Mock, Reading Response# 3 (Actually #1) : Barabar Hills Caves, IAR221

Lomas Richi Cave close-up

• Located in the Barabar Hills of Bihar in India
• Dated to mid-3rd century BCE
• Four caves total
• Dedicated by Asoka
• Carved into granite
• Was a long tradition in Egypt

Lomas Rishi Cave, Rock Landscape

The caves are carved into the earth for an underground chamber to help reach enlightenment. The rooms are sectioned off into two parts. The rectangle is probably just and entrance way and maybe displayed Buddhist art.  The second room is a round room which goes into the concepts of circles, stacks, and groves. The second room is the circle, which may represent the earth being a sphere. The earth is important in the Buddhist religion and is represented in these rock-cut caves as a place to reach enlightenment. These caves could have been a place where Buddhist monks went to be closer to the earth, the ground, or just a sacred place. The round room was probably a place to meditate.

The rock layers were represented the stacks and helps build up the importance of these caves. The bold and precise cuttings of these caves stood out more because of the simple repetition of the rock layers. The Mauryan Cave has a bold, simple rectangle entrance, but the cave of Lomas Rishi has a intricate outline.

Mauryan Cave, rectangular, simple opening  



Photo Credit: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/bce_299_200/barabar/barabar.html
http://indiahistoryspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/01/ideas-in-monolith.html

Mock, Blog Post#3 (Actually #2), IAR 221

The Music Building

Space-- It is located in the middle of Peabody Park, which contains many trees and a stream. It makes the building look bigger as it sits on a hill, with the stream below the bridge. It all seems to flow with it's natural surroundings with the different shapes and lines.

Power-- The circular entrance expressed dominance and attracts the viewer down across from College Ave. The repetition in columns around the circular front helps create this.

Experience-- Having to walk down the bridge and through the woods create a breath taking experience.

Principles-- By knowing that this is a place where music is made, the half circles flowing on the bridge create the illusion on music flowing through song and also through sheet music.

Precedent-- Creates a flow through the brick circular entrance to the glass windows then it seems to go on through the brick wall. It is supposed to be dramatic and noticeable to show pretencion.

Site-- It is on a hill in the woods, the bridge creates an artistic view of the building, which is good for a music building.

Order-- The order of the way that it is laid out creates the flow. The circle, the stacks of the windows, and the trees.

Scale-- Coming upon the entrance, it is almost overwhelming, but then it becomes more spread out as you look down across the brick.

Technology-- The uses of steel to create the bridge to walk over the stream is on use of technology. Another is the huge window that creates a stack to let the light in and bring warmth into the building.

Surface-- Many materials are used: brick, cement, steal, glass, and stone. The surface of this building gives off warmth.

Mock, Blog Post #2, IAR 221

Circle:

This is the Music Building at UNCG. The music building uses circles as many features of the building. The most common is the circular entrance way that you can see from College Avenue and down the bridge. It draws the viewer into the building and also helps create the separation of spaces. The bridge also incorporates half circles, as well as a circular water fountain.

A grove (group) of trees is also incorporated into the building. The group of trees helps draw the eye down to the building and also helps relate the building back into the natural environment.

Groups/Groves:

Front of Weatherspoon

The Weatherspoon Building has bold columns at the front of the building. The group of columns on the side of the building help to lead up to the vocal point of the three columns on the front. The don't seem to serve any function and they are also recessed into the building, hiding the circular window. These groups of columns are bold and modern style. They are vertical reaching, but seem to reach into nowhere and just stop with no connections.

Stacks/Mountains:

Stacks serve as a way to build up to the structure. At the Alumni House, the stairs create a mountainous structure to lead up the the symmetry of the building and also the columns. The stairs are wider and the bottom and become narrow at the top, this creates a the illusion that it is further away and taller than it actually is. The stair case also leads the eye up to the half circle above the door.





Environment Impacts Ritual
The environment impacts people and they way they go about their daily lives. Circles are all around in nature. The stars, sun, moon, and earth are circular. These things are thought to be sacred throughout time and different cultures and are often represented in buildings and sacred spots.

In the natural world, most objects are found in groups, such as: trees, people, plants, etc. Groups are represented throughout architecture to draw the eye in.

Stacks are represented in nature through mountains, hills, mounds, etc. These have influenced people's sacred spots, the lifting of an objects shows the importance of the object on top.

Mock, Reading Response Practice, IAR 221

Credit to:

Map

http://www.mohenjodaro.net/