Friday, October 1, 2010

Egypt, Greece, and Rome Summary

Egyptian design was based on an idea of a continuos cycle, they were an isolate culture centered on the Nile that had a cycle of flooding that supported this timeless cycle of tradition.  Egyptian artifacts survive in the hieroglyphs in their temples and stylized figures that are more representational than idealistic like Greek design.  The buildings represent timelessness and tradition because form rarely changed and the material was solid and massive.  The interior space was dark and small to provide a mystical experience to the very few elite in society.  The place or site was set on a axial progression to represent hierarchy.

Greek design was based on ideal form and exploration.  They had a rough sea-faring climate to support this.  Greek artifacts like a column represent ideal form, scale, and proportion because the diameter of the  column was used as a measurement for the rest of the building.  Greek buildings were sculptural on the exterior to tell an ideal story but the interiors were usually less decorated and small because of the few elite allow to enter.  The place or site was set in asymmetrical harmony with the environment.

Roman design was based in cities and had very public buildings with massive interior volumes.  They were innovative engineers as opposed to the more theocratic and logical thinkers of Greece.  Their interiors are also very embellished to please and comfort public.  Their building sites were based on an orthogonal grid system permeated around the forum.

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