Roman Architecture: Vitruvius and the 1st Metaphysics in Architecture

Histarc 11st Term SY 2016-17

Roman Flag

SPQR

Senātus Populusque Rōmānus

"The Senate and People of Rome"

INRI

Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudoeorum(Jesus of Nazareth, King of Jews)

IONIC CAPITALDORIC CAPITAL DORIC CAPITAL

Corinthian OrderThe Corinthian order is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order which was the earliest, followed by the Ionic order.

Parts of the Corinthian Capital

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae in Arcadia

It is not part of the order of the temple itself, which has a Doric colonnade surrounding the temple and an Ionic order within the cella enclosure.

A single Corinthian column stands free, centered within the cella.

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae in Arcadia

The Story of Callimachus

Greek city-state of CORINTH

IONIC CAPITALDORIC CAPITAL DORIC CAPITAL

DORIC ORDERIONIC ORDERDORIC ORDER

THESE CAPITALS REPRESENT THE “CODES”

It begs the question…

Who tried to codify those [Classical architecture]?

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

a Roman author, architect, civil engineer and military engineer during the 1st century BC

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Vitruvius served as an artilleryman, the third class of arms in the military offices.

He probably served as a senior officer of artillery in charge of doctores ballistarum (artillery experts) and libratores who actually operated the machines.

How did Vitruvius codify?

How did Vitruvius codify?

De architectura (On Architecture)also known as Ten Books on Architecture

De architectura

is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect and military engineer Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide for building projects.

Book 3 - Temples and the orders of architecture

Vitruvius also studied human proportions (Book III) and his canones were later encoded in a very famous drawing by Leonardo da Vinci (Homo Vitruvianus, "Vitruvian Man").

“Proto-Standardization”

What are the greatest legacy of this book to the discipline of architecture?

I. Vitruvius sought to address the ethos of architecture, declaring that quality depends on the social relevance of the artist's work, not on the form or workmanship of the work itself.

II. Vitruvius started defining the world using his knowledge in “building” things, and it turns out to be what Eisenman (2013) calls the first metaphysics.

III. Perhaps the most famous declaration from De architectura is one still quoted by architects: "Well building hath three conditions: firmness, commodity, and delight."

My histarc 1 kids, never leave this room without remembering 3 Latin words;

FIRMITAS

UTILITAS

VENUSTAS

Strength

Function

Beauty

Firmitas

Firmitas

Utilitas

Utilitas

Venustas

Venustas

Vitruvius “metaphysics” is what Eisenman calls a…

PROJECT

What “project” meant?

“Architecture is a transformation of precedence…” (Eisenman, 2013)

/ˈpresədəns,prēˈsēdns/ the order to be ceremonially observed by people of different rank, according to an

acknowledged or legally determined system.

it is the architect who defines the world around him/ her.”

“…if you have aProject

“it depends not [on] your talent or intelligence but it depends on how you see yourself in your world and why you’re doing it. If you’re here to save the world, I’m not sure you have a Project. If you’re interested in sustainability, that’s not a project.

A Project involves the discipline of architecture; being able to define the world as we see it and being able to be a critical resonance on that definition - any Project is always a critique of the status quo of the discipline. So therefore a Project is always in some way political, ideological, intellectual, [and] etc.”

UMWAD: Developing the Future without Forgetting the Past

15th Annual Conference on Architectural Research and Education (ACARE)

Premise

UMWAD: Developing the Future without Forgetting the Past

15th Annual Conference on Architectural Research and Education (ACARE)

Premise

Metaphysical Project

things that are beyond the physical presence of architecture

Management

Liberal ArtsEngineering

Management

Liberal ArtsEngineering

ARCHITECTURE

If you think about it…

While Vitruvius was Roman.

His ideal was Greek.

“Greek” idea of architecure

• Rigid inherence to proportions, orders, etc.

Dialogue between Roman & Greek architecture

• Frontal relationship to the subject to the object.

• The other dealt with the Human subject into the 45 degrees.

Classical Architecture, while a discipline of architecture hinged on symbols, must be further classified

by differing Roman & Greek Architecture.

Thanks