Architectural Motifs Research Articles

Confounded Dwelling: Architectures of Association in W. G. Sebald’sAusterlitz

Confounded Dwelling: Architectures of Association in W. G. Sebald’s<i>Austerlitz</i>

Аrhitektura v izkustvoto—izkustvo v arhitekturata

<i>Аrhitektura v izkustvoto—izkustvo v arhitekturata</i>

Synthetic Studies of the Rubellin Natural Products: Development of a Stereoselective Strategy and Total Synthesis of (+)-Rubellin C.

This manuscript describes our studies of the class of natural products known as the rubellins, culminating in the total synthesis of (+)-rubellin C. These anthraquinone-based natural products contain a variety of stereochemical and architectural motifs, including a 6-5-6-fused ring system, 5 stereogenic centers, and a central quaternary center. Herein, we report our development of a strategy to target the stereochemically dense core and anthraquinone nucleus, including approaches such as a bifunctional allylboron and vinyl triflate reagent, an anthraquinone benzylic metalation strategy, and a late-stage anthraquinone introduction strategy. Our studies culminate in a successful route to highly functionalized anthraquinone-based natural product scaffolds and a stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-rubellin C. These strategies and outcomes will aid in synthetic planning toward anthraquinone-based natural products of high interest.

COMPARATIVE BODY ANALYSIS OF SHEIKH LOTFOLLAH MOSQUE IN ISFA-HAN AND AHMED MOSQUE IN ISTANBUL

A mosque is a manifestation in which religion meets with art, demonstrating the most distinctive features of this art. Among the structural analysis approaches in architectural science, body analysis is critical, especially while the conceptual characteristics are considered. The positioning of the mosque building bodies and their relation to each other is also essential. The study aims to realize the geometry of motifs in Islamic architecture contemplated in many scientific and artistic disciplines from the perspective of body approach and understand the pattern on which this creative adaptation is made. In the Safavid era and the Ottoman Empire, Iran, due to its religious approaches, political rivalries, and European influence, saw new relations, and their cultural and artistic influences became tight. To understand the structural features of the architecture of the Safavid and Ottoman era, Sheikh Lotfollah and Sultan Ahmad mosques were studied (as a case study), considering their body analysis as a route to investigate the application of concepts and elements of Islamic architecture, as well as considering the architectural practices of the region and geographical location. Obtained results provided the relationship of the bodies and spaces to each other. Despite many differences, there are some distinct similarities in the body of the studied mosques due to the mystery of the motifs that unite the whole building in Islamic buildings. There is a display of homogeneity and dominance of decoration over the form. The one behind the decoration is in line with Islamic concepts and values. It is a message of unity and solidarity.

The Varkud Satellite Ribozyme: A Thirty-Year Journey through Biochemistry, Crystallography, and Computation.

The discovery of catalytic RNAs or ribozymes introduced a new class of enzymes to biology. In addition to their increasingly important roles in modern life, ribozymes are key players in the RNA World hypothesis, which posits that life started or flourished with RNA supporting both genetic and enzymatic functions. Therefore, investigations into the mechanisms of ribozyme function provide an exciting opportunity to examine the foundational principles of biological catalysis. Ribozymes are also attractive model systems to investigate the relationship between structure and function in RNA. Endonucleolytic ribozymes represent the largest class of catalytic RNA, of which the Varkud satellite (VS) ribozyme is structurally the most complex. The last ribozyme to be discovered by accident, the VS ribozyme had eluded structural determination for over two decades. When we solved the first crystal structures of the VS ribozyme, an extensive body of biochemical and biophysical data had accumulated over the years with which we could evaluate the functional relevance of the structure. Conversely, the structures provided a new perspective from which to reexamine the functional data and test new hypotheses. The VS ribozyme is organized in a modular fashion where independently folding domains assemble into the active conformation of the ribozyme via three-way junctions. Structures of the VS ribozyme in complex with its substrate at different stages of activation enabled us to map the structural reorganization of the substrate that must precede catalysis. In addition to defining the global architecture of the RNA, the essential interactions between the substrate and catalytic domains, and the rearrangements in the substrate prior to catalysis, these structures provided detailed snapshots of the ribozyme active site, revealing potential catalytic interactions. High resolution structures of the active site bolstered the view that the catalytic mechanism involved nucleobase-mediated general acid-base catalysis and uncovered additional catalytic interactions between the cleavage site and catalytic residues. Informed by the crystal structures of the VS ribozyme, an integrated experimental and computational approach identified the key players and essential interactions that define the active site of the ribozyme. This confluence of biochemical, structural, and computational studies revealed the catalytic mechanism of the ribozyme at unprecedented detail. Additionally, comparative analyses of the active site structures of the VS ribozyme and other nucleic acid-based endoribonucleases revealed common architectural motifs and strikingly similar catalytic strategies. In this Account, we document the progress of VS ribozyme research starting from its discovery and extending to the elucidation of its detailed catalytic mechanism 30 years later.

