This week it's all about the Romans.
Last week we had a discussion on the Roman precursor culture, the Etruscans. This week we delve into Roman culture as it affected the idea of 'the city' - an idea and organizational structure that spread across Europe as the empire expanded.
Rome was the home of the Roman Empire, but being a city with roots older than the Republic or empire it is roman in its architecture but not in its form or planning (which are more true to the Etruscan roots!) However the grandiosity of Rome is more viewable and able to be experienced more easily than ever through modern technology - see this link for a fly through of a 3d rendering of the city - As you watch be critical: What urban elements can you see which are decidedly etruscan? What are Roman?
Something to look for is Roman Empire's organizational ability - infrastructure, armies, politics, and city planning. Roman legions were divided up evenly in sizes, and housed evenly in blocks, these blocks extended in turn structured the encampments and permanent structures around the encampment. As the legions spread the will of the empire, so did this organization. Many famous European cities have their roots initially serving as built up areas around the legion's camp providing services to the garrisoned soldiers.
But this is only one means of influence, the highly rigorous structures of the roman empire interfaced with existing terrain and human habitats - most famously in Rome itself, the Tiber River and the seven hills of Rome. Rome as a city existed and grew organically in a flotsam of expansion, later roman city planners would redevelop in an attempt to reorganize the hierarchy of streets into an ordered whole (watch this closely, because these attempts do not end with the Romans, hint hint for future lectures). Other existing cities had roman additions, sections, portions or 'new' towns designed added or expanded during their roman citizenship as well (Paris traces its history to a small permanent roman settlement, Frankfurt's central market square still exists where its Roman market stood - both of these examples where small roman settlements which have since grown to the large cities of today).
The Roman legion's famously encamped in large gridded tent-cities, which would gradually be made more permanent depending on how long the soldiers were stationed, it makes sense then that these military settlements formed the nucleation point of new civilian habitations, and may cities in Europe, and the Mediterranean grew from these early grid camps. Looking for the right patterns in aerial photography it is possible to find the shape and size of a original grid in the neighborhoods of a various towns and cities. One example is the town of Timgad located in what is present day Algeria.
Read through lectures 13 + 14 + 15 and their questions (mandatory) + engage with your classmates, per our usual terms (class participation).
***When possible, please delineate your answers for each lecture with a separate post***
Questions for lectures 13 + 14 are below, questions for lecture 15 are included in lecture 15.
Optional Extras:
Can you see today where the city guard was encamped, just outside of the city of Rome (the roman army was not allowed to enter the city)? How is this different from the other roman plans for the city?
Can you find any other cities like Timgad that might have started or show the remnants of their Roman-grid plan? What other cities or towns, not mentioned in the lectures, have a Roman organization, echoes or ghost-planning in them? Explain why you think it is of roman influence and provide a link to imagery or a map pin so others can see.
For example Turin has elements of the roman grid plainly visible (marked in the image by the super imposed square) in this image from the late Renaissance and early Baroque era:
All comments are due by Monday, March 21st.
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| View of the Colosseum during the Renaissance by architect and etcher Giovanni Battista Piranesi (we will look at his work again during our discussion of other epochs of the city of Rome) - done as a series of etchings and prints made into a book showcasing not only the state of the roman ruins but also imagining maps and the extents of gilded age of the Roman Empire. |
Rome was the home of the Roman Empire, but being a city with roots older than the Republic or empire it is roman in its architecture but not in its form or planning (which are more true to the Etruscan roots!) However the grandiosity of Rome is more viewable and able to be experienced more easily than ever through modern technology - see this link for a fly through of a 3d rendering of the city - As you watch be critical: What urban elements can you see which are decidedly etruscan? What are Roman?
Something to look for is Roman Empire's organizational ability - infrastructure, armies, politics, and city planning. Roman legions were divided up evenly in sizes, and housed evenly in blocks, these blocks extended in turn structured the encampments and permanent structures around the encampment. As the legions spread the will of the empire, so did this organization. Many famous European cities have their roots initially serving as built up areas around the legion's camp providing services to the garrisoned soldiers.
But this is only one means of influence, the highly rigorous structures of the roman empire interfaced with existing terrain and human habitats - most famously in Rome itself, the Tiber River and the seven hills of Rome. Rome as a city existed and grew organically in a flotsam of expansion, later roman city planners would redevelop in an attempt to reorganize the hierarchy of streets into an ordered whole (watch this closely, because these attempts do not end with the Romans, hint hint for future lectures). Other existing cities had roman additions, sections, portions or 'new' towns designed added or expanded during their roman citizenship as well (Paris traces its history to a small permanent roman settlement, Frankfurt's central market square still exists where its Roman market stood - both of these examples where small roman settlements which have since grown to the large cities of today).
