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Tag Archives: architecture

Zodiac floor design and contemporary mythology

25 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture

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architecture, design, floor, iowa state univerity, memorial union, zodiac, zodiac signs

Iowa Ste Univeristy-Memorial Union-Zodiac

Iowa Ste University – Memorial Union

Architect/designer William T. Proudfoot chose to incorporate the ancient symbols of the zodiac into the north entry floor — classic Greek/Roman mythology for a classic-Greek/Roman-style building.

In the 20s, the zodiac was not as well known as it is now. Proudfoot planned for intentional wearing away of the bronze forms by placing them above the surface of the floor – to be sculpted further by building users until, eventually, they would be the same level as the floor.

We know that by 1929, students had decided that if you stepped on the zodiac, it was unlucky – that you’d flunk your next test. Rumor has it that the students created this “curse” because they liked the raised effect of the zodiac and they wanted to preserve the zodiac signs even though it went against what the architect originally intended. Now most students, hedging their bets, walk around. If you accidently invoke the curse, you can throw a coin in the fountain to take it away!

http://www.mu.iastate.edu / http://www.photostream.iastate.edu

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Astronomy in the Church: The Clementine Sundial in Santa Maria degli Angeli, Rome

09 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture

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architecture, church, Italy, meridian, rome, sundial, zodiac signs

S. Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri-sundial - 00

Pope Clement XI (1700-1721) ordered Francesco Bianchini (1662-1729) to build a Meridian Line. Bianchini was the Secretary of the Commission for the Calendar. He chose the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli because of the stability of its roman walls and foundations and its suitable dimension. The Line built by Giandomenico Cassini (1625-1712) in 1655 in San Petronio, Bologna , was the model for Bianchini, who improved it by allowing the observation of stellar transits.

Pope Clement XI inaugurated the Great Sundial on October 6, 1702 , the annual
Feast of St. Bruno, founder of the Carthusian Order, whose statue is in the entrance of the Church. Carthusian monks ruled this Basilica for three centuries until 1884.

S. Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri-sundial - 01

It is not the shadow which shows the time, but the light. At the astronomical noon a sunbeam, entering the church from a coat of arms near the ceiling, crosses a meridian line drawn on the floor. The intersection point changes according to the various periods of the year; these are indicated by inscriptions and by inlays showing the signs of the zodiac and the stars of the related constellation. The sundial allows also the calculation of Easter and the position of the Pole-star.

S. Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri-sundial - 02

http://www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it / http://www.romeartlover.it

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Zodiac Signs at Amiens Cathedral

04 Sunday May 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture, Art

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amiens, architecture, cathedral, Labours of the Months, sculpture, zodiac signs

AmiensCathedral-North

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens (French: Basilique Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens), or simply Amiens Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral and seat of the Bishop of Amiens (currently Jean-Luc Bouilleret). It is situated on a slight ridge overlooking the River Somme in Amiens, the administrative capital of the Picardy region of France, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Paris.

Medieval cathedral builders were trying to maximize the internal dimensions in order to reach for the heavens and bring in more light. In that regard, the Amiens cathedral is the tallest complete cathedral in France, its stone-vaulted nave reaching an internal height of 42.30 metres (138.8 ft) (surpassed only by the incomplete Beauvais Cathedral). It also has the greatest interior volume of any French cathedral, estimated at 200,000 cubic metres (260,000 cu yd). The cathedral was built between 1220 and c.1270 and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.[5] Although it has lost most of its original stained glass, Amiens Cathedral is renowned for the quality and quantity of early 13th-century Gothic sculpture in the main west façade and the south transept portal, and a large quantity of polychrome sculpture from later periods inside the building.

The quatrefoils of the north portal contain full calendar cycle of signs of the zodiac in the upper quatrefoils, with the
corresponding labours of the months in the lower ones.

Amiens Cathedral-zodiac signs-labours of the month

 

Zodiaque_Amiens_01 Zodiaque_Amiens_02 Zodiaque_Amiens_03 Zodiaque_Amiens_04 Zodiaque_Amiens_05 Zodiaque_Amiens_06 Zodiaque_Amiens_07 Zodiaque_Amiens_08 Zodiaque_Amiens_09 Zodiaque_Amiens_10 Zodiaque_Amiens_11 Zodiaque_Amiens_12

(http://www.medievalart.org.uk)

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Anaphoric star disk

03 Saturday May 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture, Art, Astrology

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Anaphoric, architecture, astrology, clock, design, landscape, park, science

Anaphoric star disk - 01

A complete redesign and rebuilding of Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park at 12th and Walnut in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, was dedicated on April 18, 2008. The park concept is named Celestial Flyways to celebrate the natural environment of the Kansas City area.

The park was designed by Kansas City artist Laura DeAngelis and Davison Architecture + Urban Design and was commissioned by the Art in the Loop Foundation, a metropolitan organization of business and civic leaders with a continuing mission to enhance central Kansas City with public art.  This project was a cooperative venture between the city of Kansas City and Jackson Country Parks and Recreation.  It required two years of work, the talents of at least 150 people at a cost of nearly $500,000, much of which was donated.

The park’s theme, Celestial Flyways, was inspired by the migratory patterns of many bird species which pass through the Kansas City area.  The park design includes migratory bird routes with inlays of sixteen bird species.  The arcs in the picture below represent the migratory bird routes.  The park landscaping uses native prairie plants.

Anaphoric star disk - 02

The centerpiece of the park is an interactive sculpture based on the anaphoric clock, a model of the sky with roots deep in antiquity.  The anaphoric star disk in the park is very likely the largest and most accurate astronomical machine of this type ever made.

The anaphoric star disk consists of a 10 foot (3 m.) diameter disk containing the positions of 457 stars in 50 constellations.  The stars are shown by holes in the disks filled by acrylic lenses and are lighted from below.  Drawings of the mythological characters associated with the constellations are etched on the surface of the disk.  Park visitors rotate the star disk to a date and time with a motor operated by buttons on the base.  The mechanism is not a clock since it does not run by itself.  If it were a clock, the disk would rotate once in a sidereal day.

Above the rotating star disk is a grid showing the local horizon and meridian, the celestial equator and the Tropic of Cancer.  The Tropic of Capricorn is the outer diameter of the disk.  The meridian is accurately oriented and the horizon corresponds to the latitude of the park at 39° 6′ North.

The base of the sculpture is decorated with ceramic representations of the Kansas City natural environment made by Laura DeAngelis.

Anaphoric star disk - 03

The outer circumference of the base contains a calendar and the outer edge of the disk has a time scale.  Park visitors set the disk by aligning a time with a date.  Once set, the stars are positioned for that instant.

The sun’s annual path, the ecliptic, is also engraved on the disk in the form of a calendar.  The sun’s position for a day corresponds to a date on the ecliptic circle.

The star disk can be set for the current date and time to see the current positions of the sun and stars, set to find the time of a celestial event, such as sunrise or sunset or set to any other date and time of interest.  It is a very informative display for such a simple machine.

The anaphoric star disk required the experience, talent and effort of a large number of people.  The overall design was by Laura DeAngelis with Dominique Davison.  The star positions, constellation asterisms, ecliptic, time scale and calendar were computer produced by James Morrison.  The constellation figures were drawn by Laura DeAngelis and Peregrine Honig.  Detailed design drawings were supplied by Davison Architecture + Urban Design.  The disk, grid and supporting structure were fabricated by A. Zahner Co.  The star lenses were made and installed by Louis Rose.  The base ceramic decoration was made and installed by Laura DeAngelis and Louis Rose.

(www.astrolabes.org/pages/anaphoric.htm)

 

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Corrado Parducci’s Zodiacs

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture, Art

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architecture, Corrado Parducci, design, sculpture, zodiac, zodiac signs

Corrado Parducci-Zodiac-05

Corrado Parducci is mostly referred to as an architectural sculptor, however, I think a proper title would simply be designer. These days, he would probably best be known as an Industrial Designer, with having designed countless commissions of architectural sculpture, interior plaster work and bronze work. Additionally, he designed hub caps for Budd Wheel, and bumper designs for Hudson Motor Car Company. In his personal time, he sculpted busts of Greek and Roman figures from antiquity, painted intricate patterns on the walls of his home and even wove tapestries.