Bio-Inspired Architectures Substantially Reduce the Memory Requirements of Neural Network Models.

We propose a neural network model for the jumping escape response behavior observed in the cricket cercal sensory system. This sensory system processes low-intensity air currents in the animal's immediate environment generated by predators, competitors, and mates. Our model is inspired by decades of physiological and anatomical studies. We compare the performance of our model with a model derived through a universal approximation, or a generic deep learning, approach, and demonstrate that, to achieve the same performance, these models required between one and two orders of magnitude more parameters. Furthermore, since the architecture of the bio-inspired model is defined by a set of logical relations between neurons, we find that the model is open to interpretation and can be understood. This work demonstrates the potential of incorporating bio-inspired architectural motifs, which have evolved in animal nervous systems, into memory efficient neural network models.

Programming dynamic reconfigurable systems

DR-BIP is an extension of the BIP component framework intended for programming reconfigurable systems encompassing various aspects of dynamism. It relies on architectural motifs to structure the architecture of a system and to coordinate its reconfiguration at runtime. An architectural motif defines a set of interacting components that evolve according to reconfiguration rules. With DR-BIP, the dynamism can be captured as the inter-play of dynamic changes in three independent directions: (1) the organization of interactions between instances of components in a given configuration; (2) the reconfiguration mechanisms allowing creation/deletion of components and management of their interaction according to a given architectural motif; and (3) the migration of components between predefined architectural motifs which characterizes dynamic execution environments. The paper lays down the formal foundation of DR-BIP, illustrates its expressiveness on few examples and discusses avenues for dynamic reconfigurable system design.

Переконструируя святыню. Образ Иерусалима в живописи и графике Антверпена XVI века

The image of Jerusalem as a principal element of Christian art continued to play a big role in the Dutch painting of the 16th century. Usually Jerusalem was represented with temples of more or less fantastic features. From 1515 to 1535, in Antwerp, one of the richest cities of the time in terms of the development of the art market, we find an architectural type (possibly, an allusion on the Holy Sepulchre) atypical of Dutch art, which became very popular amidst the Antwerp Mannerists and some other artists. This architectural type was probably developed as a result of various influences; so, here it is provisionally named the Antwerp type. It is a construction of hybrid features, with a dome and sometimes with gables. The earliest examples can be found in the works of Joachim Patinir and Quinten Massijs. This architectural type became later widespread largely due to Herri met de Bles and his workshop. But starting the mid-16th century, the interest of the Dutch masters generally shifted towards the image of the Tower of Babel, which absorbed, in their view, the features of the Colosseum, due to numerous voyages to Italy and passion for the aesthetics of ruins, as well as to the historical realities of that time. This case investigates the issue of the convergence of various architectural motifs, the evolution of the very idea of a tiered centric building, when Jerusalem sometimes became Rome, and Rome became Babylon (which was largely facilitated, in particular, by engravings made from the drawings by Maarten van Heemskerck). On the one hand, the passion for architectural fantasies was part of the general European process during the Renaissance; on the other hand, it was a reflection of the spirit of Mannerism and the art style that followed it.

