Piece Of Architecture Research Articles

Pathological Manifestation and Restoration Procedures Analysis of the Historic Building, located in Belém-PA

The city of Belém, capital of the Brazilian state of Pará, a four hundred years old city, is considered rich with history and cultural diversity. Amongst its historical constructions, the Library “Arquivo Público” - Public Archives – stands out for its great importance, not only for its own history and architecture, but also for keeping very relevant documents in its collection. Among the archives, the oldest document is dated from 1649, close to the year of the city’s foundation. However, until the beginning of 2014, the building was in a dreadful preservation state. Aiming the conservation of the city’s historic and cultural heritage, the renovation of the building was initiated, focusing especially on the restoration of the original architectural pieces, preserving the artistic heritage of the construction. This paper aims to analyze the pathologies found on site and evaluate the restoration process of this historical building, to verify the repair procedures made and to present the results of the construction work.

Water and wealth in medieval Sicily: The case of the Admiral's Bridge and Arab‐Norman Palermo (10th–13th centuries)

The Muslim capture of Palermo in 831 transformed a small Byzantine outpost into the capital of Islamic Sicily and a Mediterranean metropolis. Central to this urban growth was Palermo's role as an agricultural and trading hub: the city's geophysical situation on the north‐western shores of Sicily linked it with a fertile plane where rivers flowed north into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Throughout the medieval period, Palermo's dependence on this area's water resources made questions of water use and management a key concern in the medieval city. However, there has been little scholarly debate about such issues. With an eye to recent archeological studies concerning the Oreto districts, this article will explore such dynamics by analyzing an important piece of architecture which crosses the Oreto river: the so‐called Bridge of the Admiral. This bridge was recently made a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the most significant works of medieval Mediterranean engineering. Until now, research has concentrated on questions of its date and commissioning: scholarship has largely assumed that it was constructed in 1132 by George of Antioch, the admiral of King Roger II. However, as this article will demonstrate, there is little evidence to support this conclusion. This study will approach the debate by analyzing the spatial setting of the bridge. In so doing, it will be shown how an investigation of the bridge's toponym and topography can elucidate details concerning both the bridge's commissioning and the institutional relationship between the Oreto area and the city of Palermo.This article is categorized under: Human Water> Water as Imagined and Represented Human Water> Water Governance

Portugal dos Pequenitos as an urban laboratory for rehearsing national identity

AbstractPortugal dos Pequenitos (literally, ‘Portugal for the Little Ones’), a theme park built in Portugal as part of the Centenarian Commemorations of the Portuguese Nation of 1940, has been considered one of the most controversial pieces of Portuguese architecture in the 20th century. Designed between 1937 and 1962 by Architect Cassiano Branco, at the initiative of Bissaya Barreto, it features reproductions of uniquely typical Portuguese architecture built to a child's scale. It includes buildings from mainland Portugal, from the Azores and Madeira islands and from the colonial territories in Africa and Asia. The main aims of this paper are twofold: firstly, to frame Cassiano Branco's architecture in its specific context, in terms of historical contingencies and architectural controversies during the Estado Novo (New State) Portuguese dictatorship (1933–1974), and secondly, to assess the importance of Portugal dos Pequenitos as a laboratory for rehearsing an idyllic urban environment, applying hypothetical principles of national identity.

This Was The End

In this article I describe the process of conceiving, creating and directing a performance called This Was The End, and the sound and video installation that archives it. This exploration of aging and memory has been a decade long project inspired by Uncle Vanya’s desperate thought ‘Suppose I live to be 60?’ This simple prompt lead to my collaboration with a quartet of older actors, whose careers in New York City’s downtown experimental theatre scene encompass Charles Ludlam’s Ridiculous Theatrical Company and Joe Chaiken’s Open Theater. I reflect on how their presence in the process opened up an exploration of memory on multiple fronts from the role memorization plays in conventional theater, to working with audio recordings of the actors’ memories of Chehkov’s play, to design considerations. I describe how the set, itself a recovered piece of architecture, is activated in performance with an integrated analog sound and digital video system inspired by the optical science behind Proust’s formulation of memory as the convergence of past and present. Through the scholarship of Roger Shattuck I explain how taking a Proustian approach to Chekhov’s dramatic trajectory lead to the deeper underlying question of the work - What do we do with our past? What can we make of it? Finally I consider how memorializing the fragility, resilience and persistence of these older performers as an interactive sculptural installation serves to deny erasure and remind us of a life before that continues.

