Semper\'s Elements of Architecture PDF

Preview

Summary

Essay about Semper's Four Elements of Architecture, with full citations. ...

Description

Joelle Osta Cultures III Professor Bedette 30 Jan, 2019 Semper’s Origins Throughout the years, there have been endless debates to answer one question: Where did architecture originate from? Gottfried Semper discusses his point of view in his book, The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings. He develops four elements that explain the origin of architecture in relation to humans in their natural habitat. Semper writes that even the most suitable material will still cause the expression of a building to solely come from its material component. To avoid this, he forces himself to “go back to the primitive conditions of human society.” 1 The four elements Semper establishes as the origins of architecture are the hearth, and to protect its flame from harsh natural conditions, the roof, the enclosure, and the mound. Reflecting on the first signs of human settlement, the hearth becomes the first of four elements of architecture. Other than using fire as a means of obtaining warmth and cooking food, Semper discusses how the hearth allowed for the creation of metalworks and ceramics.1 The availability of a hearth lead to the creation of ceramics and masonry out of clay. Baking bricks is one example of how a hearth contributed to the foundations of basic shelter construction. The mound is another element in Semper’s book, where water and masonry work became organized around the mound.1 After developing masonry, the protective aspect of a shelter came next. The roof is the first mentioned element of protection derived from the study of human 1

Mallgrave, Harry Francis, and Wolfgang Herrmann, translators. “V: The Four Elements.” The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings, by Gottfried Semper, Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 102-103. 2

Mallgrave, Harry Francis, and Wolfgang Herrmann, translators. “V: The Four Elements.” The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings, by Gottfried Semper, Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 254-255.

survival in a natural habitat. Carpentry is used as technical skill organized around the roof.1 This is one form of protection that humans invented, and it has developed greatly to become a structural component of architecture. Naturally, humans need protection from outside hostile elements in order to feel safe. The idea of enclosing ourselves away from predators creates a feeling of safety and reliability. An enclosed space is derived from the idea of a woven textile creating a structure of enclosed space. Semper writes that “the wall is that architectural element that formally represents and makes visible the enclosed space as such.”

2

We recognize the fence as the first system of enclosure

created by man. However, we must have forgotten that the wall was the original form of structure that acts as a spatial divider of the outer life from the inner life.2 The reason for walls is “for protection and defense, to secure permanence in the enclosure, or to serve foundations and supports for the spatial enclosures above.”

2

The element of enclosure is to create a sense of

safety for humans, which is one of the reasons for the creation of architecture and built systems of shelter. There are four elements of architecture derived from the primitive hut and established to become an essential part of human protection. Architecture as a protective shelter was created from the natural components which humans depended on for survival. This includes the hearth, the roof, the enclosure, and the mound. All elements work together to create a safe environment for humans and were derived from basic construction. From weaving sticks to create a dividing element to baking clay for masonry, humans have created a way of life for themselves away from the dangers of Earth’s harsh natural conditions. 1

Mallgrave, Harry Francis, and Wolfgang Herrmann, translators. “V: The Four Elements.” The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings, by Gottfried Semper, Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 102-103. 2

Mallgrave, Harry Francis, and Wolfgang Herrmann, translators. “V: The Four Elements.” The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings, by Gottfried Semper, Cambridge University Press, 1989, p. 254-255....