Deck 13: Architecture

Question 1

Builders of Gothic cathedrals reinforced the walls of their architecture from the outside with

A) piers.
B) Corinthian columns.
C) flying buttresses.
D) groin vaults.
E) both piers and flying buttresses.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

When a large hall is built using post-and-lintel construction methods, the resulting "virtual forest of columns" is called a

A) nave.
B) barrel vault.
C) hypostyle hall.
D) groin vault.
E) portico.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The International style emphasizes

A) clean lines.
B) geometric form.
C) avoidance of superficial decoration.
D) all of these: clean lines, geometric form, and avoidance of superficial decoration.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The two basic families of structural systems in architecture are

A) the Postmodern and Classical.
B) the pier and cantilever.
C) the shell and the skeleton-and-skin.
D) the Romanesque and the Greek.
E) the Modern and Postmodern.

Question 5

The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles are known as the

A) International style.
B) shell system.
C) hypostyle.
D) Gothic architecture.
E) Greek orders.

Question 6

A ________ is a horizontal form supported at only one end.

A) cornice
B) keystone
C) pendentive
D) flying buttress
E) cantilever

Question 7

The ability of a material to span horizontal distances with a minimum of support is called

A) vaulting.
B) tensile strength.
C) tension.
D) buttressing.
E) compression.

Question 8

Stacking and piling is another term for

A) post-and-lintel.
B) arch and vault.
C) load-bearing construction.
D) the mending of stone fences.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 9

Using a steel framework with masonry sheathing, the ________, designed by Louis Sullivan, is thought by many to be the first genuinely modern building.

A) Wainwright Building
B) Eiffel Tower
C) Crystal Palace
D) Lever House
E) Chrysler Building

Question 10

Built almost 2000 years ago, the ________ is an enduring testament to the Roman use of the arch.

A) Pont du Gard at Nîmes
B) Hagia Sophia
C) Reims Cathedral
D) Acropolis in Athens
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 11

________ rotated 360 degrees on its axis is called a dome.

A) A pier
B) An arch
C) A capital
D) A portico
E) A vault

Question 12

Fallingwater (the Kaufmann House in Mill Run, Pennsylvania) is a prime example of the "organic" architecture of

A) Frank Lloyd Wright.
B) Le Corbusier.
C) Frank Gehry.
D) I. M. Pei.
E) John Russell Pope.

Question 13

Built for the World's Fair in 1889, the ________ was an early experiment in iron construction.

A) Wainwright Building
B) Crystal Palace
C) Eiffel Tower
D) Lever House
E) Chrysler Building

Question 14

The round opening in the dome of the Pantheon is called a(n)

A) rotunda.
B) oculus.
C) pendentive.
D) coffer.
E) cantilever.

Question 15

According to the author, a ________ is actually an arch extended in depth, as if there are "many arches placed flush one behind the other."

A) buttress
B) pediment
C) volute
D) barrel vault
E) pier

Question 16

The Taj Mahal was built by the 17th-century Moslem emperor for what purpose?

A) As a mosque
B) As a monument
C) As a tomb for his relatives
D) As a tomb for his wife
E) As a home

Question 17

The Byodo-in Temple in Kyoto, Japan, is an elegant example of

A) the International style.
B) postmodern architecture.
C) the Neoclassical style.
D) Gothic architecture.
E) post-and-lintel architecture.

Question 18

________ is most famous for his design of the geodesic dome.

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Anthemius of Tralles
C) Joseph Paxton
D) Louis Sullivan
E) R. Buckminster Fuller

Question 19

Two factors that decide the success of any structural system are

A) weight and tensile strength.
B) the placement of its dome and its pendentives.
C) the linear ratio of foundation to wall and wall to roof.
D) the tension and compression of each buttress.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 20

A flying buttress is an arched exterior support system found on

A) a mosque.
B) a Roman bridge.
C) a geodesic dome.
D) a Gothic cathedral.
E) a fountain.

Question 21

Consider Lever House and Fallingwater. Identify the architects who designed each structure and the ways that purpose, location, and the architect's understanding of modernism influenced the appearance and design of each structure.

Question 22

Consider the Taj Mahal and the Pantheon. Both of these buildings feature dome construction. Discuss the differences in appearance and styles of the dome.

Question 23

Describe how reinforced concrete works and explain how this product lends itself to create free-form organic shapes. Give an example of a building that employs this material, how it was innovative in design, and how the design integrated with the location of the structure.

Question 24

Define and/or describe the appearances, materials, techniques, and reasons for the development of five of the structural systems of architecture, with reference to specific structures that are models of each system you discuss.

Question 25

Outline the main goals of green architecture, describing how an architect or group of architects achieved each of those goals in a specific structure. Discuss the advantages and difficulties of green architecture in terms of meeting environmentalist objectives and the needs of those who will be living and/or working within them.

Question 26

The skeleton-and-skin structure, the Crystal Palace, was designed by ____________ in 1851.

A) Louis Sullivan
B) Gustav Eiffel
C) Frank Lloyd Wright
D) Joseph Paxton
E) John R. Pope

Question 27

Identify and describe the impact of one architect of the 20th and/or 21st century whom you consider a major technical, artistic, or philosophical innovator. Discuss at least one structure designed by this architect as an example of his/her innovations.

Question 28

Consider Kallikrates, Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis, in Athens. Discuss the structural system that is used in this building in relation to the purpose of the building and the decorative aspects of the structure's surface. What are the advantages and limitations of this structural system?

Question 29

Discuss the major tenets of Frank Lloyd Wright's theories of domestic architecture, identifying aspects of specific structures that illustrate his success in realizing these tenets in homes he designed.

Question 30

Evaluate R. Buckminster Fuller's impact on architectural design and philosophy.