The Roman legion's famously encamped in large gridded tent-cities, which would gradually be made more permanent depending on how long the soldiers were stationed, it makes sense then that these military settlements formed the nucleation point of new civilian habitations, and may cities in Europe, and the Mediterranean grew from these early grid camps. Looking for the right patterns in aerial photography it is possible to find the shape and size of a original grid in the neighborhoods of a various towns and cities. One example is the town of Timgad located in what is present day Algeria.
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| The city of Timgad, located in what is now Algeria, shows it's Roman roots in this plan which shows both the built and 'ghost' blocks of where the initial legion encampment was placed which later became brick-and-mortar dwellings. For more information and satellite imagery and another example of a roman era grid settlement check out this link. |
Read through lectures 13 + 14 + 15 and their questions (mandatory) + engage with your classmates, per our usual terms (class participation).
***When possible, please delineate your answers for each lecture with a separate post***
Questions for lectures 13 + 14 are below, questions for lecture 15 are included in lecture 15.
Optional Extras:
Can you see today where the city guard was encamped, just outside of the city of Rome (the roman army was not allowed to enter the city)? How is this different from the other roman plans for the city?
Can you find any other cities like Timgad that might have started or show the remnants of their Roman-grid plan? What other cities or towns, not mentioned in the lectures, have a Roman organization, echoes or ghost-planning in them? Explain why you think it is of roman influence and provide a link to imagery or a map pin so others can see.
For example Turin has elements of the roman grid plainly visible (marked in the image by the super imposed square) in this image from the late Renaissance and early Baroque era:
All comments are due by Monday, March 21st.
27 comments:
Looking for resources on roman grid cities? here's a bunch of freebee starter information to those that grab it first!
https://quadralectics.wordpress.com/4-representation/4-1-form/4-1-3-design-in-city-building/4-1-3-4-the-grid-model/4-1-3-4-3-the-roman-grid-towns/
Woojae H.
Responding to Lecture 13 and 14
I have chosen to write about the city of Cosa as an example of a city that appears to be similar to Roman cities in a way that the city was built on grid lines. After visiting the website that was introduced by our instructor, I was able to figure out why there were such cities like the city of Cosa appearing to be similar to Roman cities. It appears that those cities were influenced by Romans during the times of city planning and construction. The city of Cosa was colonized by Etruscans who were the ones to come up with the grid plan for the first time and influenced Romans to introduce the plan. Being colonized by Etruscans, it was inevitable not to be influenced when planning for the city construction. Perhaps, Etruscans did not allow the involvement of any people from the city of Cosa into the city planning at all since Etruscans were the conquerors. Therefore, it was not a direct influence from Romans for the grid city planning of the city of Cosa, but it was Etruscans influencing Rome and the city of Cosa.
The armies of Rome were encamped in buildings that were called castra. Castra could be a group of buildings or a single building located outside of the cities. Soldiers were not allowed to enter the city unless there is an attack, or any other special occasion. Even on special occasions, only the personal guards of the emperor were allowed to enter the city. If I were to find any differences between the Roman system of encampment and the Roman city planning, there is a few to mention. The first difference that I have found between the two was that the cities of Rome were constructed with churches in the center but, as far as I know, there were not churches located in the Roman army camps. I am not perfectly sure about whether or not there were churches in those army camps, but I was not able to find any information on the internet mentioning about it which allowed me to carefully assume it to be true. The second difference that I have found could be derived from the fact that Romans viewed their cities as art, or the symbolic of the heaven of god. While their cities were viewed special to them being art, army camps were solely built for the simple purpose without considering for the artistic qualities. However, I would like to mention that this was another assumption of mine. Despite of all the differences, at last, Roman army camps also appear to be built on grid system.
Lecture 13
In the early stages of Roman cities there is a shift from focusing on the design of a city based on sacred architecture to a more profane understanding. Castra were made during the the cast amounts of land that Rome was conquer through war making them the forefront of where cities would be located. They became the bases on the outskirts of roman civilization and as Rome would continue to conquer land they follow this expansion. As the population grew wider then these camps the cities geography would be designed through the grid system the encampments followed. Romans during this time were shifted there thoughts about nature as being higher then humankind to having a parallel between the two. Therefore as Rome took over land, organization and control became an issue, and a grid was the best way to solve this problem. With the help of new building technology Roman were able to mess with geography in which the use of aqueducts allowed cities to be far from water sources without a problem. Nature/sacred became less important in the Romans design of a city because they could now find ways to get around things that a city usually had to be near. This shows that encampments could of played as huge role in why Roman cities followed this grid. They could now keep strict organization, just like the Roman army.
