HSTARC 2: On Baroque Architecture

Baroque was derived from a term ‘rough or imperfect pearl’ seeming like an insult to artists at that time. After the religious movement called the Reformation spread across Europe, people started to question practices of the Catholic Church and so protestant churches emerged. The Catholics then started a movement that aimed to bring people back to church called the Counter-Reformation where art and architecture played a major role in. Art was used to draw people closer to religion and to emphasize the magnificence of God and the saints thus gave birth to what we know as Baroque.

While the Renaissance structures were composed of squares, circles and triangles that possessed symmetry, architects of the Baroque era focused on adding drama, complexity and dimension into their works. The designs during the Baroque amused me because they were very unpredictable, the usually straight lines were bent and formed curves, circles were stretched to ovals, thus introducing new patterns unknown to architecture before. They changed how people see architecture by stepping out of the norm and introducing their own distinct style. They emphasized drama in the interiors of the buildings with the usage of unusual lighting effects and illusions for fluidity.

            For me, Baroque architecture encompasses the best use of ornamentation and details. I like how the usual round arches started to take on bending shapes. Traditional geometrical forms and shapes were torn to create new unusual patterns. A great example of this is the circular dome of the church of San Lorenzo in Turin by Guarino Guarini. See (picture below) how the ribs criss-cross forming segments with the presence of odd shaped windows how the combination of all these made a simple dome look more complex.

            Baroque architecture had a sense of distortion that makes it unparagoned. You can still see its roots and how it evolved from classical architecture. For me, this era was able to create its unique characteristics successfully more than the other styles. Architects of this time were brave enough to step out of their comfort zone and making their attempt to create something new and distinct very victorious.

            As the baroque period was starting to end, the Rococo style was born. In simple terms, the Rococo style just made the baroque more complex having a widespread use of the new S-shaped and  C-shaped curves. They fore go of symmetry and explored the different assymetrical effects taking baroque to extremes. They added MORE ornamentation to the interior and exterior of buildings. I am personally not a fan of this heavy ornamentation the Rococo style demonstrated for i find it too messy. Although i admire how this style though short lived has achieved distinctiveness that sets it apart from the other past and future styles.

An example of a structure showing the Rococo Style - interior of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo

WISH I WAS AT COACHELLA

Would've been awesome if i was at Indio,California away from schoolwork. Yet again, i missed another year of probably the BEST music festival with the best lineup!

COACHELLA 20—, I’ll be there!

The lineup this year is too awesome. 

Brandon Flowers, Cold War Kids, Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, YACHT, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes, Empire of the Sun, Mumford & Sons, Two Door Cinema Club, Ellie Goulding, Foster the People, Jack’s Mannequin, Kanye West, Jimmy Eat World, Ratatat, The Strokes, Tinie Tempah AND OTHER COOL BANDS. 

For sad people like me, this is the closest we can get: http://www.youtube.com/coachella

THEDES2 : My Life Story's stage design.

So we were asked to write a story about a significant moment in our lives (I chose one that's very private so I can't really post it here) for a deconstruction exercise. Here are some pictures of the one i made.

BINARIES: 

LOVE - HATE

HEALED - BROKEN

PAST - PRESENT

That big loop symbolizes the strongest emotion i felt, along with that was the 'broken' me symbolized by the black column that can be seen through the big loop. 

HSTARC 2: Outline on the UST Main Building

THE UST MAIN BUILDING

I.                    LOCATION

a.      SITE  INFORMATION

                                                              i.      Espana, Manila

II.                 

	ARCHITECT: Rev. Fr. Roque Ruano , O.P.

a.      SHORT BIOGRAPHY

                                                              i.      Spanish priest-civil engineer

                                                            ii.      Most well known project was the UST Main Building

                                                          iii.      a professor in the UST Faculty of Engineering

                                                           iv.      became the Dean of the College and Regent from 1930 to 1935

b.      LIFE  AT THE UNIVERSITY

                                                              i.      transferred to the University of Santo Tomas and was able to obtain a Doctorate in Civil Engineering

III.                MAIN BUILDING

a.      FACTS

                                                              i.      The first earthquake-shock resistant building in the Philippines.

                                                            ii.      The design is consistent with modern building code and regulation.

