What is architecture?

Architecture is the technique and art of thinking, designing and

constructing buildings, urban spaces and facilities intended to house
human life. In other words, it is about designing and constructing
buildings that are both functional and aesthetic at the same time.

Architecture is one of the oldest arts of civilization. Along with tool

making or crafts, it often persists as ruins long after a specific culture
has disappeared. Furthermore, its shapes and ornaments bear the
distinctive mark of those who designed it, its style being
representative of each people and each culture.

In general terms, architectural works are appreciated for being:

 Habitable: Useful for everyday human life.

 Durable: Permanent and immobile, since they are buildings or
spaces.
 Representative: the architect's cultural vision is contained in
their forms.

Features of architecture

1.Origin
Architecture was born along with human civilization, in the Neolithic
period.

It was only necessary when the nomadic or semi-nomadic man was

able to settle down.

This was only possible after the invention of agriculture and the
domestication of different plant and animal
specieshttps://www.caracteristicas.co/reino-animal/ https://www.caract
eristicas.co/reino-vegetal-plantae/.

When humans achieved these achievements, they were able to begin

planning their homes and settlements.

This is how the first towns and cities originated. In addition to

modifying or constructing spaces for living, architecture was
especially developed when planning ceremonial enclosures and
administrative buildings.

2.History
There are records of architecture from the earliest ceremonial
temples or tombs of kings in ancient times. In many cases, these
were monumental projects such as the Pyramids of Egypt, the
Mesopotamian Ziggurats or the Greek temples with their impressive
columns that were later inherited by the Romans.

The oldest known treatise on the subject dates back to the 1st
century BC. C., entitled De architecturay. Its author was the Roman
architect Marcus Vitruvius.

Classical antiquity was an important milestone in the architectural

history of the West. In fact, the very name of the discipline reveals it:
archós (“chief, principal”) and téctön (“builder”). Etymologically, an
architect is a chief builder.

Since those ancient times, architecture has been transformed at the

pace of different social changes that modified styles and functions of
buildings. Thanks to her, humanity has learned to make the world a
more hospitable place for itself and its purposes.

3.What is it for?
Architecture generally serves to modify spaces and construct
buildings that protect us from the elements (rain, cold, heat, wind,
etc.). In this sense, an architect is useful for:

 Plan, design and lead the construction of buildings that house

different types of human occupations, from homes to factories
or offices.
 Planning and designing public spaces in cities to beautify the
urban environment, facilitate traffic or solve specific problems.
 Diagnose and reformulate human buildings that are in a
state of disrepair in order to extend their life or, if necessary, to
erect a new building.
 Design the location of parks, plazas and other forms of plant
presence within the city.
 4.Why is it important?
On the one hand, architecture is important because it is a form of
artistic expression useful for constructing spaces, buildings and
monuments that welcome and inspire the citizens of a city.

Furthermore, it is one of the great demonstrations of human intellect,

capable of modifying the world around it and leaving its mark.
Ultimately, the fundamental task of every architect is to build spaces
that are more pleasant to inhabit and transit.

5.Types of architecture
Architecture encompasses diverse forms of application, trends and
aesthetics. This involves numerous and diverse forms of classification,
the main one of which recognizes two distinct forms:

 Historical or stylistic architecture. This category includes

various architectural buildings whose main feature is their
harmony with their origin in time and culture, such as baroque
churcheshttps://www.caracteristicas.co/estilo-barroco/, Roman
monuments, etc.
 Popular or traditional architecture. Those buildings constructed
by architects with little professionalism, prioritizing functional
aspects over aesthetic ones.

In other areas, the type of architecture can be distinguished

according to different criteria:

 According to functionality. Depending on the purpose they

serve, the works are classified as religious, military and civil.
 According to period. This classification refers to works as
historical documents, recognizing from their style,
ornamentation and materials the period in which they were
built: Baroque, Roman, Neoclassical, Gothic architecture, etc.

6.Architectural plans
A plan contains the information necessary to proceed with construction.