Motywy roślinne w architekturze sakralnej gminy Kiełczygłów i okolic (województwo łódzkie) – wybrane obiekty

Floral motifs in sacral architecture of Kiełczygłów Community and surroundings (Łódź Voivodeship) – selected objects Interdisciplinary studies on the role of plants in culture are rare, that is why a rich plant ornamentation of the churches in Poland is little known. This article presents the first documentation of the plant ornaments in nine Roman Catholic churches of Kiełczygłów Community and surroundings in Łódź Voivodeship, which were built from the 16th into the 20th centuries. The first stage of work was to take 385 photographs, then to organize a basis with 505 records, one record containing one plant ornament. As a result of botanical analysis 39 taxa were determined, including 17 species, 18 genera, and 4 families. Some of the plant motifs could not be identified because of strong stylization. The most frequent taxa were the old useful plants popular in sacral art, originating in southern or south-eastern regions of Europe and in West Asia: bear’s-breech (Acanthus sp1.), rose (Rosa sp.), Madonna lily (Lilium candidum L.), and grape-vine (Vitis vinifera L.). Some ornaments present the plants occurring in wild in Poland or as field and meadow weeds, e.g. bellflower (Campanula sp.) or poppy (Papaver sp.). The greatest number of ornaments was identified in the neo-Gothic St. Casimir Church in Osjaków. Captivating in their colors and diversity of shapes, the plant ornaments serve not only decorative functions, but symbolic ones as well. This article hopes to contribute, at least to a small extent, to the reflection on the presence of plants in our culture and to raise the awareness of how important it is to protect local species that perish irretrievably due to anthropogenic activity.

Solomon the Builder: The Testament of Solomon within Byzantine Imperial and Apocalyptic Culture

The Testament of Solomon appears frequently in discussions of ancient magic and ritual, with few investigations of its place within the social and cultural histories of Late Antiquity and beyond. Analyses of the Testament's textual history have occasionally stressed the priority of one or another medieval manuscript for the redaction in stages of the complete Testament. This article explores the traditions of Solomon's authority relative to the activities of Byzantine emperors as a background to the development of specific Testament units. In particular, it argues that the erection of the "air-column" by Solomon and the demons (chapter 22 of McCown's edition) registers the architectural motifs associated with the construction of Byzantine monuments generally, and the apocalyptic legends surrounding Constantine's porphyry column in particular. In doing so, this article demonstrates the utility and necessity of assessing the redaction of individual units across manuscripts prior to their assemblage into a full Testament in medieval manuscripts. It concludes by recommending new approaches to Solomon's role as a ritual expert in the Testament in light of its engagement with Byzantine imperial and apocalyptic culture.

Architecture in Spanish Baroque Literature

A striking aspect of the Baroque imagination was its fondness for architectural motifs. A multitude of religious, philosophical, and technical works were configured as imaginary theatres, fortresses, courts, temples, hospitals, or plazas; others masqueraded as descriptions of real cathedrals, palaces, or cities, but moralized the buildings as hieroglyphs of divine wisdom or regal power; while literary works made abundant use of architectural allegories to embody ideas (Saavedra Fajardo's city of ink, Gracián's museum of knowledge, Quevedo's ruined castle of desengaño, etc.). This article traces how the patently 'constructed' nature of such metaphysical conceits sprang from the world-view of melancholy desengaño.

