A Lineal City in the Pampas: Politics,Materialization and Revolution in Wladimiro Acosta's Vision for Buenos Aires

Abstract: Critics of modern architectural utopias have referred to the notions of construction and politics as irreconcilable elements of an unsurpassable antinomy. By studying Wladimiro Acosta's attempt to interrupt the unfolding of the capitalist urban process in Buenos Aires through an integral revision of the Spanish block, I explore the political potential embedded in the instance of materialization and highlight construction's involvement in the transformation of the prevailing forms of urban appearance. I argue that Acosta's proposal for a lineal city contains important theoretical and architectural reflections on how to conceive construction as a constitutive element of urban politics. In a contemporary urban scenario, where the production of the city's material and infrastructural landscape seems increasingly detached from democratic control, revisiting historical examples that position the notions of construction and emancipation as part of a single political prism may prove to be indispensable.     

Architectures of youth: visibility,agency and the technological imaginings of young people

This article investigates what we call the architectures of youth. Drawing on the ‘unofficial’ audio-visual recordings from an ongoing research project, and contrasting this footage with the new building that ‘houses’ our project, we argue that the young people are being constructed in a range of problematic ways that continue to emphasise visibility. The school building, complete with its panopticon tower, is premised on the symbolic power of the visual. When pupils are given visual technology and asked to film around the school, however, negotiations with, and disruptions of, the visual become evident. This raises questions not only around the wider relationship between youth, place and space, but also around the imagined and lived dimensions of youth, which are brought to the fore through this project.     

焦作出土汉代陶仓楼的艺术特征

焦作出土汉代陶仓楼系目前保存下来较为完整的中国秦汉建筑的实物例证,其种类多,特色鲜明,具有较高的艺术价值和深厚的民族文化内涵。本文根据历年来相关考古报告和研究资料,并在实地考察部分馆藏作品的基础上,逐一对不同形制的陶仓楼进行了考释。     

The crowsteps motif in Nabataean architecture: insights into its meaning and use

Nabataeans, in constructing their tombs, added many symbols and geometrical forms, plants and animals. Crowsteps, as a geometrical form, are the most common among these symbols. This study investigates the use of the crowsteps motif found frequently on the facades of Nabataean tombs. The primary focus is to replace models of typological explanation for the introduction of crowsteps into the Nabataean rock‐cut facades. The study begins with tracing the origin of the crowsteps motif and the way it was adopted by the Nabataeans to become one of the most significant features in the making of Nabataean architectural vocabularies. It then provides a theoretical framework for explaining the use and meaning of the crowsteps in Nabataean architecture. Thematic analysis of related literature and existing architectural remains allows us to suggest that crowsteps served both sacred and secular purposes. Sacredly, crowsteps were used to connect the deceased with the principal deities through metaphorical representation either as a ‘high place’ or as a ‘throne’. Secularly, crowsteps served basic human needs: representing identity, wealth and social structure. The study also considers that the Nabataean rock‐cut crowsteps activated the dialogue between different cultural traditions and helped in shaping the ideological cult and identity of the Nabataeans.     

汉代桥梁图像的建筑学研究

汉代是中国古代建筑史上非常重要的奠基阶段,截至东汉晚期四大基本桥型均已出现,而且已经出现不同类型的发展和变化。文中通过对汉代画像砖石及壁画等材料上的桥梁图像进行分析,结合目前已发掘的汉代桥梁遗址和文献中的相关记载,对汉代桥梁类型和结构进行了较为全面的梳理和研究。     

南阳武侯祠道房院南偏院古建筑维修工程的白蚁预防保护施工

近几年白蚁危害对武侯祠内的古建筑群构成了极大的威胁,针对这种情况,南阳武侯祠采取"防治结合,综合治理"的方法,以预防为主,进行灭治.     

中国传统文化在建筑设计中的传承与发展

中国传统文化对建筑设计有着极其深刻的影响,主要体现在中国传统的布局方式和人文思想等方面。建筑设计必须在继承中创新,有选择性地保留传统文化中有价值的内容,创造性地将建筑设计与传统文化相结合,追求自然和谐的效果,以推进古建筑以及文物保护工作。     

Umm an‐Nar burial 401 at Bat,Oman: architecture and finds

The archaeological site at Bat has an important status with regard to research on the Umm an‐Nar culture. Investigations began there in 1972 and were revived in 2004, when the excavation of tomb 401 was begun. This paper presents the complete corpus of grave‐goods. Despite all the disturbances within the find layers, when comparing the two chambers it is possible to observe some indications of the different burial cycles and detect distinguishing characteristics. Taking into account the divergent earlier and later ceramic styles, burial use must be proposed between 2400 and 2200 BC. This date accords with observations of the architectural details of tomb 401 and with the sequence of tomb construction types in the Bat region. This paper is dedicated to the memory of professor Gerd Weisgerber.     

Technical Strategies for Conservation of Earthen Archaeological Architecture

The preservation of earthen architectural heritage is extremely complex due to the diversity of its constituent materials and potentially rapid physical deterioration. Interventions on historic earthen architecture throughout the world have shown very distinct levels of success, but there is no single procedure or combination of conservation procedures that guarantee success. One of the problems is the lack of knowledge about the behaviour of soil as the material component, and its relationships both with other materials, and associated natural and cultural environments. This article analyses some technical considerations that have influenced the preservation of earthen archaeological remains, through critical analysis of the existing bibliographic references from the proceedings of specialized international conferences that have taken place in the last twenty years.     

Epistemological paradigms in the perception and assessment of vernacular architecture

The current situation of vernacular architecture is a result of the different perspectives of agents who have some sort of direct or indirect relationship with the architecture of the past which has influenced attitudes and ways of thinking, thus guaranteeing its assessment and survival. Therefore, this article reviews recent currents of thought and theories encapsulating the increased value of vernacular architecture. In the eighteenth century, this architecture made the romantic ideals of rural society synonymous with its surroundings, territory and country. In the twentieth century, a select few modernist intellectuals carried out in-depth studies of this architectural type in relation to its formal values. Now, in the twenty-first century, it has become the object of technological and scientific analysis for many experts. The current situation still presents many unresolved problems, which are perhaps the result of little thought having been put into specific aspects of the process of vernacular architecture.