This is the name given to graphic representations of a future

architectural work. The shapes, measurements and proportions of the
project are presented to scale, so that they serve as a recipe for
carrying out exactly what is desired.

A plan contains the information necessary to proceed with

construction. In addition, they are often requested by public
institutions to ensure that construction is carried out correctly and in
accordance with the law.

7.Differences between architecture and

urban planning
Although they are studied together in many universities, architecture
and urban planning are not equivalent, even though they are very
closely related disciplines. You could say that they are handled on
different scales:

 Architecture: Dedicated to the construction and design of

buildings and spaces.
 Urban planning: Works with existing spaces to diagnose,
modify or reconceive them, making cities more orderly,
pleasant or open spaces.
 8.Modern architecture
Modern architecture (not to be confused with modernist)
encompasses the diverse set of styles that were cultivated
throughout the world throughout the 20th century. Its origins date
back to the Bauhaus School, one of the main schools in Europe,
founded in Germany in 1919.

This trend constituted a true revolution, operating on the basis of two

main trends:

 Architectural rationalism. Emerging in rejection of the Art

Nouveau of after the First World War, it proposed finding a
balance between the imitation of traditional trends and the
uniforming technicality of contemporaneity.
 Organic architecture. Also called architectural organicism, it
promotes healthy coexistence between the natural and urban
habitat, seeking to integrate into the site and the given nature.
It is heir to functionalism or rationalism and was promoted
enormously in the so-called First World.

9.University education
A degree in architecture is a complete university education that
usually lasts at least 5 years. It professionally prepares its students
for the exercise of organization and the functional and aesthetic
design of spaces habitable by human beings.

On the one hand, this training involves historical and aesthetic

aspects of historical buildings. On the other hand, mathematics,
materials science and other disciplines that contribute to the
architectural perspective are studied in depth.

10. Famous Architects

The Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana station is the work of Santiago Calatrava.

Some of the most famous architects in history have been:

 Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519).

 Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923).
 Antonio Gaudí (1852-1926).
 Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959).
 Le Corbusier (1887-1965).
 Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012).
 Santiago Calatrava (1951-).

Monumental
architecture, the
signature of Teodoro
González de León
The architect's work was characterized by its large volumes and its orientation
toward public use.
Mon 19 September 2016 10:00 AM

Mexican Embassy in Germany - (Photo: Taken from www.franciscoserranoarquitecto.com)

Nora Vasconcelos
A graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Teodoro
González de León spent his time as a student working with architects Mario Pani
and Eduardo del Moral, with whom he participated in the plans for the design of
Ciudad Universitaria.

Presented by

After completing his studies, he obtained a scholarship from the French

government to work in that country for a year and a half with the architect Le
Corbusier. Back in Mexico, he devoted himself to carrying out various works,
individually or in collaboration with the architects Abraham Zabludovsky and
Francisco Serrano.
Throughout his career spanning more than 60 years, he was the author of works
as diverse as embassies, residential and commercial projects, museums,
skyscrapers and institutional buildings; works in which González de León stood
out for his use of concrete and glass, which he generally accompanied with the
color white and open spaces to promote the entry of natural light and a sense of
community.

VIDEO. The legacy of Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon

5 representative works of its monumental architecture

1. Rufino Tamayo
MuseumUse: CulturalLocation
: Mexico City

This museum dedicated to modern art was opened in 1981. González de León
designed this enclosure together with the architect Abraham Zabludovsky. It is
located on an area of 2,800 m2, and has 4,584 m2 of construction, of which 1892
m2 correspond to the exhibition areas.
 Photos: Obrasweb Archive

Read also: The Teodoro González tower that seeks to become the icon of Mexico
City
2. National Auditorium

Use: ShowsPlace
: México, DF

Inaugurated in 1952, the original design and construction of the National

Auditorium was carried out by architects Fernando Peña, Fernando Beltrán y
Puga, Óscar de Buen and Guillermo Salazar Polanco.

