Unit 23 Just a Building or Architecture

1 Introduction2 interface

1.1 Read the text title and hypothesize what the text is about. Write down your hypothesis.

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2. What do you know concerning this issue? List your ideas in the table left column “I know”.

I know that…	I have learnt that…

2. If you know answers to these questions write them down in the space given after each question.

1	What is the difference between Sculpture and Architecture?
2	What does architecture relate to?
3	How can you understand the symbolic meaning of architecture?
4	What are three fundamental principles essential to architecture?
5	What truly outstanding works of architecture can you name?
6	Why good architecture does not end at its wall?
7	Goo Who does the phrase “God is in details” belong to?

2. Circle in the list the words and expressions you know. Write down their translation in the table and calculate the percentage of your lexical competence.

1	a craft			ugly
2	to rise to the level			disrepair
3	vernacular building			years of neglect
4	stained-glass			hip
5	the religious fervor			to wow
6	to resist gravity			a shared courtyard
7	the ultimate test			stair railings
8	a tract house			earth-shattering

“The Mother of the Arts”

Architecture is an important part of our lives, helping us shape the natural environment for human needs. Since the dawn of civilization, people have built shelter against the sun, wind, cold, and rain. Building first evolved out of the dynamics between needs (shelter, security, worship, etc.) and means (available building materials and attendant skills). As human cultures developed and knowledge began to be formalized through oral traditions and practices, building became a craft, and "architecture" is the name given to the most highly formalized and respected versions of that craft.

A building provides shelter, but architecture does more than just provide shelter. Architecture responds to the needs of its users and rises to the level of art. Like sculpture, architecture is a three-dimensional visual expression of form, material and, and color. But architecture isn’t merely giant sculpture to be looked at – it serves a practical purpose. Even the most creative architect has to consider where to place the doors, stairs, and bathrooms.

I t is widely assumed that architectural success was the product of a process of trial and error, with progressively less trial and more replication as the results of the process proved increasingly satisfactory. What is termed vernacular architecture continues to be produced in many parts of the world. Indeed, vernacular buildings make up most of the built world that people experience every day. Early human settlements were mostly rural. Due to a surplus in production the economy began to expand resulting in creation of urban areas which grew very rapidly.

A vernacular trees house in Norway

Unlike paintings and sculptures, which can be viewed nearly anywhere, architecture is connected to a particular place. It relates to the specifics of geography, climate, and surroundings. After Arabian Muslims invaded Africa and Spain, for example, they drew upon local materials and architectural motifs from indigenous buildings when designing their mosques and palaces.

For centuries, architecture has led sculptors, painters, and other artisans to decorate its surfaces. It’s hard to imagine a Gothic cathedral, for instance, without gargoyles, gilded altarpieces, or stained-glass windows.

F rom ancient temples to modern skyscrapers, architecture has constantly evolved to reflect the accomplishments of civilizations in all corners of the world. It records our cultural, social, and political ambitions in three dimensions. You need only glance at the imposing ruins of the Roman Forum to comprehend the imperial pride of ancient Rome, enter the magnificent space of Chartres Cathedral to feel the religious fervor of medieval Europe, or gaze up at the Empire State Building to view an instant picture of modern American enterprise.

Gargoyles of Notre Dam (Paris)

Each one of these buildings represents the era in which it was built. To understand the symbolic meaning of architecture, you have to relate the structure and style of a building to a particular period of history. As you come to understand the basics of architecture, you will find it easier to determine the era in which a particular building was built.