Parducci was revered by many architects who wanted him to work on their most exclusive projects – both in Detroit, Michigan, and nationally. Because of Parducci’s training at New York’s Beaux-Arts Institute of Design (BAID) and the Arts Students League, he was able to quickly see the architect’s vision for a space. Many times, the architect would provide a set of architectural drawings to Parducci where blank spaces had been left for him to fill in his designs. By working with Parducci, this would free up the architect’s draughtsmen for other things. Prior to this, the draughtsmen would  furnish full scaled drawings of sculpture, ornamentation, or even doorknobs and window casings. It’s important to remember that during the early 20th century, everything was custom made for each architectural project. There was no Sweet’s Catalogue, whereas even Parducci said, “today we design by number.”

Corrado Parducci-Zodiac-01 Corrado Parducci-Zodiac-02 Corrado Parducci-Zodiac-03 Corrado Parducci-Zodiac-04http://www.parduccisociety.org, http://www.archsculpt.blogspot.com

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Hammat Tiberias’ synagogue old zodiac mosaic floor

06 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture, Art

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architecture, art, Hammat Tiberias, israel, mosaic, synagogue, zodiac signs

 

Zodiac mosaic floor, synagogue in Hamat Tiberias

The Hammat Tiberias Synagogue is an ancient synagogue on the outskirts of Tiberias, Israel, located near the hot springs just south of the city. The synagogue dates to 286 and 337 CE, when Tiberias was the seat of the Sanhedrin. Two synagogue sites have been excavated at Hammat Tiberias. The first, uncovered in 1921 by Nachum Slouschz, working under the sponsorship of the Jewish Palestine Exploration Society, was a watershed event in the history of Israeli archaeology as the first archaeological dig conducted under Jewish auspices. A limestone menorah uncovered there is now on display at the Israel Museum. The mosaic floor is made up of three panels featuring the zodiac and Helios the sun god. Women symbolizing the four seasons appear in each corner.

The second synagogue site, excavated by Moshe Dothan, is noted for its elaborate mosaic floor. The synagogue, dated to the last half of the fourth century C.E., was named after an inscription that reads, in Greek, “Severus the pupil of the most illustrious patriarchs,” an apparent reference to the leaders of the Jewish community.

In the center of one large mosaic is the Sun god, Helios, sitting in his chariot holding the celestial sphere and a whip. Nine of the 12 signs of the zodiac survived intact. Another panel shows a Torah ark flanked by two the seven-branched menorahs and other Jewish ritual objects.

 

(www.en.wikipedia.org)

 

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Hall of Olympus in Villa Barbaro

01 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture, Art

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architecture, astrology, ceiling, fresco, Italy, painting, palladio, planets, UNESCO, veneto, veronese, villa Barbaro, world heritage, zodiac

Villa Barbaro-astrologia-veroneseThe ceiling in the Hall of Olympus at Villa Barbaro, Italy

painted by Paolo Caliari (Veronese) – 1528-2588

Villa Barbaro, also known as the Villa di Maser, is a large villa at Maser in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It was designed and built by the Italian architect Andrea Palladio, with frescos by Paolo Veronese and sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria for Daniele Barbaro, Patriarch of Aquileia and ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I of England, and his brother Marcantonio an ambassador to King Charles IX of France.

In 1996 UNESCO declared the villa to be part of a World Heritage Site, “City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto” which includes more than twenty villas. It is open to the public.

On the ceiling in the Hall of Olympus Veronese illustrated the Divine Wisdom surrounded by planetary gods with the related zodiac signs. In teh corners are the personifications of the 4 elements: Juno – Air, Vulcan – Fire, Cybele – Earth and Neptune – Water. In the cameos are depicted Love, Fertility, Abundance and Luck.

http://www.artinvest2000.com, http://www.en.wikipedia.org

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Lausanne Cathedral – labours of the months and zodiac signs

12 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture, Art

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architecture, cathedral, Labours of the Months, lausanne, stained glass, switzerland, zodiac signs

