1The art and science of designing buildings and other
structures is known as architecture. From early times,
people designed buildings both for practical reasons,
such as shelters to live in, and religious reasons, such
as stone tombs and places to worship the gods. Over
the centuries, architecture has evolved to become an
art form using high-quality materials to create ever
more daring designs.Architecture
(^1) THE COLOSSEUM
The first permanent amphitheatre
in Rome, the Colosseum was
completed in 80 ce. It is amazing
not only for its size but also for
its design. Up to 50,000 spectators
poured safely in and out of 80
doors to watch all-day gladiator
battles and other public spectacles.
(^2) HEDDAL STAVKIRKE
As 12th-century Norwegians
turned away from Viking beliefs
to follow Christianity, they built
a thousand beautiful wooden
stave churches along trade routes
in Norway. Carvings of animals
often decorated the door frames.
(^3) KUNSTHAUS GRAZ
Nicknamed “the friendly alien” by
locals, this Austrian art museum,
completed in 2003, has a blue outer
skin of acrylic glass that can display
images and animations. Inside,
two large spaces can be adapted
to display different exhibitions.
Nozzles on top of
the building let
natural light flood the
museum galleries
256
(^4) DISNEY CONCERT HALL
This striking home for the Los
Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
took 16 years to complete from
design to opening night in 2003.
Its striking exterior is made of
stainless steel curves. The wood-
panelled main auditorium features
state-of-the-art acoustics.
(^5) CHRYSLER BUILDING
This 1920s skyscraper in
New York City remains the tallest
brick building in the world at
319 m (1,047 ft). It was designed
to house the Chrysler automobile
company, and the gargoyles
that jut from the building were
designed like car mascots.
(^6) REICHSTAG
This building housed the German
Republic parliament from 1894
until it burned down in 1933.
When Germany reunited in 1990,
the Bundestag (the new parliament)
returned to Berlin. The original
building was gutted and a new
home built inside the old walls.
(^7) DJENNÉ MOSQUE
The largest mud-brick building in
the world, the present mosque
in Mali dates from 1909. The thick
walls are coated with a smooth
layer of plaster-like mud to even
out the surface. Palm-wood
supports help people scale the
walls to repair them each spring.
The church is coated
with a mix of tar and oil
to preserve the wood
Pointed gables were often
decorated with carved
crosses and dragon heads,
like those on Viking ships
In 2005, some panels were sanded down
after nearby residents complained about
the glare and heat of reflected light
The lower classes sat in
the top levels, while the
action on the lower levelnobles sat close to the
2
4
3
256-257_Architecture.indd 256 10/01/19 2:26 PM