‭Claire Sheerin‬

‭2/13/2024‬

‭Professor Starkey‬

‭ARCH 121‬

‭The investigation of ancient history after and during the Enlightenment period was‬

‭mobilized by the desire to define what architecture should be and whether it should air on the‬

‭side of rational or creative thought. Rediscovered historical buildings - such as the building of‬

‭Pompeii via the publications of Robert Wood and James Dawkins- brought about the question of‬

‭whether architecture should imitate historical works. Or if architecture should be pushing society‬

‭forward through invention. Another significant event in the history of architecture was the‬

‭construction of the St Geneviève church. This church which was designed through the trial and‬

‭error of Soufflot. I would say that Soufflot succeded in designing a space that incorporates the‬

‭embodiment of the Christian faith in tandem with the application of reason. Soufflot claimed that‬

‭this application of reason was the way in which architecture could be perfected. His goal was to‬

‭marry the cross floorplan of classic churches with a dome to symbolize the extent of the universe‬

‭and the significance of the world within the Christian religion.‬

‭The primary example of historical architecture that was being examined was Greek‬

‭buildings. Although most people hadn’t even seen them in person, their constructions' allure and‬

‭cultural significance were regarded as the standard for perfectly executed architecture. This, yet‬

‭again, brings up the question of imitation versus invention. The part I enjoyed the most from the‬

‭reading was when Bergdoll brought up the significance of studying classical buildings to forge‬

‭new styles based on the knowledge of the classics. I like the approach of being educated about‬

‭what architecture has looked like throughout history and using that to make advanced works of‬
‭art. I think the way to push society forward is to look at what’s already been done and examine‬

‭how it can be bettered or combined with existing principles to create something new. I‬

‭appreciated the iron gothic church because it takes inspiration from the era without solely‬

‭imitating it.‬