Portfolio- ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 1 [ARC 1313]

 

 

 

 

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE. BUILDING. DESIGN

 

Modern Architecture Studies in Southern Asia (MASSA) Research Unit

 

Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)

 

 

 

 

Project: Precedent Study

 

 

In this semester, we had only one project in this class. However, this assignment had divided into four sections which are essay writing, analysis presentation board, model making and lastly is the verbal presentation. Even though it only one assignment but each section has its difficulties to do it. This assignment is a group work of four persons. Through several times of discussions with my group mates, finally, we had chosen Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore which is in the period of Early Christian and Byzantine & Romanesque Architecture.

 

Front view of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore 

 

 

The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is a church of Santa Maria Maggiore, it is the largest

Catholic Marian church in Rome, Italy. It is located on Piazza del Esquilino in Rome in the 5th century.  Its construction was ordered by Pope Liberio who they say on August 5th 356, he saw the Virgin Mary in his dreams. She indicated him where to construct the church through a snow fall that happened on the Esquilino Hill. This is the reason why the church is also called by the second name of Saint Mary of the Snows). It seems, however, that the actual Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica was built under Sisto III who erected it and dedicated it to Mary’s motherhood, just after the Council of Efeso in 431.

 

The bell tower with its pyramid-shaped point dates 1300, and with its 75 metres it’s the tallest in Rome.

 

 

Apse area of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

 

Interior of basilica

 

Mosaic in the triumphal arch

 

Nave mosaic from the story of Moses

Reliquary of the Holy Crib

 

In the first part of this assignment which is essay writing, I did learnt a lot of basic knowledge if this church such as who is the architect of this building, why and how it built, function and purpose of the building and etc. Besides, it lets me understand the basic architectural theory through a consideration of intentions, concepts, patterns, disciplines, architectural language and contextual relationships.

Here comes to the second part of the assignment which is a analysis presentation board of this building. We are requires to include floor plan, sections and some analysis diagram. The following picture is my analysis presentation board.

 

 Through this presentation board, it lets me able to learn the interior detail of this building especially the spatial organization analysis. I really learnt a lot from that. In addition of that, I understand the sequence of historical periods and how they are represented architecturally and also how to differentiate he ways in which many varied factors contribute to the development if form.

 

Here comes to the third part of the assignment which is model making. In this model making, we had chosen the front and the interior part of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. The following pictures is our model.

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the process of this model making, I really realize that team work and communication are very important! Really thanks to my group mates and I appreciate a lot during the process of completing the assignment. It might found it hard to do at the beginning and yet, after discussing with my group members, I was able to understand well. The following pictures are our verbal presentation to our tutor, Mr Sarly.