week 3.

greeks and barbarians

During Tuesday lecture, picking up from the practices of Egyptian pyramids, we witness the
transformation of self-contained, strictly compressed burial spaces to the temples that allow
swift circulation of light and the movements of their worshippers. The constructions extract their
architectural form from the continental landmark: following the linear horizontal sequence of the
local topography nestled temples and tombs. Set into and following the curves and contours of
rock fronts, these buildings are then raised vertically to match the height of the mountain range.
Great emphasis was placed on solar orientation, utilizing light to mold the battered facade. The
interiors can be described as continuous layers of enclosure: the rooms becoming smaller and
more narrow towards the end of the sequence. A distinct hierarchy of columns is used to
differentiate between the functionalities of space; their scale rendered the size of humans
insignificant. We then moved onto the Parthenon in Athens: the horizontal steps supporting the
vertical structures create a unified system. The recurring feature of the Parthenon fueled the
association that the world’s architecture originated from Greece, a culture of self-awareness,
refinement, and simplicity.[

Thursday lecture picked up on the reverberating impact of Greek architecture, with the
Parthenon referred to and commended as the landmark for us to "understand ourselves and our
place in the world." After all, there must be a reason that the Parthenon is integrated into the
logo of the UNESCO. The intentionality woven into every detail successfully articulated its iconic
architectural form, the swift interplay between light and shadow, and the conservation of
botanical sanctity. Zooming out to capture the entirety of the architectural site, the absence of
the orthogonal grid structure is noticeable. We can detect moments of local symmetry, but as a
whole, each unit seemingly jostles with each other to occupy space and adapts to its
surrounding landscape - a democratic system at its best. Yet, the tectonic order of the columns
placed great emphasis on modularity, geometry, mathematical precision, and clarity in
measurement and design. We also looked at the temporal progression from the Temple of Hera I
to the Temple of Hera II to the Parthenon, which depicted the transfiguration and refinement
from archaic to classical of the column construction.

Sculpture is an architectural element, but what happens when we consider architecture as a

kind of sculpture? It all circles back to the human desire to carve ourselves into stone, build
ourselves into the buildings in the name of legacy and preservation. The heritage of the
Parthenon runs deep in the river of history, simply seen in the enormous number of its
conversions and reproductions over the world. Taking the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee as
an example, a series of questions emerged: what has become of the architectural history and
aspirations in the modern contexts? What do the overlapping and similarity signify? What is
inevitably lost in the process of relocation, displacement, and imitation? What is the extent of
appropriation and exploitation of one's cultural heritage?