week 4 opus

Parts : Whole; Source; Archetype : Prototype : Hybrid; Entourage; Hierarchy; Order

In order to convey parts to a whole or parts of a whole, there are many things to consider. We can look at architecture for one. How do some many things shape the buildings that we admire or detest? We can also look at our planet. How does everything somehow work so spontaneously and yet in unison? In my opinion the basic idea of parts : whole is that all things in life have to work together in order to be sustainable. When I look back at what I have read in both Roth and Blakemore, I feel that they both describe this idea in simple terms. That is to say that in ancient times, people came together to form something greater than themselves. They build pyramids, temples, forums, and walls in order to symbolize that in order to have a whole you must bring it together by using different parts.

One specific topic I would like to emphasize on is that of the forum. A forum was very popular among many ancient civilizations. It was used as not only a socializing ground but also as a place where people could conduct business and trade. " At the heart of these old cities, culturally if not always topographically, was the forum, the civic open space lined with loggias and civil buildings." Roth (253)

This would be a great example of a forum. An agora is a place where society hosts different traditions. For example the Pan-Hellenic procession would be held here every four years.




Every piece of architecture has an origin. Like word of mouth, materials for building different things spread across nations. Like the post and lintel system which dates back to the early Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans have long used it as well. Thus being said, source of the post and lintel system is primarily in Egypt. I would say also that with many things in life, sources are vital. They almost act as support systems to our ideas. Like birth, everything must have a source, a place where it comes from.


The idea of Archetype : Prototype : Hybrid is one that is known widely as a process rather than just an idea. It's the transformation from one thing to the next with there being an improvement within those stages. The orders of columns are yet again a perfect example of a structure which was improved over time. This Doric was a prototype for the Ionic, and the Ionic was a prototype for the Corinthian. The archetype is always the starting point. The prototype is the next level, and the hybrid is the transformation to the next brand or style. The basilica was also one of the structures that was taken from a starting point and transformed into something bigger. The basilica of the ancient Rome was actually used as a foundation for some of the later churches.

Having people within your community that help a person with their daily lives is something that describes the word entourage to me. I think that the people around you a.k.a your friends are those who make up the group that is considered to be your entourage. Much like with people, entourage can be used to describe a building as well as its surroundings. Within a city there are large buildings that usually represents something that is important in the community. Take for instance a court, it's usually of substantial size so that its strength is conveyed through. Around this court are smaller buildings that outline the courts appeal. In my opinion, the smaller buildings around bigger structures are what makes up an entourage in architecture.

Hierarchy was a big deal in the ancient times. A great example were the pyramids and the tombs that were built. Another example of hierarchy in a visual perspective was the amphitheater. To me I think that this shows how the social system was organized. At the very front on the bottom were the elite. Those who could be closest to the spectacle. As you go up through the steps were commoners.

Order is also something that I think I think is closely linked to the system of hierarchy. The way of organizing architecture is a lot like organizing people in society. Order is kept throughout life all of the time with the help of many processes.


Reflection:
For this week we were asked to look at many things. All of the words that we have talked about all link together quite smoothly. In my opinion the way I can put all of these ides together is by saying that all of the parts of a whole are created from one or many sources. These parts of a whole can often go from an archetype to a prototype to eventually becoming something totally different or a hybrid. This journey can be described as a latter of hierarchy that follows a certain order. However without an entourage, the journey would not have as big of an effect or meaning as it does.