Questions for lectures 13
In principle, the Roman mode of planning was significantly influenced by the military role. The fully integrated city plan and the street system were made in a defensive position. Moreover, the main roads led directly from the town center to the main gates on a popular road that ran around the city in proximity to the wall. Notably, this system differs from the Greeks’ because of the concept of open space. The city plan was different from other programs because it consolidated an ideal civil convenience. In light of this, the basic plan was a central forum surrounded by a compact with rectilinear grids of the streets and the wrapped defensive wall.
The landscaping was characterized by the inclusion of the river that flowed through the city to provide water, transportation as well as sewage disposal. The roads were equal in width and length perspective but there were a few that were smaller with hard rocks and pebbles. As such, it is possible to identify where the city guard was encamped bearing in mind that the similar roads characterized the wrapped in walls served as a defense for the military and the plan for the town. Also, the fact that the City Guard plan utilized rivers make it possible to define precisely today where it was encamped in Rome.
Questions for lectures 14
In essence, Timgad and other cities still have remnants that show the early Roman plan.Timgad in an ancient colonial town in the Aures Mountains of Algeria that was founded by Trajan in the year 100AD. Essentially, its full name is Colonia Marciana.The remnants represent the best Roman grid of its times.Furthermore, the remains are still visible in the Orthogonal designs available on the east-west streets and in the Corinthian Colonnade. Besides, the design miscellaniesand plans are also shown by the intersection with the Decumans. Moreover, a theater built in the early design is still in good shape and its architectural plan is evident. Notably, the auditorium can hold more than three thousand seats and is currently used in activities such as acting as a library and a basilica. Besides, the Capitoline temple is also well maintained and has almost the same dimension as the Pantheon in Rome.
Other cities with the ghost organization include Londinium, in the present day London near the North bank of River Thames. It is worth noting that Londinium was not the England's capital but was rather a Camuloduniumplanned by the Roman architects. The town was characterized by a procurator palace destined for finance management and tax collection. The city hall and other government offices were situated at the Basilica. An amphitheater was located at the Guildhall art gallery with the structure capable of holding about eight thousand people and still leave enough space for other important activities. A large number of structures were made of wooden and later rebuilt with marble and stones.Despite the destruction of the Londinium City during the attack by the Boadicea, there are remnants of the city architect and plan to demonstrate the ancient plans. In concern to this, the town was immediately erected back and the defensive walls that take the shape of the old Roman plans.
Question for lecture 15
In some parts of the world, the Roman architectural legacy is evident in modern cities. However, some people are great innovators and have significantly adopted new building techniques that are more creative but still carrying a considerable degree of traditional aspect. For instance, the perspective demonstrated through the basilica, monumental, amphitheatre, and granary building is still predominant. The lavish decorations on the interior walls with peristyles, gardens, and water fountains has been applied in the modern building in Philadephia. Furthermore, some of the city’s structures carries the concept of traditional columns.
Woojae H.
Responding to Lecture 15
I suppose that there still remains some of those principles mentioned in the lecture to our cities today. In Renaissance era, people were fascinated with the mathematical idea which was first introduced in their past and tried to apply that mathematical concept in developing their cities. These days, there are remnants of past ideas reinterpreted and developed to suit modern people. For example, people in the past did not have refrigerators. Their way of storing food was to bury their food under the ground so that the food remains in a good condition. Another way that storing food was done was to store them in cold caves. These days, people have invented refrigerators getting the idea from people from the past. I suppose that there are numerous things we can find that are developed and reinterpreted version of what have been around since long time ago. It is natural because human beings keep developing old ones to new ones with little changes and improvements.
I also think that the principle of absolute ground rules being applied for architecture and planning still remains these days. It is obvious that everyone who wants to build a new building has to go through certain procedure in order to get the approval from the state or the government branch. The purpose of this law, in my opinion, is to organize city planning more efficiently in a big scale by having a separate government branch being in charge of that. As we can see, our cities are very well organized as a result of efforts to organize city planning through many ways that I am not aware of.
Steffanie M.
Lecture 15
We see in the modern city and architecture a complete disregard for virtually the entire list. We can pick up any newspaper, or whatever app you use for that, and see that our city designers and architects have no concern for our health. From toxins in our drinking waters, many of which are due to the lead pipes, to the general toxicity of our air we see a lack of concern for public health in design. Even as we write these responses Comcast is erecting another tower in downtown Philadelphia, another steel and glass skyscraper which by its construction is wasteful and ultimately damning to our health due to the amount of fossil fuels that will be burned to provide the energy needed to heat/cool the building will be far greater than a building designed to protect our health by lowering the overall needed energy to run the building.
Absolute rules for architecture and planning, well we all know this doesn’t exist in modern times. Throw enough money at a politician you can get away with building anything. The original Comcast building, the second Comcast building, a bridge to nowhere, the list is endless. Yes we have supposed rules to guide us, but we repeatedly see a pattern of those rules not applying if you have enough money or political pull.
