Aesthetic Architecture

This site has information about the aesthetic architecture movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The works displayed at this site are from artists and architects who concentrated heavily on regional styles, hand-craftsmanship and decorative detail. Represented movements include the Prairie School (Frank Lloyd Wright), Craftsman (Gustave Stickley), and other regional and international styles, such as the Gothic revival.


Web:

http://www.fswarchitects.com/links.html


Architectural Competitions

Competition brings out the best in people. Architects are people. Therefore, architectural competitions bring out the best in architects. (If only all of life were so simple.)


Web:

http://www.deathbyarch.com/html/competitions.html
http://www.irish-architecture.com/icn/


Architectural Reconstructions

Do you ever wonder what ancient ruins looked like when they were new? If you have trouble imagining the architecture, you can take a look at some of the computer-modeled reconstructions of famous ancient buildings such as Hadrian's Bath and the Temple of Rameses III. This site has not only the pictures, but details about rebuilding by computer and other architectural explorations.


Web:

http://archpropplan.auckland.ac.nz/virtualtour/


Architectural Styles

When you have to go to one of those swanky, cultural, let's-show-off-who-we-are-and-what-we-do parties, it's good to have a few cocktail conversation topics prepared. Architecture is something good to talk about, because there will always be a building nearby. Before you head off to that party, read the information at these sites. You'll find descriptions of various architectural styles and their influences. Before long, you will be able to name-drop with ease.


Web:

http://www.archpedia.com/Styles.html
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/amstyles.h...
http://www.for.nau.edu/~twp/p399/styleshome.html
http://www.uwec.edu/Academic/Geography/Ivogeler/w367/st...


Architecture Magazines

Here's the scenario. You are sitting in the local Architect's Club, lounging in a Gerrit Rietveld armchair, sipping a cool fruit smoothie, and having a spirited discussion with an old friend you have known since architecture school. You are arguing the proposition that each generation of architects must reinterpret the principles of architecture for their own time, and you are just about to make a powerful, insightful observation of such import that it is sure to keep your friend quiet for the next twenty minutes, when all of a sudden a vague suspicion begins to invade your countenance that, perhaps, you don't really know what you are talking about. But, for you, it is the work of a moment to excuse yourself temporarily from the conversation, run home, connect to the Net, check out the current contents of a few architectural magazines, race back to the club, plop yourself back down into the Gerrit Rietveld armchair, and stun your friend with a devastating analysis of modern architecture and its relation to an information-based society. Once again, the Internet, in combination with your native intelligence and penetrating insight, has saved the day.


Web:

http://www.a-node.net/
http://www.archpedia.com/Architecture.html
http://www.archrecord.com/
http://www.metropolismag.com/
http://www.plannet.com/


Architecture Resources

There's a lot to keep track of in the world of architecture, and the Net can help. Here are some resources to help you find the information you need about famous architects, buildings, construction technology, organizations, art, design, and much more.


Web:

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/archweb_frames.h...
http://www.library.ubc.ca/finearts/ARCHITECTURE.html
http://www.library.unlv.edu/arch/rsrce/webrsrce/content...
http://www.tiac.net/users/dstein/nw71.html
http://www.vitruvio.ch/


Architecture Talk and General Discussion

In my opinion, architects are some of the most talented, visionary, imaginative people in the world. Join the general architecture discussion group for all manner of architecture-oriented topics: building design, construction, architecture schools, materials, and so on. If they can build it, you can talk about it.


Usenet:

Google Newsreader alt.architecture
Google Newsreader alt.architecture.int-design
Google Newsreader alt.building.architecture
Google Newsreader alt.landscape.architecture
Google Newsreader rec.arts.architecture


Athenian Architecture

If you can't tell your amphiprostyle structure from a peripteral layout, maybe it's time to brush up on your basic Greek architecture. Take a virtual tour of the architecture of Athens. Here you will see pictures of the Acropolis, the Library of Hadrian, the Arch of Hadrian, the Temple of Zeus, the Theater of Dionysus, and much more.


Web:

http://www.indiana.edu/~kglowack/athens/


Bauhaus

The Bauhaus movement of the early twentieth century developed from a school of art and architecture founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius (1883-1969) in Weimar, Germany. To me, Bauhaus represents two important movements. First, it represents an architectural philosophy that was firmly intertwined with the political and economic conditions of post-World War I Germany. Bauhaus architecture was created for the workers, and was supposed to reject "bourgeois" traditions and materials. The result was a collection of ugly, functional structures based on rigid economic and geometrical designs. The German government built massive amounts of Bauhaus housing which ultimately became highly unpopular (especially among the workers who had to live in the buildings). With the rise of the Nazis, many Bauhaus designers emigrated, spreading their influence to the U.S. (If you have ever seen American public housing or "portable" classrooms, you have seen Bauhaus.) The second important Bauhaus movement concerned itself with applied design: furniture, lighting, kitchenware, appliances, and so on. The Bauhaus artisans popularized the idea that one could design utilitarian objects as pieces of art, offering beauty as well as function. This idea has become one of the defining tenets of our love affair with stuff, and, for many years, we have been buying objets d'utilité that double as pretty things to have around the house. Still, it is the Bauhaus style of architecture that has insinuated itself into the body cultural. Like an incorrigible virus, Bauhaus-inspired buildings arise with disturbing regularity, most often when people in authority combine a lack of taste with a desire to save money. On the Net, the Bauhaus sensibility is widespread, flourishing under the guise of Web page design.