In 1989, the remodeling project of the complex began, which was designed by
architects Teodoro González de León and Abraham Zabludovsky.

The remodeling of the building was completed in 1991. The structure has the
capacity to receive 9,683 spectators, a stage measuring 23 metres high by 23
metres wide, and a lobby measuring 7,000 m2.
 Photos: Obrasweb Archive

We recommend: 3 works by Teodoro González de León in the Historic Center

3. Building: Arcos-Bosques Towers

Use:
MixedLocation: Mexico City

Planned to be completed in several stages, the first building in the complex

located in Bosques de las Lomas was the Torre Arcos, known as "the pants
tower."

The design by architects Teodoro González de León, Francisco Serrano and

Carlos Tejada, included a 161.5-metre-high building with two towers joined at
the top. The 34-story structure has 73,760 m2 of office space. This building was
opened to the public in 1996.

In 2008, the two towers of the Arcos Bosques II complex were inaugurated, both
with a height of 161.2 m and 34 levels.
 Photos: Obrasweb Archive

Photo: Taken from franciscoserranoarquitecto.com

4. Building: Embassy of Mexico in Germany

Use: DiplomaticLocation
: Berlin, Germany

The design for the new Mexican embassy in Germany was carried out by
architects Teodoro González de León and Francisco Serrano. It is characterized
by its special concrete walls, made with pieces of marble.

The building, with 1,300 m2 and 18 meters high, has five levels and is
characterized by its main façade that frames two planes of vertical mullions; one
inclined and the other warped, which converge at a point that marks the entrance
to the diplomatic headquarters.
 Photos: Taken from franciscoserranoarquitecto.com

5. Building: University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC)

Use: CulturalLocation
: Mexico City

Opened in 2008, the MUAC is located in the UNAM University Cultural Center.
It has 13,947 m2, of which 3,300 m2 are dedicated to exhibition areas,
distributed over two floors.

Modern architecture is characterized by simple design, straight lines and no

ornamentation. The characteristics of modern design are to focus on function,
simplicity and order. Simplicity is the greatest attraction in modern architectural design.
Geometric architecture is that which strictly respects geometry when composing a
design. ... Architectural design benefits from the application of new materials. In turn,
any energy can be used to combine it with the geometry and materials that respond.
Organic architecture or architectural organicism is a philosophy of architecture that
promotes harmony between the human habitat and the natural world.
THE FATHERS OF ARCHITECTURE

In this post we will review the FATHERS OF ARCHITECTURE, reference figures for most architects.

Alvar Aalto
Kuortane 3.02.1898 – Helsinki 11.05.1976

Aalto was born on 3 February 1898 in Kuortane, and graduated from the Helsinki Polytechnic.

His first famous buildings are the offices and printing house of a newspaper in Turku (1927–30), famous
for the sharp columns supporting the roof of the press room; the library in Viipuri, which has become an
example of this type of building for modern architecture; and the anti-tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio
(1929–33), where, in addition to technological advances, patients enjoy architectural features such as
sunny balconies, opening onto magnificent views. For this and many other buildings, Aalto and his first
wife, Aino Marsio, designed the decoration and furniture, almost always made of laminated wood.

In 1935 they founded the Artek company, which still produces innovative furniture today. Aalto's
international reputation grew with a series of pre-World War II buildings, all made with wooden structures,
such as the Finnish Pavilion at the 1937 Paris International Exposition or the Villa Mairea (1938-1939),
built for a wealthy client, where he also achieved, following the principles of rationalist architecture, a
sense of luxury never before achieved.

He arrived in the United States in 1940 as a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), where he remained for eight years, during which time he designed the Baker House (1947), a
surprising residence whose floor plan meanders along the Charles River.

Aalto returned to Finland in 1948 to head the Finnish Reconstruction Office after the devastation of World
War II. He designed the Town Hall (1950-1952) for Säynätsalo, an island village, made of brick and wood,
raised on a podium. Of Aalto's buildings in Helsinki, the most impressive is the House of Culture (1967-
1975), located on the shore of the lake.

