This course begins with the building styles of the Ancient Greeks - still emulated to this day. The middle ages saw Gothic modes compete with neo-classical styles. The advent of industrial technologies as well as the wide open spaces of the New World gave rise to brave new styles and techniques within the last century.
The art, politics and mythology of Ancient Greece forms the cornerstone of much of Western civilization, so it is no surprise to learn their architecture too, is still emulated to this day.
Anyone who has ever visited the Czech Republic will be aware of the fairy-tale beauty of the country. These slides provide an overview of some of the various architectural influences that shaped and still shape the Czech aesthetic.
In the new world, space was an abundance that much of Europe had been denied. The influence of European design could still be felt, but the architects of a new America created their own distinctiveness.
New materials and technologies encouraged experiments in form and structure. From London's Crystal Palace to the dynamic designs of the Italian futurists, architects pursued bold new constructs.
Walter Gropius and his disciples believed that form followed function. The Bauhaus school is a mode of design based around the utility of buildings and the objects inside.
The unquestionable source of New York's beautiful aesthetic stems from the Art Deco masterpieces at the center of Manhattan. The Chrysler building and the Rockerfeller Center add so much to that great city.
Playfulness still emerges in the American suburban landscape. Quite often, the exterior suburban environment goes on to influence the interior design of urban centers.
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