# Favorite '...ism'? PART 1, Ancient Architecture



## eddyk (Mar 26, 2005)

Hello there, I've chosen what I belive to be the 15 most prominent architecturalisms of the 'ancient' times; some from early modern times aswell.
All you have to do is vote for your favourite architectural style....

Right, I've also picked out pictures of buildings that I think represent its style the best.


*1. Pre-Classicism*










Ishtar Gate, Babylon, 605-563 BC

*2. Indism*










Taj Mahal, Agra, 1630-53

*3. Hellenic Classicism*










Parthenon, Athens, 447-432 BC

*4. Confucianism*










The Temple of Heaven, Beijing, 1420

*5. Roman Classicism*










Colosseum, Rome, AD 70-82

*6. Shintoism*










Floating Torii Gate, Japan, 12th Century

*7. Christian Classicism*










Durham Cathedral, England, 1093-1132

*8. Islamicism*










Blue Mosque, Istanbul, 1610-16

*9. Gothic Scholasticism/Commercialism*










Cloth Hall, Ypres, 1202-1304

*10. Baroque*










San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome, 1633-67

*11. Rococo*










Zwinger Palace, Dresden, 1711-22

*12. Neoclassicism*










Altes Museum, Berlin, 1824-8

*13. Exoticism*










Royal Pavilion, Brighton UK, 1815-23

*14. Medievalism*










Royal Courts of Justice, London, 1868-82

*15. Victorianism*










St. Pancras Station, London, 1864-74



This thread took me ages to make, so any replies are most welcomed.


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## Lostboy (Sep 14, 2002)

A good idea for a thread, but ancient is hardly an appropiate description for some of these.


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## eddyk (Mar 26, 2005)

I did say 'some from early modern times aswell'

I was aware that many of these were quite 'modern'

But couldn't think of a better world than 'Ancient'


I Will make a PART 2 thread featuring modern styles such as Expressionism and Technoism.


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## Lostboy (Sep 14, 2002)

I also like your own invented terms for some of them, its different from what the architectural elite have, and why not? It beats some lectures I once attended on the differences between Corinthian, Doric and Ionic Architecture Columns, anyway.


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## DGM (Aug 8, 2005)

I think it makes sense to lump everything before the industrial revolution together.


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## eddyk (Mar 26, 2005)

I had no idea the Palace of Westminster is Victorian architecture....

But apparently Victorian architecture is seen as a mix between gothic and classical architecture - So I guess that first the palace perfectly then.


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## oskarj (Mar 15, 2006)

Hellenic obviously


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## DecoJim (Dec 6, 2005)

I voted for Roman since it A) looks good and B) was the first monumental architecture that was largely built for the people. 
Previous civilizations seemed to mainly build for the priests and the kings (I know there are exceptions to this generalization such as the Greek theater and the agora). Yes the Romans built palaces, temples, and forts but they also built theaters, amphitheaters, racetracks (circus maximus), forums, roads, aqueducts, and even shopping malls (example: the multi-level shopping complex built on the hill next to Hadrian's forum). Some Roman temples such as the Pantheon were designed to hold large numbers of worshipers. The Romans also had such a huge impact on later styles. In addition there was the first use of concrete in construction, the extensive use of the arch and its derivatives (barrel vault, dome, etc), and the propagation of standard building types to all parts of the empire.

The "Islamicism" style shown owes somthing to the Romans too. The picture shows a mosque that looks similar to Hagia Sophia which was built under Justinian the Great of the Eastern Roman / Byzantine Empire. When the Turks captured Constantinople in 1452, they added the minirets which actually improve the look. Hagia Sophia seems to have originally been an inward looking building... more attention was paid to how the interior looked compared to the exterior.


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