Aalto died on 11 May 1976, in Helsinki.

If you like Alvar Aalto, you will like:

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2| Alvar Aalto: Second Nature _ Click on the Purchase link at Arqui

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3| Alvar Aalto Houses _ Access the Purchase link at Arqui Regalos

You may also like to read:

ALVAR OR ALVAR, COMMON PLACES. AALTO'S INFLUENCE

ON SIZA'S WORK.

Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe

Aachen 27.03.1886 – Chicago 17.08.1969
German-born American architect, one of the most important masters of modern architecture and in all
likelihood the greatest exponent of the 20th century in steel and glass construction. He was born on 27
March 1886 in Aachen (Germany) and trained as a collaborator in the studios of the architect and designer
Bruno Paul —between 1905 and 1907— and the pioneer of industrial architecture Peter Behrens —
between 1908 and 1911—. There he met Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, who are, along with himself
and the American, F. Ll. Wright, the greatest architects of the 20th century.

In 1912 he opened his own studio in Berlin. Initially he was oriented towards neoclassical architecture, but
a trip to the Netherlands in 1912 led him to change his interests, following the discovery of the work of H.
P. Berlage. After the break of the First World War, he joined various avant-garde movements
(Novembergruppe, De Stijl) and began to carry out revolutionary projects, such as the one for an office
building on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin, consisting of two twenty-story towers connected by a central core for
stairs and elevators.

Among the most emblematic unbuilt projects of this period are a collection of steel and glass skyscrapers,
which became the symbol of the new architecture.

In the late 1920s he undertook two of his most representative masterpieces: the German pavilion for the
1929 Barcelona World Fair (for which he also designed the famous Barcelona armchair, made of chrome-
plated steel and leather) and the Tugendhat House (1930) in Brno (now the Czech Republic).

Mies's architecture is characterized by an essentialist simplicity and the expressive sincerity of its
structural elements. Although he was not the only one involved in these movements, his rationalism and
later functionalism have become models for the rest of the professionals of the century. His influence could
be summed up in a phrase that he himself dictated, and which has become the ideological paradigm of the
architecture of the modern movement: less is more. His work stands out for its rigidly geometric
composition and the total absence of ornamental elements, but its poetics lies in the subtle mastery of
proportions and the exquisite elegance of the materials (he sometimes used marble, onyx, travertine,
chrome-plated steel, bronze or fine woods), always finished with great precision in the details.

Mies directed the Bauhaus School of Art and Design, one of the main centres for the evolution of the
modern movement, between 1930 and 1933, when it was closed by the Nazi Party. In 1937 he emigrated
to the United States, where he served as director of the School of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of
Technology. From the city of Chicago he became the teacher of several generations of American
architects, in addition to constructing numerous buildings, among which the Lake Shore Drive apartments
(1948-1951) and the Crown Hall at MIT (1950-1956) stand out.

Among his most emblematic works from this period is the Seagram Building (1958), a 37-story glass and
bronze skyscraper built in New York with his disciple Philip Johnson, which became the paradigm of the
international style, defined by Johnson himself in a 1932 book. However, a few years earlier Mies had
created his American masterpiece, the Farnsworth House in Plano (next to the Fox River, Illinois, 1950), a
small refuge delimited by a curtain wall of flat glass, which has become one of the most studied (and also
most criticized) residences in 20th century architecture. He is considered one of the most important
masters of modern architecture, along with the Swiss-French Le Corbusier and the American Frank Lloyd
Wright. His influence has been particularly profound in the United States and most of the skyscrapers built
around the world partially or completely follow his compositional approaches. He died on August 17, 1969
in Chicago.

If you like Mies Van der Rohe, you will like:

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2| Conversations with Mies van der Rohe: American Certainties _

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3| Mies van der Rohe: the space of absence _ Access the Purchase
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Le Corbusier
Les Chaux-de-Fonds 10/06/1887 – Rocabruna 08/27/1965
He was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in French-speaking Switzerland, under the name Charles Edouard
Jeanneret-Gris. At the age of 29 he moved to Paris where he adopted the pseudonym “Le Corbusier”, the
surname of his maternal grandfather. His father was a lacquer maker of watch cases for the watch industry
in his hometown, and his mother was a pianist and music teacher.

