Introduction to the History of Architecture: 1400 to Present (232-0-1)
Instructors
Holly Amber Kennedy Gilmartin
Meeting Info
Block Pick-Laudati Auditorium: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
How does the built environment shape social meaning and reflect historical change? In this introductory-level course, we will survey the human designed environment across the globe, from 1400 to the present day. Through in-depth analysis of buildings, cities, landscapes, and interiors, we will observe how spatial environments are created and invested with meaning. From Tenochtitlan, riverine capital of the Aztec empire, to the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Palazzo Medici in Florence, from the Palace of Rudolf Manga Bell in Douala to the Colonial Office of the Bank of London, and from Lina Bo Bardi's Glass House in São Paulo to David Adjaye's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., this course will introduce students to the changing technologies, materials, uses, and aesthetics that have helped define architecture's modernity across time and geographies. Through detailed visual analysis and the study of primary source documents, students will become familiar with architectural terminology and historical techniques of architectural visualization. Through written exercises and guided slow looking, students will learn how to critically analyze and historically interpret the built environment at various scales.
Class Materials (Required)
James-Chakraborty, Kathleen. Architecture Since 1400. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2014. ISBN 978-0-8166-7397-1
Class Notes
Waitlist information for this course: https://arthistory.northwestern.edu/courses/2024-2025/registration_waitlist.html
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration -- Reserved for Art History majors and minors, & Art Theory majors and minors.
Associated Classes
DIS - University Library 3370: Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM
DIS - University Library 3670: Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM
DIS - University Library 3670: Fri 12:00PM - 12:50PM
DIS - University Library 4670: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM