Preview

Stockholm Public Library Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
907 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Stockholm Public Library Analysis
One of the most influential modernist architects of Sweden, Gunnar Asplund, is well known for his numerous creations of Nordic classical designs. An example of such is the Stockholm Public Library which was completed in 1928. Asplund, along with many other 20th century architects have adopted elements of classical architecture when considering the design of their work. By linking Asplunds design philosophy and design intentions with classical architecture, The Stockholm Public Library will be able to be analysed in detail with regards to the elements of classical architecture that it contains. This will create a greater understanding of the way in which elements of classical architecture have been implemented in 20th century buildings in general. …show more content…
The ancient Greeks and Romans put a lot of emphasis on designing places for the public to utilise such as the agora from Athens to Atlanta. This link between a classical library and classical architectural tradition may not be one of huge significance, however, it is one to be noted. Another prominent characteristic of the library in relation to classical architecture is the fact that it is symmetrical. The Greeks were obsessed with aesthetics and hence a common way of creating harmony and beauty in their designs was through symmetry which is clearly visible in the Stockholm Public Library.

In conclusion, The Stockholm Public Library has combined elements of classical and modern architecture to show that modern and classical architecture are not contradictory and can occur as one whole and not as separate entities. Elements of classical architecture that exist in numerous 20th century buildings allow modern architects to develop a more opulent, deeper and comprehensible dialogue with our shared past. The library may not consist of the predictable columns, or sash windows but has rather integrated classical tradition aspects into the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    ABC s of the Renaissance

    • 1181 Words
    • 9 Pages

    ABC’s of the Renaissance Architecture  The renaissance places a great deal of its design on symmetry, proportion, and on geometry. Many beautiful building came from this period for example “Temietto di San Pietro in Montorio Rome in 1502. Books (literature)  Books during the renaissance were very expensive and were passed down from generation from generation.…

    • 1181 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, c2011., 2011. UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE's Catalogue, EBSCOhost (accessed April 22, 2015). 8. Fleming, John, Nikolaus Pevsner, and Hugh Honour. The Penguin dictionary of architecture.…

    • 1281 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Architecture has been around for more than a thousand years. "During the Renaissance, architects trained as humanists helped raise the status of their profession from skilled laborer to artist." ( Wikipedia) They hoped to create structures that would appeal to both emotion and reason. Three figures in Renaissance architects were Filippo Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, and Andrea Palladio. We would hope to find within the time capsule a set of plans and notes on such marvels as Florence Cathedral, and other great structures that lead the way for the buildings of today. "In Baroque architecture, new emphasis was placed on bold massing, colonnades, domes, light-and-shade, painterly color effects, and the bold play of volume and void." ( Wikipedia) Such architects as Sir Christopher Wren "an English scientist and architect of the 17th century, most famous for his role in the re-building of London's churches after the Great Fire of London of 1666"( ( Wikipedia), and Nicholas Hawksmoor an British architect. From the past to the present it is a marvel how that was designed and built before modern technology was there to help them construct it. The marvel designs of the past have help in paving the way for the current designs for the future. With technology advancement it is making designing these new advance building much…

    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In the history of architecture, The Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turned of the 20th century. Henry Trost was part of a group of architect known as “First Chicago School,” whose work would have a profound effect upon architecture. This two building represented the combination of styles present during the 1900s and also demonstrated that architecture structures were clearly a way of showing prosperity in the different cities in the country. The time was just right for a change of ideas among the architectural world a new movement that was about to revolutionize the way cities, buildings, and even homes were constructed. Industrialization was making its way into the world of structures with new ideas and designing styles. One of the few similarities this building had with The Modern Movement was that buildings had to serve a purpose and they had to be functional. The Palace Theater was made for entertainment and it justify its purpose. The building up to this period of time has manage to survive with a few renovations made during time but is still standing tall, that is one of the great characteristics of those kind of historical structures. Another principle of the Modern movement is that “Form Follows Function” a dictum originally expressed by…

    • 1529 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Harper Library Analysis

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Harper Library, situated at the center of the main quadrangle at the University of Chicago, resembles a converted abbey, with its vaulted ceilings and arched windows. The library was completed in 1912, before Enrico Fermi built the world’s first nuclear reactor, before Milton Friedman devised the permanent income hypothesis, and well before Barack Obama taught Constitutional Law. Generations of scholars have pored over Adam Smith and Karl Marx in the main reading room, penned world-class treatises at the long wooden tables, and worn their coats indoors against the drafts in the spacious Gothic hall. Abiding over all of these scholars, and over me when I was among them, is an inscription under the library’s west window that has served as my…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Basing symmetry and balance as the ideals of simplicity, order and purity, the ancient Greeks constructed their architectural wonders with post-and-lintel construction. Posting columns, they laid a horizontal beam (lentil) across the space left between them. Refining this technique, the Greeks developed the entablature.…

