Modern Architecture

Modern vs. Medieval Architecture: A Comparison

Modern vs. Medieval Architecture: A Comparison

Centuries ago, landscape architecture incorporated the use of gardens for plant cultivation, observation of the beautiful nature, basking, pottering and as a playground for children. Today, gardens are a form of art and are cultivated as a hobby. It is therefore clear that the landscape architecture has greatly evolved over time and shifted its focus towards more sustainable structures.

Medieval Architecture

Medieval Architecture

During the middle ages, (about 8000 years ago), humans began to develop complex social systems in the form of early civilisations. These civilisations cropped up in Egypt, Mesopotamia, South America, India and Asia among many others. At this point, the principal focus of landscape architecture was physical and spiritual comfort. Hence, gardens were used for religious purposes, harmony with nature, bird watching and basking.

In England, the medieval architecture combined the use of both wood and stone. During the Norman period, the designers copied the architecture of the Roman Empire. It consisted of great halls, curved arches, great cathedrals, vaults and patterned floors. Over the years, the architecture evolved into a gothic style that seemed to copy Islamic buildings.

Medieval parks in England were private spaces that were mainly dedicated to hunting animals such as deers, for timber, for grazing the animals and for pasture. The parks surrounded the castles and palaces and were to be visible to the royal family. Small parks were also developed for aesthetic purposes; however, they were the minority. These gardens were used for spiritual purposes and for general emotional and spiritual well-being.

Some of the plants that were grown included the pomegranate tree which was a religious symbol to the Christians here.

Modern Architecture

Modern Architecture

Modern landscape architecture, on the other hand, can be very minimalistic in nature and monochromatic or more natural. Landscape architects must conduct a site analysis and build a model design that makes the best use of the space.

The design of the gardens is usually both indoors and outdoors and incorporates the use of shapes and pots. These gardens also boast of ponds and sculptures that are strategically located for the best aesthetics. The plants grown in these spaces may have medicinal purposes or may be used in cooking simple meals at home. Some of the plants and herbs that are grown in these gardens include mint leaves, bay leaves, fennel, oregano, bamboo, and ferns. Fruit trees are at times grown to substitute the use of a wall. Some of the fruit plants grown are cherries, apples, and mangoes. Colourful flowers are also used to decorate the garden space. The plants are usually arranged in aesthetically appealing shapes depending on the shape and size of the garden. At times, colourful pots are used to grow the plants.

On a larger scale, landscape architecture usually involves large public spaces such as campuses, shopping centres, play grounds, walking trails and recreation centres. In addition to design work and planning, landscape architects must put in place pest control and safety measures.

A Comparison of Modern Day Landscaping and Medieval Times Landscaping

A Comparison of Modern Day Landscaping and Medieval Times Landscaping

Landscape architecture has evolved since medieval times, and we have seen various changes regarding landscaping. As technology advances, we have seen various improvements in various aspects. These all aim at discovering better ways of doing things and hence a better experience for the people. Here are some of the notable changes that have taken place in landscape architecture.

Discovery of Better Architectural Drawing Technologies

Architectural Drawing Technologies

During the medieval times, landscaping architecture was done as a poorly sketched diagram. Amazingly, the landscapers were still able to interpret the drawings and came up with appropriate results that suited the times. As times went, technology started changing and as building architecture diagrams were evolving, the same was taking place in the landscaping environment. Therefore, the landscapers in the middle century had better architectural diagrams than those used in the medieval times. In the 20th century, it is possible to do a landscaping architecture diagram within a few hours.  Through this, people are able to achieve quicker and faster results as compared to medieval times.

Smaller Land Is Available in Modern Landscaping

The modern-day landscapers are faced with more challenges which are times hard to tackle. Compared to the mediaeval times, there was a larger space that could be utilised as the population was smaller then. However, the modern landscapers are forced to use the little available space economically to make sure space is enough for the many things they want to do with it. This is because of increased population. Both the residential areas in urban and rural areas have become smaller than used to be. The urban population is also growing rapidly leading to demand better utilisation of space. This has led to the start of various courses that are driven towards making sure the land is economically used. There are also advanced technologies that are aiming at ensuring a better economic use of space.

Advanced Designs in Landscaping

Advanced Designs in Landscaping

People have become better skilled, and this has led to advanced designs. The architectural designs are accommodating better landscaping designs in the modern-day landscaping. This is compared to the medieval times landscaping where landscaping involved simpler designs. Therefore, people are able to achieve more sophisticated designs than was the case in the medieval times.

Better Machinery Is Used in Modern Day Landscaping Than in Medieval Times

In the medieval times, people did not have advanced machinery like they have in the modern days. Therefore, it was often done using human labour and other inefficient tools meaning it took a long time to do landscaping than it takes in the modern-day landscaping. In the modern day landscaping, there are better tools which means that landscaping can be done faster than was the case in medieval times. The earth movers are a good example of some of the machines that are used in the modern day making it a good venture.

