Types of Buildings : Lessons from History

As I walk along the street, I cant help but notice some of the big buildings around me. As I marvel at the vision of the builder, I often think about the source of this grand design.
In such times I recall what I read in the fantastic book ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand. The book had mentioned in many ways that most buildings were inspired by famous old building styles.
As such, I decided to look up some of the Architectural styles that we find in history. The next time I see a familiar design, atleast I will be aware of something other than the old deja vu feeling

Ancient Egypt :

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Timeline	:	3,050 BC-900 BC
Location	:	Egypt
Famous Architects	:	Imhotep.
Famous Buildings	:	The Pyramids
Info	:	The ancient Egyptians didn’t use mortar, so the stones were carefully cut to fit together. The development of the pyramid form allowed Egyptians to build enormous tombs for their kings. The sloping walls could reach great heights because their weight was supported by the wide pyramid base.

Classical :

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Timeline	:	850 BC-476 AD
Location	:	Greece,Rome
Famous Architects	:	Marcus Vitruvius
Famous Buildings	:	Parthenon,Roman Colosseum
Info	:	From the rise of ancient Greece until the fall of the Roman empire, great buildings were constructed according to precise rules. In his writings, Marcus Vitruvius introduced the Classical orders, which defined column styles and frieze designs used in Classical architecture. The earliest Classical orders were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. The Romans borrowed heavily from the earlier Greek and Hellenistic styles, but their buildings were more highly ornamented.

Gothic :

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Timeline	:	1100-1450
Location	:	France
Famous Architects	:
Famous Buildings	:	Chartres Cathedral, Church of St. Denis, Notre Dame Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Adare Friary
Info	:	During the Renaissance, after the French Style had fallen out of fashion, artisans mocked it. They coined the word Gothic to suggest that French Style buildings were the crude work of German (Goth) barbarians. Although the label wasn’t accurate, the name Gothic remained. Gothic architecture has many of these features: Pointed Arches Ribbed Vaulting, Flying Buttresses Stained Glass Windows Elaborate Sculptures

Renaissance :

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Timeline	:	1400-1600
Location	:	Italy and northern Europe.
Famous Architects	:	Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giacomo da Vignola, Andrea Palladio,
Famous Buildings	:	St. Peter’s Basilica, The Louvre, The Redentore, The Rotunda, The Basilica, San Giorigo Maggiore
Info	:	Classical ideas were reborn in Italy and northern Europe. This period is known as the Renaissance, which means born anew in French. Before the dawn of the Renaissance, Europe was dominated by asymmetrical and ornate Gothic architecture. During the Renaissance, however, architects were inspired by the highly symmetrical and carefully proportioned buildings of Classical Greece and Rome. Features of Renaissance Buildings: Symmetrical arrangement of windows and doors. Extensive use of Classical columns and pilasters. Triangular pediments Square lintels Arches Domes Niches with sculptures

Baroque :

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Timeline	:	1600-1830
Location	:	Europe
Famous Architects	:	Christopher Wren
Famous Buildings	:	Palace of Versailles, The Trevi Fountain in Rome, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Casa del Prado
Info	:	In Italian, the word barocco means bizarre, and Baroque architecture certainly was extravagant. The style involves lavished buildings with complex shapes, extravagant ornaments, opulent paintings, and bold contrasts. Buildings in the Baroque style have many of these features: Complicated shapes Large curved forms Twisted columns Grand stairways High domes Trompe l’oeil paintings

Art Deco :

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Timeline	:	1925-1937
Location	:	Many parts of the world.
Famous Architects	:	William Van Alen
Famous Buildings	:	Empire State Building, Chrysler Building.
Info	:	With their sleek forms and zigzag designs, Art Deco buildings embraced the machine age. The austere shapes of the Bauhaus School and streamlined styling of modern technology combined with patterns and icons taken from the Far East, classical Greece and Rome, Africa, Ancient Egypt, India, and Mayan and Aztec cultures. Art Deco buildings have many of these features: Cubic forms Ziggurat shapes: Terraced pyramid with each story smaller than the one below it Complex groupings of rectangles or trapezoids Bands of color Zigzag designs Strong sense of line Illusion of pillars

Modernist :

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Timeline	:	1900-Present
Location	:	Many parts of the world.
Famous Architects	:	Berthold Luberkin, I.M. Pei.
Famous Buildings	:	Seagram Building, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University.
Info	:	Modernist architecture emphasizes function. It attempts to provide for specific needs rather than imitate nature. Modernist architecture has these features: Little or no ornamentation Factory-made parts Man-made materials such as metal and concrete Emphasis on function Rebellion against traditional styles

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Ref :
http://architecture.about.com/cs/historicperiods/a/timeline.htm
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The Howrah Bridge

I will be visiting Kolkata this December ……my 1st visit to this part of the country. It should be a very busy trip…with so many places to tour…but I hope to steal a visit to the famous Howrah Bridge while traveling around with my friends.
Since I like to know the history of places , it was natural for me to collect some info about this famous bridge :

• The Howrah Bridge is a bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India.
• Originally named the New Howrah Bridge because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata (Calcutta).
• The New Howrah Bridge was built between 1937 and 1943 .
• The final cost of the bridge amounted to ₤2,500,000.
• On 14 June 1965, It was renamed  Rabindra Setu, after the great poet Rabindranath Tagore .
• It is the sixth longest bridge of its type in the world.
• This bridge is one of the finest Cantilever bridges in the world – made by British engineers.
• Its original purpose was to facilitate military transportation between Kolkata and the industrial town of Howrah during World War II.
• An engineering marvel, it expands as much as a meter during a summer day.
• The eight-lane bridge carries a steady flow of approximately 80,000 vehicles, and possibly more than 1,000,000 pedestrians and thousands of cattle every day.
• Its best view is from the middle of the river (but photography there is prohibited).

