Architecture 200: History of Ideas in Architecture

What is the fundamental difference between temple (e.g., Amun-Re, Solomon, Poseidon) and palace architecture (e.g., Persepolis, Babylon, Knossos)? How is this expressed in structural form, ritual use, and symbolic expression?

Many societies during this period carried out dramatic experiments in negative space, evident in rock-cut structures, for example, the Egyptian rock-cut temple at Abu Simbel or the Caitya Hall (cave shrine) at Karli, India. What decisions did the builders make in the process of removing rock to allow the performance of ritual and to express religious belief?

Compare and contrast the development of the pillar in Egyptian and in Greek architecture. How does it reference earlier building traditions and what are its symbolic associations?

Religion and governance in this period undergo a profound change from elitist to what might be described as popularist. Give examples from Egypt, Greece, and China of how this shift affected architecture.This unit notes a transition to the Bronze Age in the Americas, and the Iron Age in the West (forged iron), and in the East (cast iron). How did the development of these different metals impact societies and building technologies?