Buildings and Architecture

Architecture is sensuous art because it is perceived with the senses. if you like an inner space perhaps a living room or a church it is something you feel not something you think. Of course,the mind comes into play too, as it is through experience that we undestand how buildings work,and so there is a certain empiricism at work .Architecture is also a discipline considering the classic periods of architecture, it was more or less confined to the sacred and political power.It represented a spiritual device and now it is considered that it should merely ornament our lives.Famous architects rightfully take their place beside Batman and Superman, a blend of the words star and architect, "starchitect" is a recent coinage used to describe a famous architect who has been responsible for the design of an iconic 21st-century building. It is typically some kind of public building which attracts a degree of media interest, and thereby imparts a sort of celebrity status to its designer.A key characteristic of the work of starchitects is what popularity referred to as "the wow factor".Since most of all architecture is about framing human life,a great responsibility to architect comes with trying to understand the human nature . One of the pionneer in modern architecture is "LeCorbusier" who also laid the "Bauhaus foundation" or "The International Style". Le Corbusier described "5 points of architecture" that became the guiding principles for many of his designs, most especially the"Villa Savoye"situated at Poissy outside of Paris. "Freestanding support pillars,open floor plan independant from the support, vertical facade that is free from the support, long sliding windows and roof gardens".The earlier buildings by Le Corbusier were smooth, while concrete and glass strutcures elevated above the ground. He called these works "Pure Prisms".Later he turned to a style known as "New Brutalism", which used rough, heavy forms of stone, concrete and glass.

Cass Gilbert is often praised for pioneering the skycraper and had enormous influence on the development of architecture in the United Sates.He looked back to Ancient Rome when he designed the U.S Supreme Court Building and its neoclassical style was choosen to reflect democratic ideals.Its sculpted pediments tells allegories of justice and mercy.Gilbert is also best known for his gothic skycraper, the Woolworth Building.

Another famous architect is Paul Williams who became renown for designing major buildings such the Los Angeles International Airport and over 2000 homes in Southern California. While there is no distinctive "look" to buildings by Paul Williams, he became known for designs which were stylized and elegant.

The fanciful Mediterranean style architecture launched a "Florida Renaissance"with the Resort Architect Addison Mizner who also wanted to capture the diversity of Spanish architecture. Criticizing modern architetcs for producing a characterless copybook effect, Mizner said that his ambition  was to make a building look traditional and as though it had its way from a small structure to a great rambling house .

Frank Lloyd Wright is without a doubt America's most famous architect and yet never attended architecture school. During his 70 years career he designed 1,141 buildings, including home ,offices, churches, schools, libraries, bridges and museums.He was a leader of the Prairie school and often designed many of the interior elements of his buildings such as the furniture and stained glass .The Guggenheim Museum of New York is a gift of pure architecture or rather sculpture . Most importantly,Frank Lloyd wright changed the way we think of interior space