In 1900 Le Corbusier began his apprenticeship as an engraver and chiseler at the art school of La Chaux-
de-Fonds, Switzerland. One of his teachers, Charles L'Eplattenier, directed him towards painting and then
towards architecture. In 1905 he designed his first building, a single-family home for a member of the Villa
Vallet School of Art. Over the next ten years he built numerous buildings, which, however, do not yet bear
his later characteristic stamp, and which he himself did not include in the register of his works.

Already in Paris, he worked for 15 months in the studio of Auguste Perret, a pioneer architect in the
reinforced concrete construction technique. He then traveled to Germany to study the architectural trends
in that country. There he met Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius. He also visited Berlin, where
he became familiar with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, which was then beginning to be appreciated in
Europe. He devoted 1911 entirely to travelling. From Vienna he went to Romania, Turkey, Greece and
Italy and upon his return he taught for two years in the department of architecture and decoration at the
Paris School of Art.

In 1922 Le Corbusier opened an architectural office with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, with whom he
maintained his partnership until 1940. Initially, the two designed almost exclusively residential buildings.
One of his major projects in recent years, in this case as an urban planner, is his conceptual design for a
city of three million inhabitants, the Ville Contemporaine.

In October 1929, Le Corbusier gave a series of ten lectures in Buenos Aires, invited by the Friends of Art
Association. On this trip he also visits Rio de Janeiro and Asunción.

Le Corbusier was a tireless worker. He carried out countless projects, many of which were never
completed, but which left their mark on later generations of architects. Le Corbusier was, in addition to
being a great architect and painter, an eminent architectural theorist. He wrote several books, in which he
exemplified his ideas through his own projects. He was very clear that, apart from knowing how to create
good buildings, it was necessary to know how to explain them and transmit them to other professionals
and students, and he carried out the task of publicizing his own work with great mastery.

As a visionary, Le Corbusier saw the possibility of changing the world through architecture. Although he
never allied himself with a particular political group, his stance was closer to a liberal stance (some have
described him as a socialist, an adjective that probably falls short of characterizing his activities), and as
such, he viewed every design process as having utopian ends. Which allowed him to contribute greatly to
the meaning of architecture in general.

If you like Le Corbusier, you will like:

 1| Life and work of Le Corbusier _ Access the Purchase link at Arqui
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Louis Isadore Kahn

Parnü 20.02.1901 – New York 17.03.1974

Louis Isadore Kahn (1901-1974), Estonian-born American architect, one of the leading masters of the 20th
century thanks to the monumental poetry he developed in his brick and concrete buildings.

He was born on February 20, 1901 on Osel Island, Estonia, and at the age of four he emigrated with his
family to the United States. In 1924 he obtained his degree in architecture from the University of
Pennsylvania and spent the next twenty years collaborating with other colleagues on various projects,
mainly of a residential nature. Their team project for the Carver Court War Housing (1942-1943) in
Coatsworth, Pennsylvania was one of the first to gain widespread recognition.

In the Yale University Art Gallery (1952–1954), a modular construction composed of prismatic volumes, he
used for the first time the space-trussed concrete roof, which left the lighting fixtures and air conditioning
ducts exposed. The Richards Laboratories (1958-1961) at the University of Pennsylvania are articulated
through the opposition between server spaces (vertical communication cores and air conditioning systems)
and served spaces (laboratories and studios), which inspired Kahn to compose an impressive building
where the medieval-looking wall towers contrast with the glass spaces of the strictest modernity.

Other of his most important works are the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, (1965), the Kimbell Art
Museum in Fort Worth (Texas, 1972) and the National Assembly complex in Dhaka (1965-1974), the new
capital of Bangladesh.

