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328 Arts and Entertainment

Architecture

Architecture is the art of designing buildings. Architects

design buildings in different shapes and sizes, from

single-storey houses to soaring. SKYSCRAPERS.

The combination of form and function is vital, since

buildings have to be safe as well as good-looking

and fit for their purpose.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE?

Sustainable buildings aim to be environmentally

friendly. The construction and running of buildings

causes pollution and uses up energy and resources.

Buildings made with renewable materials, non-toxic

paints, solar panels, good insulation, and even toilets

that use less water all help to preserve the planet.

HOW DO ARCHITECTS WORK?

A client briefs the architect about the type of building

they want and how much they can pay. The architect

then makes designs, and works out detailed technical

drawings, often using computer programs. Engineers

check the plans and any models to make sure that the

building will be structurally sound.

REICHSTAG, BERLIN 3

Germany’s parliament building,

the Reichstag, was partially

destroyed by a fire in 1933. When

it was renovated by the British

architect Norman Foster in the

1990s, the use of glass symbolized

the openness of democracy.

Visitors walk up the ramp that

spirals up the glass dome

New glass dome rises

from the shell of the

19th-century building

WHY DO BUILDINGS LOOK SO DIFFERENT?

The way a building looks depends on several factors:

the materials and technology available, its particular

architectural style, and its purpose. Domestic

buildings, corporate offices, and sacred architecture,

for example, have entirely different functions which

are reflected in their size, form, and content.

Statues of saints

stand in alcoves

Gothic pointed

window arch

Marble facing

over brick

1 DUOMO, MILAN

One of the world’s largest cathedrals, Duomo was designed to hold

40,000 people. Begun in the 14th century, it was not finished until the

19th. The façade reflects many styles, including Gothic and neoclassical.

EXTERIOR OF REICHSTAG

Cone inside the building

supports the dome on top of

the building (see image below)

Central cone is made of 360

laminated glass mirrors that

reflect everything around them

Natural daylight reflects down

into the building, which means

less artificial light is needed

architecture