Unit Summary 2 - Reverberations: The Global Design Pendulum

The 1400 years of architectural history covered by this second unit are best characterized by the Foucault Pendulum, in particular the one on exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There are three themes in particular that are specifically inspired by the pendulum: struggles between the localization and the globalization of design and architecture, the emergence and importance of science and innovation in material use, and the impact of colonization on the style movements for both the colonized and the colonizers.



The Foucault Pendulum at the Franklin Institute demonstrates that what goes around, comes around in design (retrieved from: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4449119128_4902f85ce8.jpg).



Coming out of a desire to demonstrate faith, the buildings of the first millennium become progressively grander in scale and more elaborate in design and decoration. Examples of this are in the unsurpassed quality of ecclesiastical stone work coming from the Persian and Byzantine Empires (Roth, pp. 288-298) and the massive public works that allowed the Zapotec (Ching, pp. 257-259) and Mayan cities of Central America (Ching, pp.264-266) to become the largest civilizations of their time. Those who sponsored new construction demanded it be built taller, stronger, and more decadent in appointment. The limits of materials used for construction were tested and pushed to the limit – new materials were developed to keep up with the demands. The design pendulum swung from simple stone churches, mosques, and temples to highly ornamental and sophisticated structures that were emblematic of the ingenuity of those who designed and built them.

The apex of the design pendulum swing brings us to the Gothic design movement of western tradition and the intricate designs of temples across Asia. We start to see two distinct views of design – East and West. Both sides now send the pendulum away from regionally- or locally-defined architecture by setting down rules that clearly articulate what good design means. Prototypes for Asian temple architecture are set by imperial degree in both the Song (Ching, pp. 400-403) and Ming (Ching, pp. 439-443) dynasties in China, the Chola of the India subcontinent (Ching, pp. 405-410) and the Khmer empire in southeast Asia (Ching, pp. 392-397). In the west, Renaissance architecture coming out of Italy (Roth, pp. 357-381) is clearly defined with its own set of rules. Through these rules for design eastern and western builders brought consistency, tradition, and stability to architecture.

Just as soon as rules for design are defined empires from both east and west begin widening their reach into new geographic areas. China takes its political and cultural reach into Japan, Mongolia and Tibet. What was universal for the Chinese becomes regionalized. The Japanese incorporate their own Shinto perspective on the landscape that surrounds Chinese-inspired buildings (Ching, pp.486-494). The Chinese emperor’s Summer Residence at Chengde takes on both Tibetan and Mongolian details (Ching, pp. 602-604). The design pendulum, fueled by both opposition and assimilation, is pushed away from the set rules.

In the West, Greek and Roman classical rules for architecture take on new meanings when relocated to new climates in France, England. The quintessential example of this is the Palace at Versailles where the seemingly classical Greek-inspired Roman façade opens up to an interior that is decorated in a French Baroque fashion (Roth, pp. 415-420). We see it again in the Pantheon- mimicking that Sir Christopher Wren employed in designing of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London while also incorporating clear English Baroque elements (Roth, pp. 420-427).

Finally, we come back to the Unites States and the pendulum at the Franklin Institute. Named for one of our own revolutionaries, Benjamin Franklin, the exterior is typical for the Neo-Classical and Greek revival styles of the late 18^th and early 19^th century though it was built in the 20^th century (http://www2.fi.edu/shared/history.php). Like the state capital buildings of Virginia and Tennessee the Institute is characterized by Greek-inspired design rules (Ching, pp. 619, 645). An embodiment of Greek republican ideals, government and public buildings describe the desire of our founding fathers to return to classical values and invent a new kind of political system (Ching, pp. 644-645). Even Philadelphia is saturated in classical language. Planned on a Roman city grid system (Ching, pp.194-195) Philadelphia gets its name from Greek meaning “City of Brotherly Love” (http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/philadelphia.html).

A symbol of both Greek governance ideals and the innovation of the American people the Franklin Institute embodies Greek Revival in the Philadelphia (retrieved from: http://www2.fi.edu/shared/images/museum.front.jpg).

The design and architecture pendulum brings us back to the classical, but with a new set of rules. The world continues to turn and the pendulum at the Franklin Institute continues to follow the path of our orbit – spiraling round and round like the shell of a nautilus we all revisit our creative past with a new view, we incorporate what has meaning for us and adapt to new political, economic and cultural realities.