Additional study: modern architecture
I. Read and translate the text
Architecture is the art or science of planning, building and structures. Without consideration of structural principles, materials, social and economic requirements a building can not take form.
Architecture is an art. Its nowadays expression should be creative and consequently new. The heritage of the past can not be ignored, but it must be expressed in modern terms. There exists an evident paradox in the coexistence of change and survival in every period of human civilization. This paradox of change and repetition is clearly illustrated in any architectural style.
Today architects have no opportunities they had in the past. They are seldom asked to design buildings like wonderful churches and cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Now architects have to design schools, hospitals and huge blocks of flats and offices. If they are asked to make plans for houses these are usually all alike or nearly alike. The blocks of flats in our cities all look like boxes, where the fronts and sides are square or oblong. A man who lives in one of these boxes works in another big box high up in the air. If he falls ill, he goes to another big box called hospital.
Architects have done some very good work in designing new schools. Many of these are prefabricated, which means that as much of the building work as possible is done not at the building site, but in the factories where mass production methods can be used. The parts are taken o a site and put together there.
An architect today has to be an engineer too. The best modern buildings help us to live and work in comfort. They save plenty of unnecessary work. There is central heating, for example, instead of the dusty open fires we used to have, with coal to be carried up long stairs and ashes to be carried down.
The three basic factors in architecture are convenience, strength and beauty. No true architect could think of any of them without almost automatically considering the other two as well. Architectural design entails not only the necessity to study various solutions for convenience, structure, and appearance as the three separate processes. Architectural design also includes the necessity to keep in mind the constant interaction of these factors. The architect’s feeling of satisfaction in achieving such integration is one of his/her greatest rewards.
II. Give translation of the following words and phrases:
Planning (n), consideration (n), requirement (n), consequently (adv), heritage (n), an evident paradox in the coexistence, square or oblong (adj), prefabricated (adj), convenience (n), to entail (v), constant interaction, satisfaction (n), to achieve (v), integration (n).
III. Answer the questions
What is architecture?
Why can not the heritage of the past be ignored?
What paradox of change and repetition is clearly illustrated in any architectural style?
Do the architects have the same opportunities they had in the past?
What are the architects seldom asked to design?
What do the architects have to design nowadays?
How do the blocks of flats in our cities all look like?
Where have the architects done some very good work?
Why does an architect today have to be an engineer too?
What are the three basic factors in architecture?
What does architectural design entail?
What does architectural design also include?