These are simply two principles from the list, the rest no more difficult to show how they do not apply to modern design.
Lecture 13
Placing the city guard apart from the city differs from the other elements of Roman city planning in many ways. Legionary camps were the basis for many Roman towns later in Roman history, formed out of the strategic militaristic significance of the location. At the same time, placing a city guard outside of the city makes sense with the supposed reasoning that urbanization equals Romanization.
The strategy for legionary camps is to strengthen the military in that area. Supplies can be stored there and soldiers can watch for any movement towards the city. The camp turns into a permanent town, though, when Rome wants to avoid attacks and promote a concept of peace. Coloniae were towns with full Roman status and privileges, Municipae were tribal centers with partial Roman citizenship and Civitates were market centers converted into a Roman design. All of these conversions were meant to defeat opposition with bureaucracy while promoting the benefits of Rome to any other tribes.
From this understanding of converting towns or forming new settlements, it can be understood why the military should not have a strong influence in the town. If the new towns still resembled a military camp, tribes would not believe that Rome wanted to promote peace.
Phil S.
Response to Lecture 13
It’s clear to see that the placement of the guard city of Rome is different from the traditional Roman city building that we read about in the lecture. As we learned, many Roman cities began as military outposts. During the age of the expansion of the Roman Empire, military outposts would be established in strategic locations. These military outposts would serve as the basis for new cities, and depending on the circumstances, would take on various forms. For example, a Coloniae was a Roman outpost city who’s residents where granted full citizenship within the Roman Empire. On the other hand, Civitates functioned as Roman administrative and market centers, but the people who lived there were not considered Romans.
As more and more people migrated to these outposts to work and live, the role of the city would transition from offensive - as the original purpose was to provide strategic positioning for military attacks – to defensive – as the new civilians of the cities would now need to be protected. Some Roman outposts would grow to become great cities that we recognize today, like Paris and Frankfurt.
Comment
I totally agree with Woojae H.said about the structural similarity between the city of Cosa and other Roman cities.City of Cosa replicates the Roman cities architectural idea of using grid lines. Comprehensively, he indicates that city Cosa was not directly influenced by Roman cities grid plan – specifically during planning and the construction procedures. The post indicates that the Roman cities’ grid plan was replicated in city of Cosa, as the city was under the rule of Etruscans. In reality, Etruscans involvement means that the city of Cosa was influenced by the conqueror’s political prowess as the leader exercised more control over building of cities. The rationale presented by the student is quite realistic because Etruscans as the conquerors never involved anybody during city planning. Thus, there was no direct influence from Romans on grid city plan on city of Cosa, but instead it is Etruscans who influenced city of Cosa and Rome. But, he should have included other structural attributes that defined city of Cosa and Roman cities, including arches, vaults, and decorative arts.
Phil S.
Response to Lecture 14:
Many “ghosts” and architectural elements of Roman building can be found in the city of Carthage, Tunisia. While Phoenicians initially founded Carthage, it was eventually lost to the Roman Empire in 146 BC, and was subsequently rebuilt by the Romans, under the reign of Julius Caesar, to emulate their building style. The most obvious Roman-inspired feature of Carthage is its extensive grid-based road system. While the streets aren’t in perfectly straight lines, they definitely maintain the military-like order of many Roman cities, and there are major avenues that run north-south and east-west. Besides the grid-system, another prominent remnant of Carthage’s Roman past is it’s prominent military/commercial harbor along its southern coastline. It also contains an amphitheater, cathedral, and bath-house from this era.
Joe Ridilla said..
Lecture 13..
Originally, the Romans designed and built their societies around the notions of art and architecture but as the empire began to grow, their reasons for constructing new structures and cities began to change. As the empire expanded so did the military power of the Romans and in order to guarantee the continued strength of their military, society and the empire, they began to design cities that would benefit them from this perspective. The most basic idea is that the Romans built what were known as Castra or fortified military camps that were used to strength and maintain authority over conquered regions. These camps were usually only temporary and for military use and activities only so unlike Rome or other social centers, the camps weren't necessary built with that notion of a grand sense of art or architecture. Basically they weren't built to be recognized for artistic value or beauty but rather for military purpose solely were as cities like Rome were built to signify great beauty in all parts of society. Like most grand social centers, these camps were only temporary and usually varied depending on military movement and expansion. However, some of these Castra did go on to become permanent social centers.
Lecture 14...
Numerous cities around Europe and even around the world were influenced by Roman designs and beliefs especially in terms of city planning. One such city is modern day Paris. Before it was recognized as Paris the area was known as Lutetia Parisiorum. This social center was built on a bank of the La Seine and followed a grid pattern including somewhat of a decumanus, cardo and forum. A number of temples and an amphitheater were also built and were based heavily on Roman ideals. There are still many remnants of Roman structures and ideals that can be seen in Paris today.
