How to View Architecture Critically

While the essence of architecture is utility, its approach to space and structure varies from era to era.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Look at the structure, then shift attention to the space within and surrounding the structure.

2. Look for a rhythm in the composition and in the relationship of neighboring structures.

3. Determine the function of the building: church, bank, palace or house.

4. Examine the materials used in the construction of the building and the effect they create of heaviness or lightness. A smooth surface will appear light in contrast to a surface made of brick, which will appear heavier.

5. Look at the form of the structure, noting whether contours are "soft" or "hard," organic or angular.

6. Consider the proportions and scale of the structure, focusing attention on the relation of each part to the whole. Think about the intended effect on humans: a soaring church ceiling of a Gothic cathedral vs. the relative intimacy of a rococo interior or the balanced proportions of a classical structure.

7. Determine how the colors of the building inside and out, as well as the level of ornamentation, create the impression of lightness or heaviness, hardness or softness.

8. Consider the mood or feeling evoked by the structure.

9. Consider the effects of light and sound.

Tips & Warnings

• Some architects design with the idea of carving space out of a solid rather than using solid forms to enclose space.
• Study the history of architecture to learn to identify the era in which a structure was built. Gothic cathedrals emphasize structure defined by hard, heavy attributes while Renaissance buildings embody the opposite, with a focus on space defined by soft, light attributes.
• Musical harmony is often used as a metaphor for spatial balance and composition within a structure.
• Architectural rhythm may be characterized in a variety of ways, but should express the essential relationship of people to structures. A city's financial district might be described as having an urban rhythm, while a suburb might be described as having a motor rhythm.

on 11/22/2005 Consider the context of the building. Does the building relate to the landscape, open space and other buildings around it? Or does it set itself apart? Consider how the architect has created the relationship of the building to its surroundings.