History of Western Architecture (西方建築史)

Students, Course documents, Slides of the lectures, English Bibliography, Chinese Bibliography

Targets (教學目標)

• Improve students' understanding of architecture.
• Give a survey of the major developments of European architecture between the end of the Roman empire & the French revolution through detailed descriptions of key buildings and analysis of architectural treatises.
• Relate development of forms, conception of space & technical evolution.

Outline (教學內容綱要)

The class consists of lectures sessions.

Emphasis will be given on Medieval Architecture during the first semester and on Classical and post-Renaissance Architecture on the second semester.

• Introduction to the history of architecture.
• Outline of Greek and Roman Architecture.
• Early Christian architecture.
• Carolingian Architecture.
• Romanesque architecture [Major regional schools].
• Gothic architecture [French developments & major European variations; medieval treatises].
• Renaissance & mannerist architecture [Italian development & major European variations; architectural treatises].
• Baroque architecture [Roman, North-Italian & German developments].
• 18th century architecture [French & English developments].

Assessment (評量)

Mid-term and final exam.

Reference material

• David Watkin, A history of Western Architecture, 3d ed., Laurence King publishing, London, 2000
• Nicolas Pevsner, An outline of European architecture, Penguin, London, 1948
• Christian Norberg Schulz, Meaning in Western architecture, Rizzoli, NY, 1980
• Rowland Mainstone, Developments in structural form, Allen Lane, Penguin books, 1975