Lecture 14
The city of Turin from the link is a good example of the remnants of a Roman grid and where the city might have started when first being developed. After looking at the map given and a present day map of Turin it there is one major road that cuts through the entire city and seems to continue on after the, and along this road there is a piazza. This piazza is closely related to that of the crossroad talked about in the Etruscan lecture. therefor, since Roman city planning was based off Etruscan planning you can see that this was most likely where the city developed from. Another example is that since this main street cuts through the entire city it most likely connects to other towns, meaning that its apart of a larger system that during the Roman wars to conquer land this street could have been used as a connection to the early Roman settlement. The Roman armies base started in this location and as Rome took over more land people start to develop this base camp into a city by copying the grid like technique that was used during this time.
Lecture 15
Man when designing a city takes all of these aspects and reinterprets them to fit the city they may be designing or have already designed and are now changing. During the Renaissance man was constantly looking deeper into things, more then they ever had before, about technology and understanding the world as a whole. Like this when an City Planner starts to design a city they put a lot of work in to study everything about the area and anything they need to know about design. In a way we have took the Renaissance understanding of researching things and used this idea in everyday we know how. From emphasis on mans fate where we figuratively design parts of cities to resemble the grand scale of things. for instance, the planning of the art museum where planners completely leveled out a whole area to create a grand street to connect it to City Hall. This figuratively is emphasizing a connection between two important building in Philly's history.
Also when mans attempts to understand everything needed for a city to function properly the main goal is to try and make this city as close to a utopia as possible. To make sure that the city is not to densely populated as a risk for easier spread of disease. Or to understand what parts of a city should be unified and what parts have certain limitations, such as the sizes of street of parks. Even the use of an understanding of how a very small part of the city, the infinite designs, need to be put in the perspective of the city as a whole, which is finite.
Therefor all these concepts are used when designing a city. Especially the ones that talk about group involvement, the ground rules of planning, and fascination with mathematics because these are how City Planning is gone about today. You start with a group of people who all understand the basic rules of the what the city needs and then you use mathematics formulas of organization to decide how this city can be organized in the best way.
In response to lecture 13:
The growth of Rome was vastly different than the military camps right outside the city limits. Rome tended to grow through patchwork neighborhoods that spoke a unique language aesthetically from the others and followed their own course in organization. Often times the geography of an area would dictate the motion of the roads and the placement of buildings and open spaces. But the irregularity of Roman streets, evident even today, shows a combination of concerns that did not always conform to organizations for battle as was the case in the military camps. Trastevere, a neighborhood southwest of the city center, is a great example of that. Roads tend to shoot in a non orthogonal manner, growing over time as opposed to a stricter grid system. This differs with the military camps in that a grid was implemented as a means to create order that would facilitate the organization of its soldiers in times of need. As the city expanded it looked towards its military camps as a new way to organize urban spaces with residential housing and places of worship, among other functions within the city.
It juxtaposes the initial intent by the Romans to build a city that mirrored the purity of the universe. This concept first came from the Etruscans who were much more subordinate to their gods (being nature) while the Romans sought to control nature. From this conceptualization of man controlling nature came the rigor and order of the military camps that would eventually become the base work for other cities built by the Romans.
Responding to lecture 13 & 14
After reading the link that the of the course shared with us as a hint, I would like to talk about the city called Ostia. I have never heard about this city before or visit there. So I went online to search the history of this city. Ostia is a harbor city of ancient Rome and used to be a castrum, a rectangular military fort. The city was founded by the fourth king of Rome, Ancus Marcius, who was thought to have ruled in the late seventh century BC. Therefore, this city must be directly influenced by the Romans, because they started it as a small military fort and expanded later. Similar to the lecture we read, the city contains both cardo and decumanus as main streets, leading to four gates, to cut the castrum into four parts. Those old walls are still remains and can be founded today. The gird system applied as the city expanded later after it became permanent city. Nowadays, it still contains and remains a lot of ancient architectures and roads for us to view and study.
As we learned in the lecture, even though many people said that the Romans copied everything from both Greek and Etruscans and combined them with their own creations, but there still one thing different. Romans built cities began as small and temporary military fort which was not like both Greek and Etruscans. Romans did that because they realized they have to be power to offense and defense. Ostia, as an old military fort built by one of Roman Kings, it must followed all the rules at that time.
Here is a link about the city, Ostia.