Heritage of Early Modernism in Residential Architecture in Sarajevo

Appearance of modern architecture in the early 20th century brought revolutionary changes in the meaning and sense of architectural design. New design implies a new way of life of modern man and entirely new approach to residential architecture. The new ideal of residential architecture becoming sunlit living units oriented toward the green, free of bulky furniture, with flexible, open plan, equipped and materialized in accordance to the time. Pure and simple design without decorations started to replace eclectic artistic expressions of the past times. In many European countries, a modernism was reaching its peak during the 1920s and 1930s by promoting and strengthening the ideas of the Bauhaus School and Athens charter and by increasing a number of young architects that have finished schools of architecture in Central European universities and continue to work with significant names of modernism. Such the case was in Sarajevo with a numerous of architects that worked from the second half of the 1920s and later. They have developed remarkable pieces of modernist architecture that are not appropriately treated by institutions and understood by wider public. The purpose of paper is to contribute indicating of value of such architecture that should result with raising of awareness about its importance and future proper interventions based on experience of similar projects related to protection and promotion of modern architectural heritage, that were realized in Europe and wider. Early modernism in residential architecture has brought tectonic changes in development of architecture and cities, quality and way of human living. It was just beginning in creation of extraordinary avant-garde modernism that existed during period of Socialist Yugoslavia in second half of 20th century. A comprehensive understanding of modernism from mentioned period in study case of Sarajevo and promotion its values will help to build positive and honest relation to heritage which was part of common international European identity.

SEBASTE ANTİK KENTİ VE ÇEVRESİ YÜZEY ARAŞTIRMALARINDA ELE GEÇEN CAM ESERLER

In the ancient city of Sebaste, discovered totally by chance and excavated between 1966-1978, chuches belonging to Byzantine Period were unearthed. Besides, short term excavations were carried on in the tumuli and mounds around the ancient city. It was predicted that this region might be the centre of Sebaste city by European researchers who visited this region before the excavations carried out there. However, many questions about the localization and boundaries of Sebaste had remained unanswered in spite of these excavations and investigations. Therefore, small finds, architectural pieces and inscriptions in Sebaste and its surroundings have been examined during the surveys since 2016 and their relation to the settlement. Antique glass, which is among the small findings and forms the basis of this study, has gained importance in terms of indicating the parallelism of settlement and findings in a surface survey for the first time.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL MINORITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA

<jats:p>The territory of the Republic of Srpska is well-known for a large number of foreign colonies formed after 1878. Foreigners from all over the Austro-Hungarian Empire were settled in the northern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, today covering the municipalities in the Republic of Srpska. The most dominant group among all national minorities was the Ukrainian. This paper deals with their sacred architecture, which significantly contributes to the image of architecture in the Republic of Srpska. Common properties, the historical context and background ideas are shown, along with selected examples of representative pieces of architecture, followed by a historical and architectural evaluation. Moreover, a note on the number of demolished sacred buildings is given, completing this paper that originally contributes to the historical research and analysis of architecture in this region.</jats:p>

Contribución para o estudo da rede de igrexiarios como base dunha organización territorial sustentable

En amplas zonas de poboamento espallado no noroeste da Península Ibérica, as parroquias non son tanto unha división eclesiástica como unha entidade social e xeográfica. Dentro dos seus límites, os igrexarios (isto é; o conxunto formado pola igrexa, cemiterio, carballeira, cruceiros e casa reitoral; polo común na veciñanza dunha pequena aldea) constitúen o seu cerne. Nesta zona, os igrexarios forman unha malla sobre a paisaxe cultural e representan os fitos de súa identidade. A maior parte aséntanse nos seus lugares desde a Idade Media e evidencian conexións cun pasado máis remoto. Con frecuencia inclúen importantes mostras de arquitectura histórica así como de espazos de gran calidade ambiental.Nesta investigación analizamos 750 parroquias rurais e os seus igrexarios que constitúen unha área de máis de 6200 quilómetros cadrados, do noroeste galego, diagnosticando o seu estado mediante o sistema DAFO, e propoñendo estratexias para a súa conservación e a renovación das súas funcións.