The work of this architect departed from the functionalist path marked by the Bauhaus or the International
Style, and is more closely related to the search, initiated by Le Corbusier, for a new poetics associated
with the modern movement. His main themes were space and light, and he defined his work as the
'reflective construction of spaces', a maxim that becomes clear when comparing the interiors of his
buildings with their much less dramatic exteriors. One of the best examples of his mastery in the use of
light is his last work, the Yale Center for British Art (completed in 1977). He was a professor at Yale
University, and his mystical character led him to personify forms and materials, in which he always
recognized soul and will. He died on March 17, 1974 in New York.

If you like Louis Kahn, you will like:

1| Louis Kahn: The Power of Architecture _ Click on the Purchase link
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2| The Houses of Louis Kahn _ Click on the Purchase link at

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3| Shape and Design _ Access the Purchase link at ArquiRegalos

Frank Lloyd Wright

Richland 06/08/1867 – Phoenix 05/09/1959
He was born in Richland Center, (Wisconsin) into a humble family. Wright's childhood was stormy, as
there were constant disagreements between his mother, Anna Lloyd-Jones, and his father, William Carey
Wright. His father left home and Frank would never forgive him, even going so far as to change his last
name. For three years he studied engineering at the University of Wisconsin and at the same time worked
in an architectural firm as a draftsman, something he considered too little for his aspirations. In 1888 he
joined the prestigious studio of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, where he designed mainly residential
buildings, which he soon carried out completely independently. The following year he settled in Oak Park,
a suburb of Chicago, to continue his work there.

In 1893 Wright partnered with another architect for a few years, until in 1896 he opened his own
architectural firm. During these years he designed the Winslow House, in River Forest, Illinois, the first of
the famous series of prairie houses. These are single-family homes, strongly integrated into their
surroundings. The roofs protrude considerably from the facades and the windows form a continuous
horizontal sequence. The central core of the houses is a large fireplace, around which the rooms are
arranged. Other houses designed in this style include the Willitts House in Highland Park, Illinois, and the
D. Martin House in Buffalo, New York.

Wright left his family in 1909 and traveled to Europe. The following year he presented his work at an
architecture and design exhibition in Berlin, where he received great recognition. A publication that was
published about his works influenced new generations of European architects.

Back in the United States, he designed his own home, Taliesin, which burned down three times over the
years and was rebuilt by Wright each time.

From 1915 to 1922, Wright worked with Antonin Raymond on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, for which he
developed a new method of earthquake-resistant construction, the effectiveness of which was proven to
remain intact after the earthquake that devastated the city in 1923. This hotel was unfortunately
demolished in the 1960s.

Another innovative project in terms of construction method was the Barnsdall House in Los Angeles, which
was built using prefabricated cement blocks designed by Wright. He later applied this construction method
to other of his works.

When he went through a period in which he did not have many commissions, Wright took the opportunity
to write a book on urban planning, which he published in 1932, the year in which he began his Tertulias
and school of Taliesin, through which great architects and artists of the 20th century have passed, and in
which he sets out the model of a city distributed horizontally over the territory and whose inhabitants have
cars to move around it.
One of his most notable and best-known projects was carried out between 1935 and 1939. This is the
Fallingwater House in Ohiopile, Pennsylvania, built on a huge rock, directly above a waterfall. In the
following years, Wright designed all kinds of projects, and in all of them he introduced original and
advanced criteria for his time. He also wrote other books and numerous articles, some of which have
become classics of architecture of our time.

If you like Frank Lloyd Wright, you will like:

1| Frank Lloyd Wright – monograph _ Access the Purchase link at

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2| Frank Lloyd Wright Paper Models _ Click on the Purchase link at

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 3| That's right... Frank Lloyd Wright _ Access the Purchase link at
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Alfredo Dammert Muelle, who was the first Dean of the College of Architects of
Peru. Over the course of half a century, the College of Architects has operated in
three different locations. The first dates back to 1976 in the historic center of Lima, in a
building owned by the CAP, located on block 5 of Av.