It explains more about the city.
http://www.ostia-antica.org/
Responding to lecture 15
Of course these principles still apply to our cities today. Mathematics becomes a subject that we must learn when we at school. We have to use it everywhere such as design, business and art. We all known gold section ratio makes everything perfectly good looking. We use the idea of marble pillar to design buildings. We need to calculate numbers to build buildings, design an app, and so on. Moreover, we use perspective in our everyday life. The film shooting, drawing, 3D city/floor/building plan, we all using the basic idea during that time. The only difference is that today, we solve the mistakes that happened at that time because of more knowledge we have.
In response to lecture 14:
One such city that has remnants of a Roman-grid plan is Numantia, located in the northeastern quadrant of Spain. While initially it was not this way (the city seems to have formed much more organically, spilling over the mountainside that it rests on) the destruction of the city allowed the Romans to rebuild it by implementing the grid system in 133 BC as part of the Roman Empire’s expansion war. The intent to remodel the city in a grid form seems to do away with the idea of the organizational form for military combat and more to do with organizing public and private spaces by means of the negative space of the street tying them together.
In response to lecture 15:
Some of the principles of the Renaissance still does apply to our cities today. Subconsciously the integration of most of these points of focus from Renaissance planning and architecture do bleed through into the modern city, others are much more poignet in and considered by the architect and city planner. For instance, the growth of any city today still, in part, emphasizes the concept of the utopia. A city does not seek to be mediocre but instead strive to be the symbol of a utopia. This, to some extent, held true in cities before the Renaissance and continues to do so today. That’s why urban spaces are being carefully considered and monumental buildings being erected. Today’s cities also share the concern for conditions of health within a singular building and in the scope of the city. Sustainable practices are the more popular in contemporary cities. Spatial unity is also something urban planners seek when parks and boulevards are designed. So while many of the values of Renaissance planning shine through today, some are just as important now as they have ever been.
Response to Lecture 13:
Roman civilization centers around the conquering of surrounding nations, this being said their cities were also formed by the ideals of their military strategies. I cannot see the where the city guard was encamped outside of the city, however I can see the importance of military planning within the layout of the city. This is very evident in the labeled map above these questions that shows the Cardo and Decumanus. These indicate the strong sense of control over the city because they were direct connections to the outskirts and people could disperse throughout them if needed. The insulae splits up the grid system and creates a series of mazes. In doing so it allows for people to hide and strike out in surprise attacks if people infiltrate the city. This is much different from the start of their city planning because they once sought to mimic the heavens in a Utopia, but then designed a city based off of concurring and expanding. The entire organization of their city was for defensive strategies, but as they began to expand this too stopped being the main design theme in the cities. In the castras had the posts not been abandoned they began to be the founding structures that would house supplies until more buildings could be created. Thus from what I’ve understood the newer cities or districts formed around these castra instead of being laid out in an ordered grid.
Response to Lecture 14:
The dead city of Serjilla shares some ties to Roman planning, but does not seem to be ordered off of a grid system. Rather their city seems to be formed around the contours of the land and order of social importance. From the buildings still left you can see a two story villa, public baths, the church, and the press house. This city was situated in a great open area perfect for cultivating grapes and olives. The ruins left are somewhat complex and indicate the spread of wealth in this city. Though the city is not laid out on a grid it does seem to have a hierarchy built into it that constitutes order and prominence in society. Also paths through the city are not nearly as organized as most Roman cities and thus it seems like this city was designed for cultivation and comfort, not military defense. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serjilla https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Plan_of_Serjilla.jpg
Response to Lecture 15:
I think many of these principles still influence our cities today. The reason people came to America in the first place was to determine their own destiny. Our country was seen as a land of opportunities where anything was possible, and anyone could prosper. This did not prove to be true for all people and so many faced hardships that they were not expecting. I feel that in today’s world there is no ground rules for architecture and planning. Yes we do see common practices, however in the changing scene of architecture buildings begin to take new forms and abstractions. This is partly because of wanting to design a new building, but much like the Romans many of the new shapes are due to new building materials that allow us to expand on past structures. Where they began to work with concrete we have come to work with glass and steel to the point where we can manipulate the materials. Where the Romans mastered the structure and materials in the Pantheon we push the limits of materials much like Frank Gehry. As new materials emerge new forms will be created and the cycle will continue. What I think is the most popular design is the concern for health. This is still seen today as we attempt to control smog and pollution of our actions. In order for us to continue to grow I think that this needs to stay at the top of our design intentions.
Response to Daniel C.
I agree with what Daniel C is saying about the city of Numantia and its organic formation. The city of Serjilla that I chose also formed organically around the resources of the valley. In doing so it seemed to design for comfort not military visions. These two cities seem to be similar in the sense that they were not created for power rather for the bettering of the community’s life. I am also flabbergasted by the way the Romans tried to concur and capture the people but instead they burned themselves so that they would die free instead of slaves. This is horrifying to think of because they only had those two options where today we have so many different paths that we could take.
Joe R said...
Lecture 15...
I think some of these principles still apply to cities of today in a number of ways. In terms of quietly rest fullness, I think cities attempt to make it a point to turn the lights out and provide quite and rest for individuals in a city especially at night. I believe this is done through curfews and shutting down buildings and therefore their lights and energy at certain times as to provide a time of peace. However, I feel some cities have areas that never rest such as Vegas or NYC and although it isn't impossible it is tough to find anything near quietly restfullness. Another concept such as this is concern for health. I believe governments in cities attempt to make laws and take action that will increase health. For example, some cities make it illegal to liter and therefore cut down on trash that could get people sick. Some places also require that individuals always wash their hands although this is on a very small scale in terms of restaurants or hospitals for example. Opposite of this is that some cities are overly polluted from factories and mass transit that shows there is a lack of concern for health. There is also a revival of antiquity but it is reinterpreted. There are numerous structures that are influenced by architecture from the past with a reinvented spin on it. Take for example most of the monuments in Washington DC. Many of these buildings such as the White House, Lincoln Memorial and Capitol Building are all designed and influenced by Ancient Roman and Greek temple and are therefore a revival of antiquity but also have their own individual elements that are reimagined from the original.
Lecture 14
Aelia Capitolina was modeled after Ancient Rome in roughly 200 AD and has a very similar structure. The city of Aelia Capitolina was in modern day Jerusalem after a Jewish rebellion was thwarted by Rome. The most notable trait is the Cardo Maximus, the street running down the center of the city. It is clear that this street was the most important in the town for many reasons, which are shared by Rome. The street runs down the center so it is physically in the place of most importance, and all of the important buildings are on this street. Many statues, as well as the forum and the market are all along this street. As the reading indicated, the forum and similarly important buildings would be located at the intersection of the decumanus and cardo streets. Since there is only a cardo street, the placement of buildings is still in line with Roman organization. This trait has held true for towns to this day, with streets named "Main Street" or "State Street" and feature all of the nightlife and important buildings.
Another incredibly important aspect of Aelia Capitolina is the system of aqueducts seen heading into the city from the East. The aqueducts were crucial to ensuring that a city with poor natural resources to water could get a steady source from a spring no matter how far away. Cities did not need to be geomorphic anymore, relying on the natural surroundings but rather utilizing a military strategy or imperial significance. Natural issues such as poor water quality can be fixed with an aqueduct, so nature did not have as much importance. Instead of an "I to Thou" relationship where nature is praised and relied on, Rome has an "I to it" relationship where nature is appreciated but also manipulated for man's benefit.
Just as important, though, is the architectural significance of the arch. The arch utilized minimalist design to cover large spaces that could not be covered otherwise. The inventions and designs of Rome may have been inspired by Greece and Egypt, but Rome has been noted as a direct influence by enough cities to warrant its praise. When Jerusalem was rebuilt, the structure of roads and buildings organized in Aelia Capitolina was retained and so the influence of Rome can still be seen there today.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/arc/kokhba/Html%20New/Aelia%20Capitolina.htm
A link with picture and description
Phil S.
Response to Shiwen's post:
I really like Shawn's example of Ostia, Italy as a Roman city. It has many of the elements, like small gridded streets, a piazza, an amphitheater, a cathedral, and a harbor. Based on Ostia's location, which is on Italy's western coast, facing the tip of Tunisia, as well as the islands of Sardegna and Corsica, and with the great city of Rome to the East, it would have been a strategic location for military operations as well as commerce.
Phil S.
Response to Lecture 15:
I think the ideas and concepts embodied during the renaissance are very much a part of our modern cities. One example that immediately comes to mind is the idea of using mathematics as a way of determining the dimensions of a city and its architecture. In Philadelphia, for example, zoning regulations play a large part in determining a city’s layout. Houses and buildings must be built while leaving enough sidewalk space for pedestrians; bus stop zones are all a uniform length, each taking the same amount of space on the street; streets and the sidewalks that contain them are straight, keeping a uniform width throughout each intersection. In a city like Philadelphia, most of the built-up space can be defined through mathematics.
Certainly, cities like Philadelphia like to market themselves as cities where one can “find their own way”; the idea of going to a large city like New York or Las Angeles, or Chicago to pursue life opportunities is a long-standing caveat in American culture. American cities also like to market themselves as cultural “utopias”, in which all of the different types of people and places interact to serve as a “complete package” city. These are all ideas that the renaissance thinkers attached to cities.
Lecture 15
Many principles from the Renaissance holds true today, notably an emphasis on mathematics and geometry. Philadelphia is a good example of the emphasis on practicality and reasoning over any kind of sacred space. I've spoken about how the sacred has been retained in Philadelphia, considering how City Hall has not been moved despite being a traffic disturbance. City Hall has only become a disturbance, though, because skyscrapers have been built all around it. The introduction of skyscrapers has occurred along with the abandonment of Roman themes such as emphasizing temples and forums.