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Greece Vs Pantheon Essay

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages

    We see many Greek and Roman influence in some of the most notable buildings and temples around the world. Washington, DC’s capital, the obelisk constructed Washington Monument, banks, stadiums, and some villas. While the materials may differ, and the reason for the creation of the building, both Roman and Greek cultures dedicated a thing of beauty to be adorned, worshipped, and admired from afar. The true interpretation of making a structure sound, useful and worthy of standing for many years, bonded their cultures, although Romans borrowed little bits from the Greeks they each made their own designs become one of the most vital and revered and influential architectural powers to be reckoned…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout history and into the modern era, architecture was ever changed by the ancient Greeks. The striking resemblances of ancient Roman architecture demonstrate the influence ancient Greek architects had on the flourishing Roman Empire. Such stunning architecture is embodied on the Athenian Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the revered temple in Rome, the Pantheon. With such contrasting functions and styles, there are many similarities which both will be explored as we discover the cultural influence on two of the most prolific structures that remain.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    My first discovery of classical architecture was made the moment I stepped outside my apartment, as my building has two Doric columns framing the front door. As I meandered over the hill and across the Common I realized exactly how prevalent classical architecture really is. Elements of classical architecture can be found on almost every building in the old residential neighborhoods and many commercial buildings feature columns and arches as well. I saw all three orders of columns, arches, and even a dome. The only architectural element I was unable to find was a groin vault.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Whilst Inigo Jones’ remodelled St. Pauls Cathedral in this style “with one of the grandest classical porticoes in Europe,3” his Covent garden church “seemed to make for the first time since the Reformation a striking Protestant statement.3” Palladio’s ‘I Quattro Libri Dell'architettura’ gives thorough explanations of many different proportional relationships, and so Palladianism is able to be adapted and implemented for a variety of scales and purposes - an accessible design style for accessible functions. Seaton Delaval Hall, however, was not designed with accessibility in mind, but very much designed for Admiral Delaval – Vanbrugh even designed ‘porthole’ windows in the top floor, which was designed to replicate the poop deck of a ship. It was almost as if the Admiral wished to feel at war with the locals. To some extent this effect was achieved, the people of Seaton were so against the construction of the hall that they allegedly placed a curse upon it, haunting the building and its inhabitants. The subsequent tumultuous existence of the hall may suggest that Palladian buildings are not suitable to be built disregarding context, and that Vanbrugh was ignorant in his application of…

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Greek and Roman history is often intertwined. Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome certainly weren't far apart geographically, and they weren't alien to each other at all. Together, they've had a great influence on the modern world. Because of this, these two civilizations are often confused with one another. The purpose of this essay is to examine two iconic buildings in each of these civilizations and see how each is unique. I will also point out to some differences and similarities between the two buildings and their respective civilizations.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The civilization of ancient Greece produced classics in almost all genres of creative expression: literature, philosophy, music, the visual arts, and architecture. These classics advanced the aesthetic principles of clarity simplicity, balance, regularity, and harmonious proportion. As a style, Classicism is characterized by these aesthetic principles and by the related ideals of reason, moderation, and dignity (Fiero 29). Greek culture is a very original culture in their way of life. A good example is the Parthenon. It towers in height with its beautifully elegant and simple design. It served as a shrine to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. Many people visit it each year for its history and unique structure. It had a columned design, made marble and realistic lifelike sculptures the first of its kind. Greek architecture has a specific look and feel to it that has been repeated in inspiration of many artists. It has been used as a design for many current structures, including banks, and libraries.…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since High Renaissance period was highly influenced by the Roman culture, the Roman orders of columns were applied in the architecture and most building plans and façade were symmetrical. One of the examples which can be brought from Roman times is the Maison-Caree. It is an ancient building located in southern France, and considered to be one of the best preserved Roman temples. The three stepped floor was replaced with a tall platform, and the columns along the sides of the temple were converted to engage columns. ("Roman Architecture: Essential Humanities”) Units of measurements were based on the human scale and it was in mathematical proportions. One of the best examples of this is Laurentian Library by Michellangelo. The Laurentian Library was and still considered to be one of his greatest architectural achievements. The significance of the decoration of the library was the fact that they were handmade. The library is considered to be one of the most unified works of the High Renaissance in Florence. ("Laurentian Library - Florence." Laurentian Library) The reason why Laurentian Library is so special is the fact that it shows the most complete examples of mannerism as its structure, both interior and the furniture. Mannerism comes from the Italian word…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In this essay I plan on discussing works by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. I will carry out a concise discussion of the position and views of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, as well as addressing his understanding of architecture. I will also be doing a concise analysis of two exemplary works by Mies. Finally I plan on discussing Mies position in and contribution to the development of Modern movement. The two examples I will be analysing are the Barcelona Pavilion and the Seagram Building.…

    • 1572 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Alvar Aalto

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Although Aalto was sometimes referred to as the first and the most influential architects of Nordic modernism, a closer look at historical facts reveals how Aalto (while a pioneer in Finland) closely followed and had personal contacts with other pioneers in Sweden, in particular Gunnar Asplund and Sven Markelius. But what they and many others of that generation in the Nordic countries had in common was that they started off from a classical education and were first designing in the so-called Nordic Classicism style before moving, in the late 1920s, towards Modernism. In Aalto's case this is epitomized by the Viipuri Library (1927-35)…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays