Green River LibGuides: ENGL 127 Research Writing: Social Sciences (Moreno): Architectural Analysis: Choose your Architectural Site

Architectural Analysis: Explore Ideas

Explore Urban Architecture

Browse for Ideas

If you're not sure where to start or are debating ideas, use this page to explore possible ideas.

Test your Ideas:

Once you have an architectural work in mind, be sure to test it in our library One Search to be sure you can find enough resources to write the three sections of your analysis.

One last thing: Many of the resources on this page are ones you will want to return to for information once you have selected your building/architectural structure

Films on Demand
Search or browse for films on many topics, such as Anthropology, Biology, Business & Economics, Careers, and many more.

Strategy 1: Explore Ideas with Films on Demand

Explore ideas with the streaming video database Films on Demand.

(click on image to enlarge)

Search:

Type in a broad search and see what you find and what interests you. Examples:
- Japan AND architecture
- Rem Koolhaas
- The Grand Mosque
I found the film "Tomorrow's and Today's Towers" browsing results with the keywords: asia AND architecture

Tomorrow's and Today's Towers
Films on Demand video. "Building higher, ever higher, is the culmination of an ancient dream, from the mythical Tower of Babel to the Eiffel Tower. A landmark feature for more than two centuries in the cityscapes of New York, Chicago, Rio, or Sao Paulo, towers have now reached Asia, where they are beating all records for height. A building more than 3,200 feet high is being planned in Malaysia. Far from going out of fashion, this architectural challenge has become the essential element of the contemporary urban landscape. Its current omnipresence can be explained partly by the need to gain space in cities that are more and more satured, but not entirely. The absolute symbol of economic growth, the tower is the prerogative of the superpowers, but in countries that are developing, they are an assertion of their success."

Browse:

Use links below to explore ideas by collection or series. Look for additional videos and series in Films on Demand.

Films on Demand: Architecture
Browse the list of titles for educational films, documentaries, and more. Alternatively, you can search for films on a specific city or building in Films on Demand.
Dan Cruickshank's Adventures in Architecture
Films on Demand. "Art historian Dan Cruickshank celebrates architecture as an expression of human aspirations and beliefs when he visits the world’s most fascinating buildings in this eight-part series." Topics: pleasure, death, power, beauty, paradise, disaster, connections, and dreams.

Films in the series:

Beauty: Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture
Dan Cruickshank explores the theme of beauty in architecture in this program, from the beauty of nature’s simplicity to that of extreme ornamentation. Dan goes to Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland, where he builds an igloo and learns about Inuit culture; Leshan, China, home of the ancient Giant Buddha, the largest of its kind; Russia’s Catherine Palace, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture; the Sun Temple in Konarak, India, full of erotic statues that are still shocking today; and France’s Albi Cathedral, built to suppress the local population but now an object of beauty.
Connections: Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture
Why do some communities thrive while others fail? Dan looks for answers in this program, with stops in Brasilia, a Brazilian city built by communists but now the preserve of the super-rich; Damascus, Syria, believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world; Rockefeller Center in New York City, born out of the Great Depression and still going strong; and Mumbai’s Dharavi section—the biggest slum in India, but a vibrant home to millions with its own active economy and now under threat of demolition.
Death: Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture
Can architecture confer immortality, if only for as long as a structure remains standing? In this program, Dan Cruikshank travels to the elaborate tomb of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt; Sedlec Ossuary, a Roman Catholic chapel in the Czech Republic decorated with human bones; Guatemala’s Yaxha Mayan ruins, the site of human sacrifice and where the TV show Survivor was filmed; Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno in Genoa, Italy, famed for its beautiful and sometimes erotic statues; and Varanasi, India, the sacred city where many Hindus come to die.
Disaster: Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture
No matter how carefully buildings are constructed, history has taught us that they can be obliterated in a matter of minutes due to natural catastrophe or deliberate attack. In this program, Dan explores Dresden, Germany, a great Baroque city destroyed in World War II but now being reconstructed; the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, an ancient monument to peace and tolerance in the midst of a war zone; San Francisco, California, a city preparing for an imminent, cataclysmic earthquake; and Palmyra, a magnificent Syrian metropolis on the Silk Road that was laid waste by the Roman Empire.
Dreams: Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture
Cites are functional models of community life, but they can also represent the aspirations of the culture that creates them. In this program, Dan travels to Yemen to see the tower houses of Shibam, built vertically to conserve land and to remain safe against attack; to Santo Domingo, founded in the 16th century on a grid-style plan that served as the blueprint for a new empire in the New World; to Bhutan, where even recently-constructed buildings are indistinguishable from those raised centuries before; and to Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary, an 18th-century prison based on the ideal of reform.
Paradise: Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture
Since the beginning of civilization, humans have paid homage to the spiritual realm by erecting beautiful structures on Earth. In this program, Dan Cruickshank visits Saint Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai desert, built where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments; China’s Hanging Temple, a Taoist monastery that clings precariously to the sheer face of a cliff; two 16th-century wooden churches in the Russian wilderness that still serve a devout congregation today; and the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu, India, where Hindus come to celebrate the wonder of creation.
Pleasure: Dan Cruickshank's Adventures in Architecture
In this program, Dan Cruickshank considers the aesthetic pleasures of opulent architecture. He goes to the ultra-luxurious Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India, a spectacular fusion of Eastern and Western influences; Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle, built as a retreat for King Ludwig II; the Amazon Theatre, an exquisite Belle Époque-era opera house in the middle of the Brazilian rainforest; and the Villa Barbaro in northern Italy, designed by Renaissance master Andrea Palladio, one of the most influential architects of all time.
Power: Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture
The fantasies of dictators, kings, sultans, and warriors are laid bare in this program as Dan Cruikshank explores architecture as a statement of worldly power. Dan visits Nicolae Ceau?escu’s palace in Romania, a colossal edifice built by the 20th century’s last communist dictator; Marqab Castle in Syria, constructed by the Crusaders to control the area between Asia Minor and the Holy Land; an imposing plantation house in New Orleans that stands in stark contrast to nearby slave cabins; and the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, a place where women, too, were slaves—but where they could also give birth to the country’s next emperor.

Strategy 2: Explore Ideas in Books

Look through encyclopedias and books on travel, architecture, countries, history, and more to find an interesting architectural topic.

To find academic encyclopedia articles, use filters and limit to Reference.
Also note: You may limit to Online Only to find eBooks if you are not on campus.

Holman Library One Search (Advanced Search)
Use the advanced search options to select source type (books, videos, scholarly peer-reviewed articles), online format, date ranges and more .

more... less...

Tips: How to Use the Holman Library One Search

Keywords: What should you type into the search fields?

Use keywords that capture ideas you want to explore, such as:

a country or city AND architecture.
- Ex: Japan AND architecture
- Ex: Balinese architecture
mosques
historic architecture
renaissance architecture
modern architecture
religion AND architecture
Arab architecture
Rem Koolhaas
a country or city AND travel guide OR tourism

Example:

dubai AND architecture

Browse Subject Terms:

Databases organize works on a topic with Subject Terms. Look for useful subject terms as you explore.

Click on a sample Subject Term below for a list of titles on that subject.

Select Books to Browse (ebooks):

A few titles to get you started. We have many, many other useful books.

Architecture Since 1400 by Kathleen James-Chakraborty
Call Number: ebook

ISBN: 1452941718

Publication Date: 2014-01-01

in ProQuest ebooks
Key Buildings from Prehistory to the Present by Andrew Ballantyne
Call Number: ebook

ISBN: 9781856698375

Publication Date: 2012-10-24
A Global History of Architecture by Francis D. K. Ching; Mark M. Jarzombek; Vikramaditya Prakash
Call Number: ebook

ISBN: 9781118981610

Publication Date: 2017-03-23
A to Z World Points of Interest by Sibylla Putzi (Editor)
Call Number: ebook

ISBN: 1282184385

Publication Date: 2008-01-01

ProQuest ebooks

Sample Books to Browse (print):

Three titles to get you started. We have many, many other useful books.

Architecture: The Whole Story by Denna Jones (Editor); Richard Rogers (Foreword by); Philip Gumuchdjian (Foreword by)
Call Number: 9783791349152

ISBN: 9783791349152

Publication Date: 2014-08-22

main collection
World Architecture: The Masterworks by Will Pryce
Call Number: 720.9 P973w 2011

ISBN: 9780500342749

Publication Date: 2011-10-01

main collection
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture by Moya Carey
Call Number: 709.1767 I29 2010

ISBN: 9780754820871

Publication Date: 2010-12-16

Main Collection

Global Road Warrior
Country information--basic facts, population, history, economics, society & culture, basic greetings. Includes maps and photographs.

Strategy 3: Explore Country Database

Global Road Warrior is a database of baisc country information. Its primary focus is providing basic country information for international business.

You can explore by country. Choose a country and scroll down to Points of Interest and Architectural Landmarks.

global road warrior- India- points of interest- architectural landmarks

Strategy 4: Explore Ideas Online

Use the Web to:

Search for and explore country and city tourism websites
Browse keywords, such as, "significant architectural buildings" or "important architectural works" or "baroque architecture"
Search for images of works by a specific architect

You can also browse the links below for a few leads. (This is just a sampling.)

Remember to choose a non-North American building.

Architectural Digest: 50 Iconic Buildings Around the World You Need to See Before You Die
The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture
Time Out: The Most Famous Architects You Need to Know
UNESCO: World Heritage Sites
Provides a list of links to cities and sites within cities that showcase that region’s heritage and history.

Assignment Outline

Assignment Outline:

Central Task

This assignment asks you to select a work of architecture located in any non-North American city that is of special interest to you. The work of architecture can be historical or contemporary, and it can be any existing building of cultural, historical, or social significance. To organize your essay, you will include an overview, which requires you to identify the structure and provide various details about its origin and location. This will help you build the introductory and general background information. Then, the support paragraphs will include significant features of the architectural structure, which asks you to discuss the way the building looks, how it functions, and is designed. These paragraphs should also provide a comprehensive interpretation of this work of architecture in terms of “what it means” and to describe its symbolic connection to and representation of the city’s identity. These ideas will help you create your conclusion.

Consider:

Study questions for the essay’s design you can use to guide your research and convey your unique ideas based on your research:

What is the structure and its origins?

Identify the architectural structure, city and country, date of completion.
Name the architect, architect’s design styles and interests, other significant works done by the architect.
Include a very general, basic overview of the structure’s appearance.
Specify structure’s location in the city, position.
Consider any published public reception of or opinions about the structure.

What does the structure look like? How is it used?

What are some of the structure’s unique and distinguishing features?
How would you describe its exterior and interior?
What can you say about its basic design and its functionality?
What materials, shapes, colors, forms, etc. make this structure interesting?
Does it have its own sense of beauty/aesthetic?
How is the structure used? What does it serve?

What does the structure mean or say? What makes it significant?

What do you know about the city in which the structure resides?
How does the structure reflect and/or challenge the city’s identity, character, or personality?
Does the structure make any associations with the city’s history?
Does it resemble other architectural structures in the city or other cities around the world?
What connections or associations does it have to the people/communities in the city?

Please refer to your FULL assignment to learn more about the requirements of the project.

Source Requirements:

You are required to find and integrate a minimum of seven verifiable and strong sources into your analysis. Four of the seven sources must be scholarly, peer-reviewed sources.