The Renaissance had a large emphasis on perfection, mainly through mathematics. It was stated in the lecture that many famous renaissance artists and architects believed cities of the future would be geometrically perfect. These perfect cities would have a completely regulated system where all unwanted products such as trash are taken care of and all resources are brought into the city without any citizen even noticing. This city has become a reality for the most part, notably with the introduction of skyscrapers. Skyscrapers are geometrically perfect, often perfect rectangles but any difference is to flaunt a geometric design. This is in stark contrast to colonial buildings which are not geometrically perfect, but find beauty in many themes such as arches that, coincidentally, are directly inspired by Rome. Many concepts from Ancient Rome were utilized in evoked perception, a revival of old ideas, but the pursuit of perfection through geometry was something that wasn't used fully until modern times.
Looking at the layout of the city of Rome, I think that there are hints of where the city's defense may have been encamped near the gates to the city. Originally, Rome was a walled in city. There were different phases to the walls that encompassed the city, each modified by a different emperor. Still visible today are the Aurelian walls, built during the time of the emperor Aurelian, which once encompassed the entire city of Rome and acted as the city's first line of defense. Throughout the wall are doors, and these doors are located in places where major roads leaving the Rome lead to other cities or villages in the Roman Empire. These are the places where it looks like the city's defense would have been encamped. For exmaple, the current neighborhood of Flaminio is located just outside Porta Flaminia. Porta Flaminia is the location where Via Flaminia, lead, and still leads, out of Rome. Though this neighborhood is much newer than many other parts of the city, its regular grid hints that it may have originally been a Roman encampment just outside the city. The same goes for the neighborhood just outside of Porta San Paolo which lies on the opposite site of the wall from Rome's Testaccio neighborhood.
A town outside of Rome that I think shows hints of Roman Planning is the town of Ostia. Ostia is actually made up of different sections: Ostia Lido, which is located right on the sea, and Ostia Antica. Ostia sits right at the end of Via del Mare, which is a continuation of Via Ostiense, the road leading out of Rome from Porta San Paolo. Being located on an ancient Roman Road is one reason for my reasoning, but it also has the distinct roman layout. Both Ostia Antica and Ostia Lido have rather regular plans. Also, being located right on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it would've easily served as a defense post for the city of Rome. One of the most interesting things I find about the town of Ostia is that while it is located on the sea outside of the city of Rome, it still very much feels like it is a part of the city. When Rome was originally designed, multiple roads emanated out from the city connecting it to other towns and cities in the empire. Via Ostiense was one of these roads. Given Ostia's close proximity to Rome, it seems like it would've functioned as an integral part in the Capital city of the Roman Empire.
Lecture 13
The construction of the city of Rome was based on attaining and achieving a vast empire. Romans created fortitudes to maintain and grow their organized civilizations for military activity and castra. Earlier forms of architecture were also built in dedication to religious figures and deities, along with powerful leaders. Other roman plans for the city differ from accessibility and religious ideologies. Due to the Romans’ lack of dependence and involvement in religion and mythology compared to earlier times, the Romans were able to devote resources and urbanized ideologies towards their infrastructure and development of cities; however, they did not totally abandon all beliefs in religious idols and spiritual gods. Plans for the city developed more efficiently for daily life and living, as well as utilized the characteristics of nature, as ideas depended on evoked perception.
Lecture 14
Roman organization established a sense of accessibility and significance in other cities, such as New York. Parts of New York are located on a literal island, organized purposefully for uniformity and social intellect, including the main city of New York. The city upholds characteristics described in the lecture, such as guild districts that have different “wealth, poverty, race, religion, and ethnic backgrounds.” New York is made up of many different communities, united by the organized grid plan that crates a living environment for interaction of ideas and growth of residents.
http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/c_limit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_680/dlqxwuftfifvfglywgmc.jpg
Lecture 15
Our cities today continue to grow intellectually, socially, and economically. People strive to create greater works of art and architecture, compete to extend the human life-span, and devote effort into interpreting concepts of antiquity as well as ideologies and philosophies. I believe many of the Renaissance principles apply to our present period in the society that we live in today on a modern level that contributes to an indulgence for growth and vitality.
In response to Steffanie M. to Lecture 15-in which she discusses an interesting point that our modern society disregards any concern for the conditions of health- our society today is quite contradicting in that we still strive to find solutions to sicknesses and disease, when our cities also grow and contribute to such degradations. There is a continuing cycle of preventable human factors lowering societal vitality; however, we accumulate knowledge to treat symptoms and prolong human life.
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