The Art of Problem Solving Islamic & Gothic Architecture

ALAA ALQALLAF

“As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the past for a future which is essentially unknown” - Norman Foster.

Architecture is about problem-solving and finding innovative solutions, which was very apparent when studying Islamic and Gothic architecture. It is evident with the architects of both Islamic and Gothic architecture that their education provided them with a solid understanding of architecture's pragmatics and influenced how these individuals merged theory and practice to build innovative architectural forms and styles. I will focus on the different environmental and structural dilemmas and how they were addressed across both styles.

1) Environmental

Islamic:

A traditional house in Baghdad incorporates many characteristics of Islamic urban dwellings in hot, dry climates, which is identified by the central courtyard as well as an earthed room located under the central courtyard floor, which provides passive means of cooling the building during the day. This adaptation illustrates how they incorporated climate into their architecture. In addition, because of the saturated heat that occurs indoors at night, screened rooftop areas were used for sleeping to enjoy the radiated cooling from the night sky, and the screens also opened in the upper roof to enhance ventilation.

Gothic:

Unlike other Gothic churches, Italian gothic architecture has large walls accompanied by small windows. The smaller windows are a product of the area's climate.

2) Structural

Islamic:

Hagia Sophia’s most impressive technical achievement is the grand dome. The weight this massive dome carries is significant. So, it is held on pendentives, which are constructional devices that are curved triangular vaulting forms.

Gothic:

A flying buttress is an inclined structural element carried by half an arch and flies to support part of the wall that holds the rest of the roof, it is also one of the most prominent characteristic features of gothic architecture.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was not originally designed to include flying buttresses, it came later as a structural response. After construction began stress fractures began to occur as the walls grew higher and were pushed outwards, so in response to that structural failure the architect designed the buttresses to support the walls from the outside.

When flying buttresses are planned from the begging it allows for simplified interior elevations and increases sheer size, supporting the ever-growing walls with the increased height; clear story windows can grow even higher, which allows much more luminosity to the interior.

To conclude, Islamic and Gothic architecture and techniques are notable examples of architectural technical innovations, and solutions. Therefore, it is crucial to study the problems and see how the architects adapted to learn their way of thinking and execution.

References:

Moffett, M., Fazio, M. W., & Wodehouse, L. (2008). A world history of architecture (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Roth, L. M. (2018). Understanding architecture: Its elements, history, and meaning. Routledge