of the ceiling. “In the Pantheon almost all the inner space can be seen with a turn of the head, and the grand and clear symmetry of the enclosing shell draws” (Martin & Jacobus, 2018).
Gravity and symmetry can play a big role in architecture. Upon reading the chapter, the “Leaning Tower of Pisa” instantly came to my mind due to the fact that it isn’t symmetrical and gravity was definitely not in their favor. This architectural work is the influence of roman architecture. When this was being built there was no intention of making it lean purposefully. “It was built on a foundation of
dense mixture of clay, sand and shells. It wasn’t until the builders were on the third level that they noticed the structure was settling unevenly. As a result, the structure had begun to tilt visibly toward the south. (Pruitt, 2018). During the process of building this a war broke out and the process was put to a halt. Once building was resumed the tilt was inevitable. Originally the function of this was to serve as a bell tower for a nearby cathedral. However today, as many know, it is used as a tourist attraction.
“Architects should account for four basic and closely interrelated necessities: technical, function, spatial relationships, and revelatory requirements” (Martin & Jacobus, 2018). Both of these architectural works are still in use today. Although “The Leaning Tower of Pisa” is being used for a different purpose than originally thought, it is interesting to learn about the history and why it was built. There are so many ways both of these have influenced architecture today. Both of these have the component of columns. The Leaning Tower of Pisa if you look at it closely has levels of these whereas the Pantheon has one straight row of them at the front of the building. The columns are influenced by Greco-Roman style and like mentioned earlier have also influenced architecture today.
References:
Cartwright, M. (2018). Pantheon. Retrieved from: https://www.worldhistory.org/Pantheon/Links to an external site.
Martin, F. D., & Jacobus, L. A. (2018). The humanities through the arts. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Pruitt, S. (2015). Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? Retrieved from: https://www.history.com/news/why-does-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa-leanLinks to an external site.
