INT231SJF

  This week in History of Interiors we learned about the Americas and China, India, and Cambodia .   The Americas are considered the regions of Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and the United States. In prehistoric times they had no knowledge of Old -World Europe, so their interior architecture was inspired by what they knew and developed. Their homes were often built underground and on cliffs, being made from stone, brick and reeds. This period dated from around 500 b.c. to 1500 a.d.   There are several different cultures that existed within the Americas. In Peru, the Incas existed, the Aztecs in Mexico, in Southern Mexico were the Olmecs, and in Central America were the Mayan-Toltecs. If you are like me, many of these names sound familiar due to tv series and movies such as “National Treasure ”. These were major civilizations that existed both in tropical humid lowlands and mountains areas depending on the region. These civilizations were very religious , hence why 2...

  This week in History of Interiors we learned about Gothic. The Gothic era started in 1140 and ended around 1500. Many historical events occurred during this period including the Black Plague and the construction of Notre-Dame.   During this time Churches were the center of city life, and people wanted their church to be the grandest , res ulting in many cathedrals being constructed, many in and around Paris, France. Because of this, Gothic design is based on religion and was an expression of this.   Gothic was born from the Romanesque era and became a bridge to the Renaissance. Architecturally, it is known for its pointed arches, ri bbed vaults, and flying buttresses.   (Notre Dame in Paris) (Modern Day Application- Washington D.C. Cathedral) I would like to note that while the second picture does not look like a modern day example it is. The Washington D.C. National Cathedral took a very literal influ...

    This week in History of Interior Design we learned about Islamic and Romanesque. The figurehead of the Islamic religion is Mohammed, who lived in the years 570-632 C.E.   Islamic design is solely based on the religion and has designs in Africa, E urope, and Asia which all vary in design.   Mosques, like churches, are the buildings designed for prayer and worship. Some main architectural features of mosques are a perimeter wall, a covered hall of columns (called a prayer hall) , and an interior courtyard. In mosques, and everywhere that Muslims  worship, they all pray in the same direction toward Mecca.   (Mosque of Sultan Ahmed) (Modern application of tiles) One of the most colorful mosques is the Mosque of Sultan Ahmed, which was built in 1609-1617. The interior contains over 20,000 handmade tile s, over 50 different tulip designs, 200 stained glass windows, walls that appear as carp...