Web:

http://people.ucsc.edu/~gflores/bauhaus/b1.html
http://www.cs.umb.edu/~alilley/bauhaus.html
http://www.uiah.fi/presentation/history/ebauha.htm


Great Buildings

A great building stands as more than a structure. It is a mute monument to the location, culture and environment in which it was built. There are hundreds and hundreds of great buildings around the world, and this resource provides an excellent way to study them. For each building, you'll find basic information, including the location, name of the architect and dates of construction, along with pictures, floor plans and a short discussion. (What I want to see is a 3D simulation of what happens when you throw a penny off the top of the Empire State Building.)


Web:

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings.html


Japanese Architecture

The architecture of a region has many influences. Some of these are physical (geography, weather patterns), while others are social (the economy, religion, types of people, and history of the area). Over the centuries, Japan has developed distinct architectural traditions that are both pleasing and puzzling to the Western eye. Use these Web sites to explore Japanese architecture and to view pictures of a variety of traditionally designed buildings.


Web:

http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hstj/histj.ht...
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/japan/architecture.h...
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html
http://www.peachstar.org/irasshai/culwww/arc1.htm


New Urbanism

New Urbanism is an approach to architecture that strives to design small, livable, comfortable neighborhoods. The tenets of New Urbanism mandate residential and commercial planning so as to encourage walking, not driving. A neighborhood should have a variety of homes and services, and be small enough for residents to walk from their houses to a public area in which there are stores, public buildings, transportation, and so on. In addition, there should be well-planned open spaces, such as playgrounds and parks, in convenient locations. (If you saw the movie The Truman Show, you have seen an example of a New Urbanism design.) To me, the New Urbanism movement represents an attempt to make modern life more manageable. The goal seems admirable, but I wonder if such designs are not more suitable for vacation communities. They seem unrealistic as day-to-day working and living environments.


Web:

http://www.cnu.org/
http://www.mnapa.com/urbanlex.html
http://www.netsense.net/~terry/newurban.htm
http://www.newurbanism.org/

Listserv Mailing List:

List Name: cnu
Subscribe To: listserv@lsv.uky.edu


Renaissance and Baroque Architecture

The Renaissance (1300-1500) and the Baroque eras (1600-1750) were times of immense architectural development. We study these periods to understand the transition between the architecture of the Middle Ages and modern traditions. During the Renaissance, the dominating force of architectural development was the reintroduction of design principles originally developed by the Romans. This resulted in the construction of many structures of great beauty, based on the elegant, even mathematical, usage of simple shapes. During the Baroque period, architects reinterpreted the Roman influence and experimented with new ideas related to space and time, developing techniques and concepts that form the basis of modern architecture.


Web:

http://arthist.cla.umn.edu/aict/html/renbrq.html
http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp./org/orion/eng/hst/renais.h...
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/dic/colls/arh102/


Sullivan, Louis Henry

Louis Henry Sullivan (1856-1924) was an eminent American architect remembered today for his admonition that "form ever follows function". In 1881, Sullivan formed the Chicago firm of Adler and Sullivan (with Dankmar Adler). Adler and Sullivan designed a number of important buildings during the years of rebuilding that followed the Chicago Fire (of 1871), and developed many of the early steel-frame designs for skyscrapers. The firm is also known for employing the young Frank Lloyd Wright for six years at the beginning of his career. Sullivan believed that architects must reconcile nature with science and technology, and he designed buildings in which ornamentation was an integral part of the structure rather than merely an addition to the finished product. Later in life, Sullivan developed the idea of "organic architecture", which asserted that architects should integrate the presence of nature along with the functional needs and materials of a structure.


Web:

http://www.bfn.org/sigs/links/preserve/bam/archs/sul/bi...
http://www.tape.net/~gerry/sullivan/


Urban Planning

Urban planning is as old as the Romans and as new as the house being built around the corner. An urban planner must balance architectural principles against economic constraints, regulations, existing infrastructure, local sensibilities, historical traditions and politics. Since most people live in cities, urban planning is one of the most important areas of architecture, and a crucial planning decision can affect many people over a long period of time. Truly, urban planning is a balancing act, one that covers a lot of ground.


Web:

http://www.ar.utexas.edu/planning/links.html
http://www.huduser.org/
http://www.library.cornell.edu/Reps/DOCS/homepage.htm
http://www.planning.org/resources-k/

Usenet:

Google Newsreader alt.planning.urban


Women in Architecture

Women involved with architecture will find these sites inspiring. Here are lots of links to biographical information about women architects, such as Julia Morgan (1872-1957), designer of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. There are also bibliographies, statistics regarding women in the architecture workplace, as well as information about modern female architects.


Web:

http://spec.lib.vt.edu/iawa/guide.html
http://www.arvha.asso.fr/arvha_french/info_arvha/docume...
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/women/contents.html
http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/subject/architec.html
http://www.library.unlv.edu/arch/rsrce/resguide/archwom...


Wright, Frank Lloyd

Frank Lloyd Wright (1869-1959) was an American architect whose innovations later set standards in architecture. Wright invented the "prairie style" of home and believed in eliminating traditional room divisions in order to create a living space that was more in tune with the needs of the inhabitants.


Web:

http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/flw/
http://www.delmars.com/wright/flwright.htm
http://www.franklloydwright.org/
http://www.sidesways.com/fllw/