It is time to look back on postmodernism

It is time to look back on postmodernism

Un artista español en El Salvador, Joaquín Vaquero Palacios (1900-1998)

El artículo se centra en la relación que el arquitecto y pintor español mantuvo con El Salvador. Sus estancias en el país, debidas a su matrimonio con la salvadoreña Rosa Turcios (sobrina de Rubén Darío), le inspiraron pinturas de arquitectura, paisajes, selvas, volcanes y tipos humanos; una insólita aportación al arte iberoamericano. Participó en múltiples aspectos culturales del país, proyectó una nueva catedral para su capital y aun preparó una monografía sobre sus iglesias virreinales.

Characterization of the primate TRIM gene family reveals the recent evolution in primates.

The tripartite motif (TRIM) gene family encodes diverse distinct proteins that play important roles in many biological processes. However, the molecular evolution and phylogenetic relationships of TRIM genes in primates are still elusive. We performed a genomic approach to identify and characterize TRIM genes in human and other six primate genomes. In total, 537 putative functional TRIM genes were identified and TRIM members varied among primates. A neighbor joining (NJ) tree based on the protein sequences of 82 human TRIM genes indicates seven TRIM groups, which is consistent with the results based on the architectural motifs. Many TRIM gene duplication events were identified, indicating a recent expansion of TRIM family in primate lineages. Interestingly, the chimpanzee genome shows the greatest TRIM gene expansion among the primates; however, its congeneric species, bonobo, has the least number of TRIM genes and no duplication event. Moreover, we identified a ~ 200kb deletion on chromosome 11 of bonobos that results in a loss of cluster3 TRIM genes. The loss of TRIM genes might have occurred within the last 2 mys. Analysis of positive selection recovered 9 previously reported and 21 newly identified positively selected TRIM genes. In particular, most positive selected sites are located in the B30.2 domains. Our results have provided new insight into the evolution of primate TRIM genes and will broaden our understanding on the functions of the TRIM family.

Assessing the Efficiency of Sunscreens in University of Baghdad Campus

Sunscreens play an important role as exterior solar shading devices that block a certain amount of the sun radiation from entering the building. Thereby, they improve indoor environmental qualities by reducing heat gain, controlling glare and decreasing contrast ratios leading to increased human comfort, satisfaction and productivity. In University of Baghdad campus design, Gropius’s main aim was “Let climate control dominate the university architectural motif”. Sunscreens were thus essential features and functional both from the practical point of view to protect windows, and as a prominent design element of sculptural quality. The campus, over the past decades, was subjected to many changes and new buildings were added to the master plan. Sunscreens were imposed on the new buildings’ elevations as unifying design elements without considering the climatic and orientation aspects, causing excessive heat gain in interior spaces. The paper aims to explore and evaluate the efficiency of sunscreens in University of Baghdad campus, in both the original and new buildings, to determine the optimal building orientation and the effective sunscreen design that improves the passive energy performance of the buildings.

Topological defects produce exotic mechanics in complex metamaterials

Defects, and in particular topological defects, are architectural motifs that play a crucial role in natural materials. Here we provide a systematic strategy to introduce such defects in mechanical metamaterials. We first present metamaterials that are a mechanical analogue of spin systems with tunable ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions, then design an exponential number of frustration-free metamaterials, and finally introduce topological defects by rotating a string of building blocks in these metamaterials. We uncover the distinct mechanical signature of topological defects by experiments and simulations, and leverage this to design complex metamaterials in which we can steer deformations and stresses towards parts of the system. Our work presents a new avenue to systematically include spatial complexity, frustration, and topology in mechanical metamaterials.

NEW JEWISH STYLE IN LVIV ARCHITECTURE: THE HISTORIC TRANSFORMATION IN THE URBAN SPACE

Introduction: The phenomenon of expressing national identity in architecture is manifested in many countries and cities. In this article, it is considered in the context of Lviv with the main focus on Jewish architects. Purpose of the study: We are planning to study the process of the emergence of a new Jewish style in the architecture of Lviv from the mid-19th century to the first decades of the 20th century in the context of urban development, and consider the formation of a characteristic art language, together with the corresponding symbolic elements of décor. Methods: We use a comprehensive art approach, which involves the method of systematization for material processing, comparison and synthesis. In the course of the study, we applied comparative analysis, as well as elements of systematic analysis of the Jewish architecture evolution. Results and discussion: We conclude that the architects used several strategies and theories to express Jewish cultural identity in their works, in particular, neo-romantic transformations of medieval, Renaissance and Oriental architecture, rethinking in the spirit of Art Nouveau of the Neo-Moorish style, incorporation of old regional architecture motifs, applying decor saturated with Jewish symbols.