Reconstructing ancient architecture at Tiwanaku, Bolivia: the potential and promise of 3D printing

The ruins of Tiwanaku (A.D. 500–950), in the modern republic of Bolivia, present an archaeological challenge owing to intense looting during the colonial period that effectively demolished the site. One building in particular, known as the Pumapunku, was described by Spanish conquistadors and travelers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as a wondrous, though unfinished, building with gateways and windows carved from single blocks. Unparalleled in the pre-Colombian New World, the craftsmanship of this masonry has long been considered the architectural apogee of Andean pre-Colombian lithic technology. Unfortunately, during the last 500 years, treasure hunters have ransacked this building to the point that none of approximately shattered remains of 150 blocks of the standing architecture are to be found in their original place. Over the last century and a half, several different scholars have carefully measured the shattered architecture and even managed to join several fragments to form complete pieces. This research revisited these historic field notes with a view to transforming this century and a half of documentation into solid 3D form. These measurements were entered by hand into an architectural modeling program; the virtual form was subsequently printed in 3D form at 4% reduced scale. Unlike large architectural pieces — or notes or models on a computer screen — 3D-printed pieces can be manipulated quickly and intuitively, allowing researchers to try combinations and seek connections rapidly, turning over pieces and testing possible fits. This tactile engagement, along with the ability to quickly try out combinations of the 3D-printed pieces, led to fresh and often unexpected insights. Once refined and simplified, this methodology, was demonstrated to the indigenous site managers who were provided with a full copy of the printed architectural fragments with a view to continuing research and to present the work to visitors, stakeholders and other scholars.

Paimio Sanatorium under Construction

Alvar Aalto created innovative architecture in his breakthrough work, Paimio Sanatorium, located in Southwestern Finland and designed between 1928 and 1933. This empirical case study looked at the iconic piece of architecture from a new angle by implementing the actor-network theory (ANT). The focus was on how the architecture of the sanatorium came to be. A detailed description of the chronology and administration of the building process enabled observing on the role of the agency of the architect. The study surveyed the cooperation, collaboration, and decision making of the agency during the construction period. The first part of this paper focused on the relations and conditions of producing the sanatorium and analyzed the building through drawings and archive material; the second part linked to the actor-network theory of Bruno Latour and included a discussion on how Aalto managed to bring along the other actors. The study clearly showed the importance of a collaborative effort in a building project. The most special architectural solutions for Paimio Sanatorium, a demanding institutional building project, came into being in circumstances where the architect managed to create a viable network that merged collective competence with material factors.

Peace ‘at Last Sight’: The Other Face of ‘Warchitecture’

The first part of the title of this article purposefully recalls Walter Benjamin’s interpretation of ‘love at last sight’ in connection with Charles Baudelaire’s famous poem entitled ‘To a Passerby’ in his famous book ‘The Flowers of Evil’. The poem was written about a lost chance of love. Within the title of this article it is used in relation to the concept of peace. The other part of the title contains Andrew Herscher’s concept of ‘warchitecture’, which is used to describe destroyed or semi destroyed pieces of architecture in political conflict zones. The paper intendeds to represent another face of warchitecture, which has nothing to do with physical destruction. By making value judgements regarding examples of architectural aesthetics, which exist within a long-term conflict zone—Jerusalem; Mosche Safdie’s David Village and Santiago Calatrava’s Bridge of Strings will be discussed. Peacefully they may stand in their appearance, they express a ‘nonbeing peace’ when analyzed in relation to their context. Accordingly, this paper questions both buildings’ attempts to peace and harmony when discrimination is taking place against Palestinians in Jerusalem. By articulating the relationship between the representation of ‘nonbeing’ and the destruction of buildings’ ‘warchitecture’ during wars, the paper shows that neglect can be another tool of destruction towards Palestinians and their culture.

Assemblage Scores | Your Timing is Perfect and other wall works and Movements + Navigations In/Around/Under/Through/With City Hall

The texts are scores of past performances and lived choreographies sited in and around a specific piece of architecture. The scores explore the dynamics of working with (and within) various institutions. These are fragmented choreographies—the coming together of people, ideas, and movements, connected by site.