These are some of the differences between medieval times landscaping and modern-day landscaping. As times progress and mode discoveries are being made, we will see better landscaping methods being discovered and hence these changes will go on.

The Growth of Modern Architecture

The Growth of Modern Architecture

Modern architecture also commonly known as modernism refers to architecture that arose from early in the 20th century but was fully embraced after the World War 2. The change was brought about by industrial revolution where technology was embraced leading to the use of different materials in constructing buildings and structures. However, it is not until later when the changes started being seen all over Europe and America where the most accomplished modernists started crating different structures using the newly discovered building materials. It is from this change that paved way to some of the most magnificent and big buildings located all over the world.

Modern Architecture in Europe

The Growth of Modern Architecture2

Before the architectural revolution started, there were a lot of changes in terms of construction materials with the invention of cast iron, reinforced concrete, and the most exciting plate glass. These changes inspired the architectures at the time to use them to create great structures such as the crystal palace which was constructed using plate glass and cast iron in 1851.

Francis Coignet became the first architecture to use concrete that was reinforced with iron in construction and in 1853 he constructed the first iron reinforced building which was four stories near Paris. The elevator invention in 1852 made it easier and practical to envision longer buildings since there was a way to reach them.

In the early 20th century, the use of reinforced concrete moved from constructing industrial buildings to residential houses where the technology was used in constructing apartments. The concrete offered more opportunities ad designs for the architectures to explore while creating buildings that were stronger and more beautiful.

Modernism in America

The Growth of Modern Architecture

Modern architecture in America was started by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright who came up with the first tall building that was steel framed. He went ahead and created some of the well-known architectural masterpieces such as Prairie and Robie Houses. He pioneered using different designs and materials to create buildings that were a lot different from anything that existed at the time.

By this time the first sky scrapers were being constructed using a steel frame. They began due to the realisation that there was need for more space yet the land wasn’t enough. The home insurance building was among the first sky scrapers to be put up at 10 stories high. This continued up until early 20th century where the Woolworths building was constructed, and at the time it was the tallest in the world.

The modernism trend continued spreading to more parts of the world such as Russia and in Germany where the Bauhaus was constructed making it one of the most popular modern structures at the time. By mid-20th century creativity had taken center stage, and there was a blend between art and architecture which has seen some of the most beautiful buildings being constructed. Since then modern architecture has grown so much with a lot of mistakes being made which has led to the current buildings now with some of the tallest buildings being constructed all over the world.

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa

At 802 metres, Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Do you know the second tallest building? It is China’s Shanghai Tower at 632 metres. Construction of the Burj Khalifa started in 2004, and its official opening was in January 2010.

Until its opening, it was known as Burj Dubai. The name changed to honour Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates. His government lent Dubai tens of billions of dollars at a time the state was deep in debt of about $80 billion. Here are some records it holds: the tallest freestanding structure,  building with the most floors at 211 ( 156 usable floors, 46 spiral floors, two below ground parking levels and nine maintenance levels). It has the highest open observation deck, highest nightclub (144th floor) and restaurant (122nd floor). The following are some of the six world records it holds.

The Tower’s Construction

Burj Khalifa

Excavation started in 2004, and by June 2006, the building had 50 levels. By July 2007 approximately 1,325 days since excavation work, the team had achieved 141 floors to make it the world’s tallest buildings.

Over 110,000 tonnes of concrete were used for the concrete and steel foundation, which consisted of 192 piles buried for more than 50 metres. It also took 22 million person-hours to complete the project. Each day there were about 12,000 workers on sight. The number of engineers and technicians involved was more than 380.

The tower also has the highest installed aluminium and glass façade. The team would install about 20-30 panels per day at the early stages of the project, and they progressed to about 175 panels. About 31,400 metric tonnes of rebar went in the tower.

Build Purpose and Design

Burj Khalifa

Planners first aimed to make the Burj Khalifa entirely residential. However, this changed to accommodate mixed use. Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill came up with the original design. Another major contributor was Fazlur Rahman Khan who invented the bundled tube design. This allowed the building to consume about half of the steel used for the Empire State Building. The inspiration for the design came from Islamic architecture.

It spirals from the ground with mass decreasing as it rises. The model underwent numerous wind tests for maximum performance in the wind. The external cladding composed of aluminium can withstand Dubai hot temperatures. During the construction, the engineers added stainless metal fins to highlight its height.

The design team also solved problems of ventilating the tall building by drawing air at the top of the structure. Other innovations include the condensate recovery system, smart lighting, and energy optimisation systems.

For the last six years, Burj Khalifa has played an increasing role in Dubai’s Tourism and skyline. You can see the building 90 kilometres away, and the sun remains visible to the residents at the top for several minutes after it sets. It is home to the five star Armani Hotel that occupies fifteen floors. The building has swimming pools, 900 private apartments, cooperate suits, 57 elevators and more. From the group floor to the 160th floor, there are 2,909 stairs. Overall, the Burj Khalifa is the masterpiece of the 21st century.