Classical antiquity
The city becomes the main element of the political and social life of these
people: the Greeks developed into city-states and the Roman Empire emerged
from a single city. The Greek architect Hippodamus of Miletus is considered
the first urban planner in history.
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. (1st century BC) Roman architect, author of the treatise On
Architecture. The place and year of birth of the architect, who lived during the time of
Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus, are unknown. ... In Rome he composed, during
the last years of his life, his famous treatise.

Structure and style of Greek temples. Classical Greek architecture is represented,

fundamentally, by temples, as it developed around sanctuaries, the main ones being
those of Olympia, Delphi, Athens, Eleusis, Delos, Epidaurus, Miletus, Ephesus and
Selinunte.
The theorists of the Modern Movement seek the historical roots of Modern Architecture
in a broad prelude, a stage between the 18th and 19th centuries in which different
cultural sectors or sectors of economic activity and political and social life begin to
glimpse and define the consequences...
Image: lists.20minutos.es

Art has been, throughout history, an aspect intrinsically

linked to human life, serving as a means of expression and
also as a universal language in which beauty and aesthetics
prevail. It was in ancient Greece that the division arose
between the higher arts, created to be appreciated with the
eyes and ears, and the lesser, much more tactile ones.
From the higher arts come 6 of those that we know today
as fine arts, plus one that was added during the 20th
century. Do you want to know more about this topic? At
OneHowTo.com we explain what the 7 fine arts are.
You may also be interested in: What are the benefits of
laughter therapy?
Index
1. The 7 fine arts: Architecture
2. The 7 fine arts: Sculpture
3. The 7 fine arts: Painting
4. The 7 fine arts: Music
5. The 7 fine arts: Literature
6. The 7 fine arts: Dance
7. The 7 fine arts: Cinema
8. Why is theatre not among the 7 fine arts?

The 7 fine arts: Architecture

The ancient Greeks were the ones who created the basis,
but the first time the term fine arts was coined was in the
15th century by Charles Batteaux, who used it to define all
these artistic manifestations with just a few words.
Architecture is one of the arts, due to the ingenuity and
great use of aesthetics required to create buildings that are
harmonious with space and durable over time. For the
ancient Greeks, with monumental buildings like the
Parthenon and architects like Parmenio, who was in
charge of building Alexandria, architecture was one of the
most fundamental aspects of their civilization, and an art in
its own right.

The 7 fine arts: Sculpture

Sculpture is another of the 7 fine arts. The ability to use
this skill to create 3D figures and shapes has been
recognized since ancient times, and is still considered one
of the most primordial art forms today.

The 7 fine arts: Painting

Among the 7 fine arts, painting is perhaps one of the most
recognized disciplines. Since ancient times, man has used
it as a form of expression and a mechanism to capture
reality. Throughout history there have been hundreds of
renowned painters, so it is not surprising that today it
remains one of the most popular and appreciated fine arts.
 The 7 fine arts: Music
The ability to use instruments to generate beautiful sounds
makes music unequivocally considered one of the 7 fine
arts. This path of creation has accompanied man since his
very existence, being a form of communication but also an
art that above all gives us pleasure. This is one of the most
common ways of approaching fine arts.
 The 7 fine arts: Literature
Literature is the art that uses words to create. Although we
usually say that literature is properly one of the fine arts,
poetry and theater are also included in this form. Both have
offered invaluable contributions to humanity, with pieces
and authors that undoubtedly constitute a work of art in
themselves.
 The 7 fine arts: Dance
Dance is part of the 7 fine arts due to the vigorous
movements to the rhythm of the music that are used in it,
and which serve as one of the most aesthetic means of
expression that we can enjoy.
 The 7 fine arts: Cinema
Last but not least, there is the seventh art: cinema. Added
to this list in the 20th century was Ricciotto Canudo, a film
theorist and critic, who in 1911, through his "Manifesto of
the Seven Arts", coined the term seventh art to include
cinema among the fine arts. Today it is one of the most
popular means of artistic expression in the world, with
pieces of great audiovisual value that are considered
classics among scholars and film buffs.
 Why is theatre not among the 7 fine
arts?
Many people wonder why theatre is not included in the list
of classical arts. The answer is simple: theatre is not an
independent genre but is found within literature, which in
itself is considered one of the fine arts.