Lamps with “temple façade” decoration: witness to urban vitality in the northern and western Black Sea and the ties with Constantinople.

The architectural motif in the form of an arch-on-columns, the titular “temple facade”, decorating the discus of late antique lamps, has been the subject of debate and various interpretations of the meaning without reference to the rendering or the lamp type. An examination of known examples of lamps with this particular motif has identified four different lamp type variants and two main renderings of the decoration. Ovoid lamps bearing a representation of an arch-on-columns, the most numerous among the finds, come mostly from Constantinople and nearby cities, the Black Sea coast and the Danubian sites, the sole exceptions being Egypt (where they appear also in a late variant), Cyprus and Byblos. Reconstructing the distribution of these types and renderings has introduced some “order” into the existing hypotheses and highlighted issues connected with understanding the booming economy of the Pontic area as well as the recently rebuilt Danubian limes fortresses, during their apex, in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. It has also contributed to the discussion aimed at ending the widespread use of the term “Balkan lamps” for products that represent the output of Pontic and Danubian workshops influenced by the Imperial capital in Constantinople.

The Significance of Ornaments and Motifs in Heritage Buildings of Alexandria, Egypt

Ornaments and motifs in architecture are elements that which added to an otherwise merely structural form, usually for the purpose of decoration or embellishment, it’s the language through which architecture communicates with a public. Utilizing those decorative elements and motifs is considered as an intellectual communication throughout the characteristics of architectural styles. The importance of the study is Identifying and understanding the range of ornamental design principles used in previous times which signifies the transformations of eras. Styles of ornamentation studied in reference to the specific culture, which develops unique forms of decoration, or modified ornaments from other cultures. Very few researches have been undertaken to study such decorative elements, hence the objective of the study was to understand, record and analyze the existing wide variety of decorative ornaments, which were spread in Alexandria, mainly two distinctive styles, which were the Neoclassic, and Art Deco styles. This was done through case studies where data was collected by using survey as a main method, throughout several heritage buildings during the late 19th century and the early 20th century of cosmopolitan Alexandrian era. The research discusses these abundant vast ranges of motifs used in ornaments and embellishments which have an importance to grant an identity to buildings therefore identity of the city, also to emphasize distinctive features of elements, sometimes with no function, but exist merely to be a work of art, considered as ramifications to the past, arousing people’s nostalgic feelings.

Problems of Development of Small and Medium Russian Towns

The presented study addresses the problems of development of small and medium towns in Russia. Aim. The study aims to examine a town as a socio-economic environment where its residents exist and as the fundamental factor for the development of society.Tasks. The authors identify key problems in the development of small and medium Russian towns, which interferes with the historical appearance and has a negative impact on the living environment.Methods. Problems in the development of small and medium towns in Russia are examined using theoretical methods: systematic approach, statistical analysis, social and philosophical analysis.Results. The study identifies the main negative effects of the existing model of development of small and medium Russian towns, such as destruction of their historical and cultural appearance, distortion of the overall architectural motif, increased load on communications, and congestion of the transport infrastructure.Conclusions. At the current stage, efficient development of small and medium towns in Russia is impossible within the framework of the existing infill development. This chaotic process cannot be stopped without a new conceptual approach and changes in the legislative and normative framework of urban development. The only factor that determines the boundaries of the existing approach to urban development is the lack of physical space for new buildings in urban areas. The authors formulate proposals that would help to solve the problems of development of small and medium towns in Russia.