The Yamanote Line as architecture: building on the ruination of urban limits

Infrastructure has become a relatively established field of inquiry in architectural academia over the last two decades, insofar as it builds on the rational and generative overtones of the term. However, the contrasting possibility that infrastructure might represent an obstacle for the city and its architecture has often been overlooked. Simultaneously, the idea that the city might be considered as a piece of architecture that can be comprehended, controlled, and eventually designed as a whole (whether from scratch or incrementally), has recently resurfaced, echoing Aldo Rossi's concept of ‘primary elements’. In his seminal book The Architecture of the City, Rossi described the way these elements ‘participate in the evolution of the city over time in a permanent way, often becoming identified with the major artefacts constituting the city’. But, he noted: [p]rimary elements are not only monuments, just as they are not only fixed activities; in a general sense they are those elements capable of accelerating the process of urbanization in a city, and they also characterize the processes of spatial transformation in an area larger than the city.

Analysis of Poul Gernes\u2019 painted folding doors at Herlev Hospital

An analytical study of the painted folding doors at Herlev Hospital in Denmark has been performed in connection with the creation of new doors. The hospital which construction was completed in 1976 is one of the first polychrome hospitals in the world. The building has achieved international awareness not only as a piece of architecture but also as an artwork being the largest artistic decoration of a public space in Denmark. Besides the decoration of the walls and interior which colour scheme was designed by the Danish artist Poul Gernes, the hospital foyer includes 65 individual paintings and two painted folding doors, which were executed by Poul Gernes. The folding doors are the original doors from 1976 and have never been restored. The paint used for the decoration of the folding doors were analysed by micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The results showed, that the variant colours were created by the use of a limited number of pigments and consist of a mixture of inorganic pigments and synthetic organic pigments. The detected pigments were chrome yellow, chrome orange/chrome red, PY3, PR3, PR122, PB15, and PV23. Titanium white (rutile) was found in all paint and preparatory layers, and it was used as both a whitening agent in mixtures with other pigment and a filler material in the paint. The study also shows how the decorations were created and it hence relates to other studies of wall paintings from that period giving useful information for future restoration issues about the possible pigments and binder used.

The construction of a Civic Neighbourhood as/through cultural production: a discourse analytical approach to participatory art and temporary architecture

This essay investigates the construction of a neighborhood in East London, both in its discursive and its socio-cultural and material dimensions. The analysis combines methodologies from the fields of critical discourse analysis, participatory art, temporary architecture and urban commons to offer a “thick description” of professional, political and discursive practices involved in the definition and creation of a civic neighbourhood. The analysis focuses on civic neighbourhood project in East London called InterAct while the pivotal point of the project was the building of a piece of temporary architecture, the planning and ongoing construction of a civic neighbourhood involved a much more far-reaching production of material and symbolic artifacts which jointly represent a form of position taking within a site of social, cultural and symbolic struggle (Bourdieu 1993, 30). The study provides a critical description of the InterAct project, illustrating its purpose, goals and rationale and critically examines some of the publicly available discursive artifacts which revolve around it. The research approach programmatically seeks to combine insights from multiple methodological research traditions in order to investigate a complex socio-cultural phenomenon with considerable possible political ramifications.

Paradigma, ensayo y conclusión: La Casa de Bernard Rudofsky en tres actos

<p>La Casa <em>–or in English, the house– that Bernard Rudofsky built on the Spanish Mediterranean coast in 1971 is a valuable case study on the operational possibilities of popular architecture in the practice of this contemporary discipline. It is a repository of theoretical references typical of the vernacular world; its author, known for the exhibition </em>Architecture without Architects<em>, is emblematic of this type of architecture to which he dedicated much of his efforts as a theorist and polemicist throughout the course of his life. Additionally, </em>La Casa <em>is a unique architectural feat as it involves the practical materialization of its implicated theoretical position. It is possible that a concrete conclusion can be drawn from this case, which may shed light on the possible operability of a type of architecture that presents more than a few difficulties for the current context of the discipline, despite being habitually admired and praised. Additionally, the text presented here brings to light unpublished information found in the personal diaries of the architect that allows for the recreation of the circumstances surrounding the ideation and construction of this piece of architecture.</em></p>

