Moments for Architecture

Located in the Trastevere Mountains of Rome, Italy, Villa Farnese is one of the architectural masterpieces of the Renaissance. Originally commissioned by the aristocratic family Alessandro Farnese, it was sold to the Chigi family and is now a museum. Villa Farnese, Italy, 1511      Villa Farnese was designed and built by a number of architects including Raphael and Baldassarre Peruzzi. Built in the early 16th century, the villa is one of the architectural masterpieces of the Renaissance. The graphic design of the villa is a pentagon, which was very unique at that time, and this is what I am most interested in about this building.  The pentagonal plan makes the interior layout of the villa very symmetrical and harmonious. Villa Farnese Plan( Drawn by Alex)      The facade of the house is made of grey and white stones and bricks. The facade is decorated with many exquisite carvings and patterns, which are elegant, delicate and solemn. During the construc...

 The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, also known as St. Peter's Basilica, is one of the most renowned and revered buildings in the world. Located in Vatican City, it is the largest church in the world and is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. St. Peter's Basilica,  Vatican, 1626      The construction of the Basilica started in 1506 and took over 120 years to complete. The building is a stunning example of Renaissance architecture and was designed by famous architects including Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini. The building's façade, which faces St. Peter's Square, is 114 meters wide and 47 meters tall. It is adorned with Corinthian columns and features an enormous bronze canopy, called the Baldacchino, which stands at over 20 meters tall.       One of the most fascinating architectural features of St. Peter's Basilica is the dome. The dome, which was designed by Michelangelo, is 136 meters tall and is one of the most recognizab...

 This is the final project of my studio course. The site I chose is a square in front of the cultural hall of Xianbei Village. This village is one of the villages that we visited this semester. I like this village a lot because I think it  has largely retained the original style and cultural customs of the village. So I went there several times and finally chose this place as my site. Site Mapping The site is an empty square in front of the cultural hall of Xianbei village. It is covered with a steel roof.  As it is shown in the site plan, the red dot line represents the outline of the roof. The roof is curved. The highest part of the roof is about 6.3 meters, and the lowest part of the roof is about 5.8 meters. So I wondered whether I could build something between the roof and the ground. I think so because, according to the interviewing of villagers, they think there is not enough space for them to have more activity.  Site Plan According to the observation, I foun...

Village visiting is continuously conducted. The week before last week, we went to Zili village. Zili Village is a village deeply affected by modernization and industrialization. Half of the village was set aside for the construction of the factory. Factories include auto parts factories, shoe factories, clothing factories and lamp factories. And the village is cut in two by a busy highway. That's why I say the village is more industrialized and modern Site Plan of Zili Village      Although the highway encroaches on part of the village's land space, the space under the bridge is not wasted. After communicating with the local villagers, I learned that the space under the bridge was surrounded by the village committee as a warehouse and sold to nearby factories for storage. So the village gets extra income from rent. The highway is seen from the side as shown in the elevation below. Elevation of the Bridge As we entered the warehouse under the bridge for a tour, I...