Monumental architecture

Apparently monumental architecture appeared simultaneously in the

central Andes. The largest examples are found on the northern coast
(Piura, Lambayeque) and central coast (Ancash, Lima), in the northern
highlands (Cajamarca, Ancash) and eastern highlands (Huánuco). To a
lesser extent they have been found in Ica, Arequipa and even in the
altiplano region. However, they do not reach the monumentality and
grandeur that was mainly found on the northern and central coast. It is
believed that these constructions were carried out between 3000 BC and
200 BC The particularities and arrangement of these architectural
enclosures indicate a deepening of political and religious ideas. The
presence of friezes and drawings also show the worldview, in many cases
warlike, of the inhabitants of these archaeological complexes. Over the
years these constructions became more and more common and grew in
size and importance.

Among the main architectural models developed during this period, the
following stand out
: Buildings with sunken
circular plazas Quadrangular enclosures with a central
hearth Buildings with platforms and plazas
U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped buildings Buildings
with sunken circular plazas:
Located mainly on the coast, between Lambayeque and Lima, these
monuments have different spatial dimensions and complexities. Those
located in the Supe Valley are the largest and oldest, as well as those with
the largest associated buildings. These enclosures basically have a main or
central building, surrounded on the left and right by two smaller buildings
and a circular plaza of variable size in front of the main building.
Representatives of this model are: Las Haldas (1,800 BC), Alto Salaverry
(1,800 BC) and Caral (3,000 BC).

· Quadrangular enclosures with a central

hearthIt is believed that this architectural model appeared around 2,500
BC its construction persisting until 500 BC coexisting with other
construction models such as horseshoe buildings. For many years it was
thought that this architecture was typical of the eastern slopes of the
Central Andes, especially due to the reuse of the style in different
architectural contexts. However, enclosures with the same characteristics
have been found in Callejón de Huaylas (Ancash), Huánuco and Lima. This
model is characterized by having a quadrangular structure with niches in
its interior walls and a double interior floor with a central fireplace and a
chimney that runs below the floor. Representatives of this model are:
Kotosh (2,500 BC) - 200 AD), La Galgada (2,300 BC), Huaricoto (2,260 BC)
and Huancaloma (1,130 BC).

· Buildings with platforms and plazasThese

constructions were common both on the coast and in the mountains. The
use of this model reached its peak around 1,000 BC. and has particular
characteristics compared to other variants of monumental architecture.
These buildings have large terraces that are generally located on the
slopes of a hill. Above these terraces is the main platform, which is usually
decorated with large blocks of carved stone, and these platforms can be
accessed via stairs that connect to plazas and large courtyards.
Representatives of this model are: Pacopampa (1,200 BC), Huancaloma
(800 BC), Kuntur Wasi (1,100 BC), Layzón (1,000 BC).

· U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped buildingsThis architectural

model is found mainly between Lambayeque in the north and Lima in the
south, but the largest number of buildings are located between the Supe
and Mala valleys, both in Lima. Researchers believe that these buildings
are a coastal tradition that even reached the mountains and was adopted
by large cultural centers.

These architectural structures are composed of a central building and two

side buildings that form a plaza or large courtyard. They are usually
oriented towards the northeast and are the central building, the largest
and most important, since its ritual use is associated with the engravings
and friezes found in them. The central building has a central atrium
associated with a staircase that leads to the square. The square is of
variable size (1 Ha. up to 30 Ha.) and there is no building in it, although it
does have various levels. It is believed that the plaza was the least
restricted ceremonial area and was where the common men were located.
Circular plazas have also been found in these constructions.

Representatives of this model are: Caral (3,000 BC), Garagay (1,400 BC)
and Cardal (1,300 BC).