                                                          iii.      The design was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel, Tokyo

b.      DESIGN AND STRUCTURE

                                                              i.      FEATURES

1.      FLOOR PLAN

B.       The 40 separate structures

                                                                                                                                      i.      four corner units

                                                                                                                                    ii.      two midsection units (rear and front entrance)

                                                                                                                                  iii.      one tower (including two elevator cores)

                                                                                                                                   iv.      one entrance canopy

                                                                                                                                     v.      a total of 26 units

1.      seven units for P. Noval side

2.      seven units for Gov. Forbes (now Arsenio H. Lacson) side

3.      six units for Dapitan side

4.      six units for España side

                                                                                                                                   vi.      four middle section

                                                                                                                                 vii.      two stair section adjacent to tower and elevator core

C.      DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE BUILDING

                                                                                                                                      i.

	two interior courtyards

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Museum  

2. FAÇADE/ELEVATIONS

B.      Of Renaissance influence

C.      Doors are flanked by columns carrying an entablature

D.     Pediments above the doors

3.      UST Cross

B.      A symbol of faith thrust up into the skies, the symbol of the hopes and aspirations of a people and a nation -- for prosperity and progress, for service of God and man.

4.      STATUES - symbolizes the spiritual and intellectual aspiration of the university.

  - Designed by the Italian Francesco Monti

B.      Surrounding the clock, the so-called "Tria Haec" are three statues representing, from left to right:

                                                                                                                                      i.      Hope

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Faith (at the top of the clock)

                                                                                                                                  iii.      Charity

C.      To the right of the Tria Haec are theologians and historians:

                                                                                                                                      i.      Saint Augustine

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Raymond of Peñafort, O.P.

                                                                                                                                  iii.      Vincent of Beauvais, O.P

D.     To the right of the theologians and historians, facing Padre Noval Street are the tragedians:

                                                                                                                                      i.      Pedro Calderón de la Barca

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Sophocles

                                                                                                                                  iii.      William Shakespeare

E.      To the left of the Tria Haec are the philosophers:

                                                                                                                                      i.      Aristotle

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Saint Albert the Great

                                                                                                                                  iii.      Plato

F.       To the left of the philosophers and facing Arsenio Lacson Avenue are the playwrights:

                                                                                                                                      i.      Lope de Vega

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Aristophanes

                                                 iii.   Moliere

 c.       HISTORY:

                                                              i.      WORLD WAR 2 INVOLVEMENT

1.      USES OF THE STRUCTURE

- when UST was converted into an internment camp for non-Filipinos, three floors of the building were occupied by the internees.

2.      SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT OCCURRED

- Liberation of UST from the Japanese during World War II  celebration

                                                            ii.      OTHER HISTORIC EVENTS

1.      Visited by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

2.      Visited by Pope John Paul II in 1995.

3.      Used when UST was host of  World Youth Day 1995.

d.      USES : THEN AND NOW

                                                              i.      Internment camp during the Japanese occupation.

                                                            ii.      Building where classes were/are held

IV.                FACTS

a.      Focal point of the campus.

V.                  NAMED AS ONE OF ‘NATIONAL CULTURAL TREASURE’

VI.                CURRENT CONDITION OF THE STRUCTURE

a.      The UST Main Building may not last another century as chemical elements are slowly chipping away at its foundation.

b.      Visual observation of the outside walls of the UST Main Building shows evidence of discoloration, black incrustations, and growth of small plants. The base moldings attached around the Building are chipping off and some rebars have already corroded. Fissures, cracks, and some fractures can also be found inside.

c.       The Main Building is currently experiencing a slow process of deterioration due to its age and environmental changes.

Sources:

-http://wikipedia.org

-The Varsitarian (UST Publication)

-Pictures : Marc Heinrich Go

WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS BUILDING?

 Of all the old famous buildings found here in Manila that we were free to choose from, I picked University of Santo Tomas’ main building because of its history and significance. Every passerby of the university is probably very interested to explore this first and oldest earthquake-proof structure in Manila. The moment I stepped inside UST, I couldn’t help but notice this very old classy building and its cracked unpainted walls. At first, I thought it was a church since it had numerous saint-like statues and a big cross above it, but when I entered I discovered it was just like any other building on campus that held classes inside it.  What I love about this structure is its past-dating back to 78 years ago and was present during the Japanese occupation when the Filipinos were struggling for freedom and justice. Truly it has transcended through time and creates an experience every time you walk through its old halls. The old grand staircase that will greet you as you cross the threshold is very welcoming and as you explore further, your curiosity will be stirred by the numerous staircases that will surprise you. Some may find the interiors of this building spine-chilling but I find it very fascinating and makes me want to just keep wandering through its walls and discover more about it. Recently, it was named as one of the National Cultural Treasures and a UN World Heritage Site. It’s sad to think this structure is slowly deteriorating, giving in to the harshness of the drastic environment changes it experiences yearly. Its preservation will be costly but it is very significant that they continue with it after all, not all universities have such a building to boast about.