Switzerland-Cathedrale_LausanneConstruction of the Cathedral began as early as 1170 by an original unknown master mason. Twenty years later another master mason restarted construction until 1215. Finally a third engineer, Jean Cotereel, completed the majority of the existing cathedral including a porch, and two towers, one of which is the current day belfry. The other tower was never completed. The cathedral was consecrated in 1275 by Pope Gregory X, Rudolph of Hasbourg, and the bishop of Lausanne at the time, Guillaume of Champvent. The medieval architect Villard de Honnecourt drew the rose window of the south transept in his sketchbook in 1270. The Protestant Reformation, a powerful religious movement which swept down from Zurich, significantly affected the Cathedral. In 1536 a new liturgical area was added to the nave and the colorful decorations inside the Cathedral were covered over. Other major restorations occurred later in the 18th and 19th century which were directed by the great French architect, Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. During the 20th century major restorations occurred to restore the painted interior decorations as well as to restore a painted portal on the South side of the Cathedral. New organs were installed in 2003.

Lausanne Cathedral-zodiac-labours of the months-a01

Lausanne Cathedral-zodiac-labours of the months-a02

Lausanne cathedral – South rose window, keyed diagram
The red circles show the twelve labors of the months
M-01 = January
M-02 = February
M-03 = March
M-04 = April
M-05 = May
M-06 = June
M-07 = July
M-08 = August
M-09 = September
M-10 = October
M-11 = November
M-12 = December

and the blue circles show the twelve signs of zodiac
Z-01 = Capricorn
Z-02 = Aquarius
Z-03 = Pisces
Z-04 = Aries
Z-05 = Taurus
Z-06 = Gemini
Z-07 = Cancer
Z-08 = Leo
Z-09 = Virgo
Z-10 = Libra
Z-11 = Scorpio
Z-12 = Sagittarius

and the four green circles show the four seasons, now in clockwise sense:
S-01 = Spring (ver)
S-02 = Summer (estas)
S-03 = Autumn (autumpnus)
S-04 = Winter (hyems)

Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-01-january Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-02-february Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-03-march Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-04-april Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-05-may Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-06-june Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-07-july Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-08-august Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-09-september Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-10-october Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-11-november Lausanne Cathedral-labours of the months-12-december

The zoidac signs: https://astrologyandart.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/zodiac-signs-maximum-cards-switzerland-1982-1986/

Photos by Peter (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28433765@N07/)

http://www.wikipedia.com

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The Apartments of the Elements

02 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by Danielle in Architecture, Art, Paintings

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architecture, art, Cristofano Gherardi, earth, elements, fire, florence, Giorgio Vasari, Italy, paintings, Palazzo Vecchio, Saturn, Uranus, venus, water

Allegory of Water-Birth of Venus-Vasari_GherardiAllegory of Water – Birth of Venus (Giorgio Vasari and Cristofano Gherardi)

The Apartments of the Elements, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy

The Apartment of the Elements consists of five rooms that were the private quarters of Cosimo I. The walls contain allegorical frescoes depicting Fire, Water, Earth and (on the ceiling) Saturn.

This is the suite of rooms that were used by Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wife Eleanor of Toledo while they lived at Palazzo Vecchio. They are ornately decorated in grand Renaissance style. Giorgio Vasari took over the decoration of these rooms upon the death of Battista del Tasso. This was his first commission for the Medici, beginning a long and very profitable relationship.

Allegory of Earth-Fruits of Earth Offered to Saturn-CristofanoGherardiAllegory of Earth – Fruits of Earth Offered to Saturn (Cristofano Gherardi)

Allegory of Fire-Vulcans Forge-CristofanoGherardiAllegory of Fire – Vulcans Forge (Cristofano Gherardi)

The_Mutiliation_of_Uranus_by_SaturnThe Mutiliation of Uranus by Saturn (Giorgio Vasari and Cristofano Gherardi)

http://www.digital-images.net, http://www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Google_Art_Project_works_in_Palazzo_Vecchio_Museum

 

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Putto with compass

26 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by Danielle in Art

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Tags

architecture, Austria, castle, compass, Eggerberg, fresco, Graz, painting, putto, UNESCO WHS

Schloss Eggenberg - Planetary Room-Sun panel-Putto with CompassPutto with compass

(detail from The Sun Panel in Eggenberg Castle Planetary Room, Graz, Austria)

Detailed article about the Planetary Room with planets and zodiac paintings: Castle Eggenberg Planetary Room

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