[alternatives] unit summary

a recurrent theme throughout the alternatives unit was the testing and breaking of boundaries. after all, this is the only way to come up with original ideas. to be truly innovative means to take ordinary objects and put them together in extraordinary ways. the city of venezia is a great example. the people living in the marshlands needed a way to cope with the environment and start building a city. they thought of pushing tree trunks down into the water and building on top of them. this had never been done before. however, with new situations and extenuating circumstances, architects must think on their feet. the result is innovative ideas to solve problems. sometimes innovation isn’t to solve problems, but to create a memorable impression. in the cornaro chapel, bernini did the ecstasy of st. theresa, but also put the cornaro family as an audience watching the scene from box seats. it adds to the sense of theatricality of the baroque period.

in addition to reaching past the boundaries, reaching upward was also prominent. many of the buildings we studied during this unit were churches. naturally, their desire is to be close to heaven. gothic cathedrals soared higher and higher. the walls got lighter and more filled with glass. it was all about the illusion of weightlessness. not to mention these structures were awe-inspiring because of the sheer scale. with the concept of reaching upward is the idea that the best things are at the top. the palazzo form is an indication of this, with the public store at the bottom and the private family quarters at the top. we organizing space, we do so through hierarchy of importance, function, etc. the ever-present power of three and porch/court/hearth re-emerges as we look at how spaces are organized.

transitions also seem to be of importance. throughout the unit, we saw the transition from the highly elaborate and vertical gothic period, to the rationality and rebirth of antiquity during the renaissance, and finally the emotionality and theatricality of the baroque. although they may not have built upon the immediately preceding period, each new style used elements from previous periods. even physical transitions bear significance. the way people move through the space can have more meaning than you think. stairs represent a way to elevate oneself and move to the next level. it is done progressively with steps rather than all at once. special attention is given to the design of stairs in the laurentian library and the spanish steps as two examples. the goal is to prepare the audience for the experience ahead. throughout the unit we have talked about how minor details can affect the bigger picture. this is just one example of how the everything in a space influences the overall experience.


a building that i feel represents the unit well is the villa rotunda. it is innovative in that there are temple fronts on all four sides. the use of the temple fronts adheres with the idea of reaching upward, not physically but symbolically (using the sacred for the profane). the form of the facades is reminiscent of the greek temple. on the interior, the sense of arrangement and hierarchy is upheld, with the working spaces at the bottom and private bedrooms at the top. the villa rotunda embodies many of the qualities that run throughout the entire alternatives unit.