I was once a student of the university, and I can say that your UST experience is never complete without entering this historical piece of architecture.  

THEDES 2: On the New Modern...

             In our Theories of Architecture class, we were made to read about the different theories and manifestoes of BIG architects. As I began reading, I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t go through with reading the next manifesto unless I read the previous one 1245678910times. I admit, there were a lot of times I got lost in reading thus made me want to give up and just do away with the Xerox copy. But I knew I had to continue cause who knows what great things I can extract from it. And I was right. It opened my eyes to the different aspects of architecture today. And here’s what I think…

Upon reading the different manifestoes I have been introduced to new ideas and points of views that helped broaden my understanding of today’s modern architecture. Today, there are a lot of architects competing and striving to show the world who they really are through the structures they design. Different philosophies, different ideas that stir to create the society we now live in. These structures reflect their soul, which makes them unique and noteworthy.  20^th century architects seek to create something unconventional and have a constant need to step away from the norm. They never settle for ‘ok’, instead work hard and struggle for the ‘wow’. Safe is a term they never consider for it’s like they’re being contained in a box thus confines their output. I‘ve realized that sometimes I tend to limit my ideas because of me thinking ‘this one cannot be, it’s impossible’. But I learned through these manifestoes that every design, as long as it satisfies you is indeed possible.  Many of these architects want us to see architecture in a different perspective. To view their works not just as a structure but to delve into its substance, not only to see but to feel its soul. How I wish these kinds of architects exist here in our country. Structures I see around the metro aren’t very impressive and lack the modern touch I admire in structures overseas. Maybe Filipino architects play it safe when it comes to the design process. This makes me wonder, when will our structures start to evolve?

Among the different manifestoes of these architects, my favorite is Coop Himmelblau’s Architecture Must Blaze and The Future of Splendid Desolation. I like Himmelblau’s ‘hate for the old’ letting the past be past and his constant want for something new. Modern architects like him inspire me to always create something different far from the norm. I quote him, “We want architecture to have more. Architecture that bleeds, that exhausts, that whirls and even breaks.”, “Expressions like ‘safe and sound’ are no longer applicable to architecture.”  Architecture is very broad, and it is up to you how you want it to be, whether it has a function or not. Will Alsop’s Towards an Architecture of Practical Delight was also striking to me. “Rely on your own experience. Look to yourself.”The design process involves you and your inspiration. We get our inspiration from our past experiences, good or bad, and this influences our final outcome. A single idea, a concept evolves and becomes more complicated as you progress; leaving others to decode its essence themselves thus making it open to criticisms. It is never right to solely consider others in the design process, there must always be the YOU in it.  I have been a fan of Daniel Libeskind the moment his work The Jewish Museum in Berlin was introduced to me. Learning more about the soul of this building made me love architecture even more. The power we architects (future architect, for me) have on people amazes me. Yes, architects are paid to create beautiful structures but it is never limited to just that, we’re free to play with the form as long as it serves the function. What differentiates this particular work of Libeskind to other’s is how it is able to affect people emotionally. Also, Libeskind always explores geometry-the random forms that can be contructed/deconstructed which is truly translated in his structures.  Peter Eisenman and Mark Wigley’s manifestoes defines what deconstructivism really is-how our original ideas can be fragmented and turned into a bigger, broader idea. Deconstructivists do not simply demolish/fragment but delve into the deeper sense of the structure and then distort it. A truly successful deconstructed structure is able to expose what is hidden and unfamiliar to the accustomed one people have been used to seeing. Zaha Hadid being known as an avant-garde architect, discussed Randomness and Arbitrariness which resulted to her very unique and sensational works. “It is that revision and the absolute need for inventiveness, imagination and interpretation that makes our role in architecture more valid.”

            Each of these architects discussed how they think architecture is to be practiced which to me when compared is very different from each other and that makes each of them exceptional. We architects are expected to have our own views during our design process; to be unique. As a student new to all of these, I am striving to define what architecture really is for me. And my philosophy is yet to be finalized. Right now my ideas are very random and are very dependent on my emotions. Yes, I do have my preferences when it comes to forms but its definition still isn't clear to me. So as I go through this process of discovering myself, I hope to come up with a very unique one, just like the aforementioned.