MACRO To micro

[PORTCH-COURT-HEARTH]

 The great thing about studying architecture is that it has many similarities that link pieces together to make learning more comprehensive. One such similarity is the presence of the court, porch, and hearth. Especially predominant in Greek architecture, these three pieces divided not only one building plan but also the whole cities plan. All three of these pieces put together form a megaron which"consisted of an entry porch formed by projecting walls framing two columns, a vestibule, and the throne room...and at the center of the principal room was a raised circular hearth"[1] The Parthenon is an example of a structure that has all three pieces. It has an opening porch, a court around designated by the columns, and a hearth or inner chamber. Moving outward, the Acropolis as a whole has all three as well. The porch is the Propalia or entrance way, the court is the inner open area connecting all the buildings, and the hearth is the Parthenon. Looking at Greek cities you can even find a larger scale of the megaron. Today, in design and architecture it is important to incorporate all three pieces as well.

[COMPOSITION]

A composition involves taking all the micro pieces of a puzzle and putting them together to create one unified macro piece. A well designed composition is one that has a easily read layout and is visually pleasing. This week in studio we made compositions to put around doors or "portals". It was important to lay out the portal in a way that it was a work of art and depicted our three gestalt words(balance, hierarchy and proximity) as well as represented the Pantheon. The Pantheon was "The building that best symbolizes the Roman enclosure of space and the powerful effect of such defined space"[2], so it was important to capture such power in our portal. By creating a composition with cardboard we were able to create "a defined space" that was a wonder to walk through, just like the Pantheon was. Our portal and the Pantheon alike were composed of many smaller parts that when put together made a whole.

[DIAGRAM] 

This week in Perception and communication we learned about the importance of Diagrams and how they can show a wide range of details. The mind is very visual,so the use of a diagram can take a very technical drawing and make it understandable. Diagrams are also helpful in laying everything out. There are different types of diagrams too such as: context, hierarchy,function, and circulation. Diagrams are also helpful for history because they make it easier to separate what is more important, or better stated the macro or micro information.

[IMPRESSION]

When you first meet someone its always good to start off with a good impression. Design and architecture are exactly the same way. This week I went apartment shopping and saw a wide range of places-lets just say we wont be getting the house with green shag carpeting! My favorite place however was a complete shocker to me. The outside looked like a cheap motel from the eighties and I only stopped because my roommate wanted to. The inside though was beautiful and completely what I was looking for. The image that a building conveys can put off the first impression to the viewer and can either make or break it. The impression that a building gives off can also tell its own story. For example, the Florence Cathedral is a masterpiece to the eye. What first strikes the viewer  " is not so much the formal or ornamental properties but the sheer size of Bruneleschi's dome".[3]The cathedral, also know as the Duomo, revived the presence of architecture shaping the city. It stood against the whole landscape of the city as a symbol, as a central location of the people. The interior as well as the exterior both gave off the impression of transformation and unity.It also exemplified the renaissance with its glorification of state as a work of art. It also exemplified the rebirth of individualism and the "desire to stretch human limits and to match the building achievements of the ancients".[4]

[DETAIL]

The most micro that you can go is a detail. Details are the moments in architecture and design that come together and define the place. A large building is macro but the details inside are very micro yet noticed. They are the small things that give character and interest, without being the center focus. A detail can be anything form a certain light used to the type of molding. One of the most predominant details found in many cathedrals was mosaics. Mosaics were small pieces of glass that together formed a story. Most of the time these murals were depictions of biblical scenes and stories of the past. This small detail was a form of visual literacy that passed the history of the people on. Mosaics were seen everywhere in places such as San Vitale and Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia  had "solid surfaces, such as the huge pendentives of the dome...covered with mosaics with a gold-leaf background".[5]

[WRAP-UP]

The mind is a very visual instrument, and it uses many tools to discover the world around. With all the history and architecture in the world it is important to find a way to decipher it all. One way is to look at the micro to the macro. The smallest details all work together to form that unified composition in the end. After that composition is made there are many was to translate it to other people and that can be done through something such as a diagram. And the ultimate goal is to leave a lasting impression that lives on forever. 

[CITATIONS]

1-Roth pg. 218

2-Roth pg,. 257

3-Roth pg. 358

4- Roth pg. 357

5-Roth pg. 290