VISUAL COMMUNICATION OF THE TRADITIONAL HOUSE IN NEGERI SEMBILAN

Visual communication in architecture is a genuine aspiration in realizing the relationship between the Malays and other communities. The composition of the models in this communication is very well organized and will remain relevant to be developed from time to time. It is an observation on the symbols, types of motifs and design aspects of the carvings, also the structural elements in the Malay architecture of Negeri Sembilan.
 This also comprises the study of the chronology of the early history of the Malay architecture of Negeri Sembilan which has its linkages with the Islamic art. Emphasis is given to the diversity in the carving characteristics as a comparison regarding historical, cultural and environmental backgrounds. The delicacy of the craftsmanship among Malay carvers in Negeri Sembilan is reflected in their maturity and ability to fuse traditional elements and Islam. Symbols that have motifs in the carvings result from the carvers' observation and experience.
 The selection of these motifs is carefully made to ensure that they are the Islamic teachings and not deviating with the Islamic law. Carvings in the Malay architecture of Negeri Sembilan are also crafted with an aim to beautify a piece of architecture made of various motifs. Those carved parts are always assured to maintain the balance with the surrounding space. Floral motifs are often combined with cosmic or geometrical motifs. In many cases, plant-based motifs are also prevalence translated into carvings. This is a tribute from the Malay carvers to beauty, perfection, and harmony of nature.

Stendhal syndrome: a clinical and historical overview.

It could be argued that one of the few unifying qualities all human beings share is the ability to appreciate beauty. While the object of beauty may change from one person to another, the awe and the thrill experienced by an enthralled beholder remains the same. Sometimes, this experience can be so overwhelming it can bring someone to the edge of existence. A very rare condition, known as aesthetic syndrome and, more commonly, Stendhal syndrome, entails a clinical phenomenon in which the presence of a beautiful piece of work or architecture causes dysautonomic symptoms such as tachycardia, diaphoresis, chest pains and loss of consciousness. We present an historical and clinical review of this condition.

HBIM and Virtual Tools: A New Chance to Preserve Architectural Heritage

Nowadays, architectural heritage is increasingly exposed to dangers due to natural disasters or human invasive actions. However, management and conservation represent crucial phases within the life cycle of historical buildings. Unfortunately, the complexity of conservation practices and the lack of knowledge of historic buildings are the cause of an inefficient recovering process in case of emergencies. To overcome this problem, this research aims to ensure the preservation of relevant information through the use of building information modeling (BIM) methodology. By developing historic building information models (HBIMs), it is possible to enhance the architectural heritage. This represents an opportunity to incorporate digital media into the global heritage conservation field. To achieve this goal, a historical castle was selected as a case study; this unique piece of architecture is located in the Piedmont Region, close to city of Turin (Italy). The results show a direct relation between a historical digital model, finalized to the management of architectural and system components, and visualization tools. To conclude, the adoption of this strategy is an effective way to preserve and consult information using advanced visualization techniques based on augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR).

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of natural light in the dome of San Lorenzo, Turin

The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin, which was designed by the Theatine architect Guarino Guarini in the 17th century, is among the most famous Christian Baroque architectural masterpieces. Guarini was given freedom to plan and design this church, which can be considered his most innovative and influential work. The most significant feature of this building is its dome, which is magnificent and slightly different from what is expected from a Baroque church. The dome of San Lorenzo has been the subject of considerable research due to its perforated surface that allows daylight to penetrate into the interior space. However, this dome has been mostly described through mere observation in a poetic and mystical manner. Although a subjective analysis is vital in understanding this architectural piece, a systematic and objective analysis that includes numerical data is required to understand fully the illumination by natural light present in this work of architecture.This paper presents a method based on high-dynamic-range-imaging luminance analysis that employs a quantitative luminous measurement technique to analyze the daylight behavior in San Lorenzo. The first section of this paper investigates the subjective experience in the dome hall, and the last two sections objectively show the dome functions and the manner through which the design of Guarini creates various light values in different parts of the dome. Such a design is responsible for the unique experience in the dome hall.