In the current lifestyles of the billions of individuals that inhabit earth. Most humans make contact multiple times per day with architectural forms and buildings. The field of architecture itself is expansive. And includes many components that unify to create a work that functions as a whole, one of which is style. Prize winning author of The Look of Architecture. Witold Rybczynski, describes architectural style as "one of the enduring aspects of architecture" (XIII). Rybczynski also went so far as to quote Oscar Wilde's statement, "in matters of importance, style is everything" (p. XIV).
Rybczynski's use of Wilde's quote clearly enunciates his belief that style is one of the most crucial aspects of architecture. However, many architects debate that style is irrelevant and unimportant to architecture (XII). Rybczynski reveals that many architects admit that "buildings embody ideas". But fail to admit the styles in which those ideas are portrayed (p. XII). The field of architecture describes style as: "a classification characterizing buildings. That share many common attributes, including similarity in general appearance, in the arrangement of major design elements in ornamentation, in the use of materials, and in form, scale and structure" ("Architectural Style").
Style can also be used to indicate a certain time period, country of origin, religious tradition, or geographical region to a structure ("Architectural Style."). Although the debate amongst architectural intellects differs on whether style is crucial or not, style is prevalent in every work of architecture and achieves a certain function depending on the architect who designed a work.
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Correspondingly, architectural style is a strong focal point to the Baha'i Temple located in Wilmette, Illinois, that appropriately reflects the Baha'i religion. Several main principals of the Baha'i faith include equality of genders, elimination of prejudices, and the harmony of science and religion (The Baha'i House of Worship). The Baha'i faith has a strong foundation upon welcoming different races, religions, and backgrounds into their community, and the temple's architecture successfully mirrors this belief. The temple is built with a mixture of architectural styles that imply the Baha'i belief of unity within the edifice.
The temple's outer form suggests Egyptian and Grecian influences; the windows are of a Romanesque style; the complete symmetry of the temple emanates from the renaissance, and the detailed ornamentation reflects Arabic and Gothic styles (Leiker).
In addition to the assorted style combinations, Louis Bourgeois, the architect of the Baha'i temple, integrated a diverse display of symbols throughout the temple. Upon entrance to the temple doorway, intricate carvings of symbols from various religious and ethnic groups can be seen, such as: the Star of David, the swastika, the five-pointed star, six-pointed star, the nine-pointed star, and the cross. Louis Bourgeois planned the display of symbols as a representation of the Baha'i's cultural acceptance of all faiths into the temple.
Bourgeois also put profound consideration into the temple's space in a way that similarly symbolizes the Baha'i values. The temple was deliberately constructed to represent "the oneness with God, the oneness of humanity, and the oneness of religion" (Baha'i House of Worship Autumn Schedule). The concepts of unity are successfully displayed in the temple by the organization of space. The interior of the temple is an expansive, open space that allows a tranquil flow of movement about the structure. Because the space is open and all seating is placed on the same plane, the sense of equality is incredibly powerful.
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An Analysis of All the Elements of Architecture and P Block Elements. (2023, Jun 26). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/an-analysis-of-all-the-elements-of-architecture-and-p-block-elements/
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