blog post 4: commodity + firmness + delight

this week, we have been studying how these 3 principles are achieved in design, particularly in the Roman Empire from 2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE.  They are:

• commodity: useful arrangement, comfort + convenience in meeting living requirements
• firmness: performance: stability + safety, longevity + durability
• delight: creating a sense of place, welcoming, exciting



In addition to these elements, we have explored the theory of circles and axes. These two forms have been exemplified throughout architecture in the Roman Empire. As Rome worked to achieve centrality and authority in the world, their structures mirrored this progress.

The circle marks sacred spots, often indicating the ends of an axis. The cross form was used as axes, which Rome used in its cities for power and direction: creating an axis controls where people go.

these concepts to the architecture is all around us

On our class lecture Friday, we walked around campus, taking note of how UNCG buildings exhibit the qualities we have been talking about this week. I noticed one structure that best exemplified firmness, commodity, and delight and other principles we've recently studied.

The Entrance to the Jackson Library

firmness: the library, built 1948-1950, 60 years later, its still in good condition and still in use. The entrance, a circular projection of marble with six ionic columns, is a prototype for other buildings on campus. The thick columns and wide solid marble stairs not only marks the entrance to the library, but also represents the strength behind education, fortifying the university.  

commodity: besides housing a massive collection of books, the library has been a central meeting place for years. The entrance to this important building needed to be something of great scale, marking the portal into this essential building. The immense collumns reiterate the element of groves we have studied in class: trees are a symbol of growth and stability. Another way they demonstrated their intensions was through materials. The material of this entrance is white marble, while the majority of the building is brick. In this way, the marble highlights the doors and attracts students, showing the difference between the 'outer world' and the library (education).


delight: when approaching the library, I feel a sense of protection from the front entrance. The marble reflects light, creating a positive aura that has a "light at the end of the tunnel" effect- especially when it's cloudy outside. It's scale also has something to do with the welcoming feel, as it's easily seen from other buildings on college avenue.



 


circle: the circlular effect is clear in the design of the entrance, a half-circle. As we learned from the structure of stonehenge, circles created by collumns often signify a sacred place. To the university, the library is that "sacred" ground of the campus. In addition, circles are encompassing. In a way, they state: "everything you need is in here". What's inside the circle (in this case, knowledge) is different than what's outside.

axis: the idea of an axis is embodied in campus by four main buildings marking the north to south and east to west axes. The library marks the west 'signpost' for these axes, and the entrance states that importance. While it projects outward from the building, the collumns lead the eye to the eastern signpost- the Stone building. The collumns of the Jackson library are mirrored in the collumns of the Stone building, as well as the other axis markers.

From atop the Walter Clinton Jackson Library, the UNCG campus and downtown Greensborosparkle.

Photography by David Wilson, University Relations

a spectacular architecture design require the mastery of  these elements to give life and beauty to it.