THEORY (Historical development of theory definitions)
First 16th to 17th
- Isaac Newton observing a falling apple which lead him to study universal gravity.
- sight or spectacle, watching, seeing, observing
Second 17th century
- Newton = force of gravity on earth is affecting all objects on earth.
- speculation, projected idea, linked to a perception
Third 17th century
- Newton used his mathematical description of gravity to prove Kepler's laws of planetary
motion, account for tides, the trajectories of comets, the precession of the equinoxes and
other phenomena, eradicating doubt about the Solar System's heliocentricity.
- schemes of ideas, process
Fourth middle of 17th century
- explanatory scheme, or a systematic explanation of practice, implies meanings and
ideas
THEORY
- simple observation becomes more intricate in its activities
- includes: speculating, processing of ideas and systematic explanation of things being
observed.
- Once these stages are processed, theory connects how things are or may be explained
Theory today is defined as:
- DOCTRINE: A doctrine or ideology speaks of hoe things should be providing set of
principles. Theory as seen as a model, or a system held ideal.
- EXPLANATORY SCHEME: describe things found in this world.
- “In theory, this should work”: in reference to an ideal condition but not sure about its
outcomes.
- “I have a theory about that”: describing a view of something that explains a condition
or event
THEORY and PRACTICE
- The two are compatible
- Theory is ideally proposed
- Practice is action
ARISTOTLE’S DISTINCTION ABOUT ACTIONS:
Theoria – activity of contemplating aimed to establish knowledge
Poiesis – poetic or artful making with the goal of producing
Praxis – the mode of making in which theory informs the work and lead the action
Theory today is seen as “a system of assumptions, accepted principles, and
rules of procedures devised to analyze, or otherwise explain the nature or
behavior of specified set of phenomena”
Theory is “the activity of contemplating, of inquiry, and of seeking to understand”
MEDIEVAL
- Architectural knowledge was passed by transcription, word of mouth, and technically
in master building’s lodges.
- Few examples of architectural theory were written in this period
- Most were theological, and were transcriptions of the bible, so the architectural
theories were the notes n structures included in those.
- Abbot Suger's Book of St Denis on What was done during his Administration was
an architectural document that emerged with gothic architecture.
- "The dull mind rises to truth through that which is material." -Abbot Sugar
The Birth of Gothic
- Suger’s great ambition led to the remodelling of the Abbey Church if Aint-Deins,
making his name synonymous with the beginning of the Gothis art ad architecture in
France.
- Abbot Suger's philosophy known as "the upward leading method." influenced the
design
- The Universe Consist of the “Father of Lights” (God)
- And the “Smaller Lights” (People)
- Rebuilding of the church exemplifies the desire to get closer to this “one true light” in
his use of heightened architecture as well as by his passion for light in the church.
The symbolism of churches and church ornaments:
- The paragon of Christian symbolism should be viewed as much more than an
aesthetically pleasing example.
- Through the surpassing beauty of Gothic architecture God was vividly displaying a
liturgical and theological principle.
- The unrivalled symbolic beauty of the Medieval Church was providentially intended as a
timeless principle illustrating how sacramental signs and instruments convey the grace
of God.
Leon Battista Alberti
- Born on February 14,1404 ; Died on April 20,1472
- Renaissance architecture
- Architect, poet, linguistic, humanist author, philosopher, and priest
- Epitome of a renaissance man.
- The success of the city of Florence during this period was to a large extent a
consequence of the Alberti family.
- The Most Important Art Theorist of the Early Renaissance
- 3 most influential art treaties of the renaissance time:
1. Della Statua = statue;
2. Della Pittura = painting; accepted by art historians of the renaissance as the
most important book on painting ever written.
3. De Re Aedificatoria = architecture
- Lucid theory of architectural beauty
- Depends on the harmonic relationship between certain fixed proportions
mitigated by ornamental forms
- Covered wide range of subjects, from history to town planning, and
engineering to the philosophy of beauty
- Bible of Renaissance architecture
- Incorporated and made advances upon the engineering knowledge of
antiquity and it grounded the stylistic principles of classical art in a fully
developed aesthetic theory of proportionality and harmony
- Ten Chapters of De Ra Aedificatoria:
1. Lineaments (plan)
2. Materials
3. Construction
4. Public Works
5. Works of Individuals
6. To 9 Ornaments
- Ideal Floor Plans for religious buildings
- Ideal form of circle
- Nine ideal centrally-planned geometrical shapes are recommended
- Hexagon, octagon, decagon, and dodecagon, all derived from the
circle.
- Derived from the square, rectangles that exhibit the square and a
half, square and a third and double square.
- Chapels add small geometric figures to the basic circles and
polygons to give a great variety of floor plans, in which each
geometrical figure retains its clear unity and simple ratios that bind
all elements of the plans and elevations into a harmonic unity.
10. Restoration of Buildings