 

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Ref :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howrah_Bridge
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The Golden Temple

 
The Golden Temple (also known as Harmandir Sahib) is perhaps the most famous place of worship known to all Indians.
It should be known even to atheists since its hard to ignore…it finds a prominent place in Indian movies.
I definitely want to visit it someday…but till then I will have to be content reading about it i guess .

 
Some facts about it :

• Its name literally means House of God.
• It is located in the city of Amritsar(Punjab,India).
• The temple was completed in 1604 with its construction beginning in 1588.
• The fourth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Ram Das, excavated a tank in 1577 which subsequently became known as Amritsar (meaning: Pool of the Nectar of Immortality), giving its name to the city that grew around it. In due course, a splendid Sikh edifice,the Golden Temple was constructed in the middle of this tank which became the supreme centre of Sikhism.
• The eternal Guru of Sikhism, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, is present inside in it.
• Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), the tenth of the Sikh Gurus, affirmed the sacred text Adi Granth as his successor, terminating the line of human Gurus, and elevating the text to Guru Granth Sahib.Thenceforward the text remained the holy scripture of the Sikhs, regarded as the living embodiment of the Ten Gurus.
• It was built with four doors to show that every religion or faith is allowed to go in to meditate or just listen to the prayers for peace.
• In December 1588 the great Muslim Sufi saint of Lahore, Hazrat Mian Mir, a close friend of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, was asked to lay the corner stone (December 1588). The story has been told that a mason then straightened the stone, to which Guru Arjan said, “As you have just undone the work of such a holy man, who knows what disaster might come to the Darbar Sahib“.
• This story has been used to offer a reason why the temple has been attacked so many times by the Afghans and Mughals and even the Indian Army in 1984, during Operation Bluestar, which laid the foundation stone of Khalistan, the Sikh Homeland.
• Inside the temple complex there are many shrines to past Sikh Gurus, Saints and martyrs (see map).

For Visitors :

• Anyone who wants to enter the Darbar Sahib may do so, irrespective of religion, colour, creed or sex.
• The only restrictions are that the person must not drink alcohol, eat meat or smoke cigarettes or use other non prescription drugs while in the shrine.
• Visitors are, as well, expected to dress appropriately and everyone must cover their heads as a sign of respect, remove their shoes and socks and enter the temple barefooted.
• Visitors must wash their feet in the small pool of water as they enter the Darbar Sahib premises.
• Head scarves are provided.

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Ref :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmandir_Sahib
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Architectural Marvel : Bandra-Worli Sea Link

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link (officially known as the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link‘ – named after India’s late PM) is the 1st 8-lane twin carriageway cable-stayed bridge of India.

People might wander about the significance of this bridge. Why isnt it just another bridge? Well for Indians, Its definitely a milestone.
Why ? Just answer the following questions :
Q : How many famous structures of India can 1 recall?
Ans : ‘The Golden Temple’,'Taj Mahal’, ‘Qutub Minar’ etc.
Q : Whats common about them ?
Ans : They were all built ages ago!!!

I cannot recall any significant structure to have been built in India post Independence ! None…Zilch….Nothing whatsoever comes to mind !
Its surprising that a country like India which is on the verge of being a global power, has relatively few achievements to its credit as far as infrastructure is concerned. The least one should expect is well connected roads…but sadly thats still far from reality. Lots of delays, bureaucratic hurdles, vested interests have considerably delayed the development of India.

In such circumstances, the creation of a marvel like the Bandra Worli Sea Link has to be applauded.

 
Some facts :

• It links Bandra and the western suburbs of Mumbai with Worli and central Mumbai.
• Its the first phase of the proposed West Island Freeway system which envisions the setting up of multiple flyovers over the Arabian Sea.
• The bridge was dedicated to the public on 30 June 2009 by Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
• The Sea Link is likely to reduce travel time between Bandra and Worli from 45–60 minutes to 7 minutes.
• The project was initiated more than 10 years ago in 1999 and was supposed to be completed within 5 years but it was delayed due to public interest litigations.
• Current Toll Rates  Rs.50(one way),Rs.75(two way) for cars and Rs.100 for heavy vehicles. 2 wheelers are currently not allowed.
• The Rs. 1600 crore ($ 400 Million approx.) project of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is being executed by Hindustan Construction Company. Designs and Project management is by M/s DAR Consultants.

Ref :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandra-Worli_Sea_Link