The famous flutings on the famous columns [in the Parthenon] – what are they there for? To hide the joints in wood – when columns were made of wood, only these aren’t, they’re marble. The triglyphs, what are they? Wood. Wooden beams, the way they had to be laid when people began to build wooden shacks. Your Greeks took marble and they made copies of their wooden structures out of it, because others had done it that way. Then your masters of the Renaissance came along and made copies in plaster of copies in marble of copies in wood. Now here we are, making copies in steel and concrete of copies in plaster of copies in marble of copies in wood. Why? --Ann Rand.

My country is Spain. And for that I look all kind.

Old roman structures, muslim architecture mix with Christian or modern, very modern structures metal with curves, very nice in Valencia, Spetial structures in Barcelona with Gudí architect. Best for me, Alhambra (best muslim structure for me in Spain) and Palace of Carlos V on it like saying "we are here" (Christian and complete different rigid structure that I love too) in Granada. Spain is very reach on architecture, not so tall.

@Kamal Bani-Hani:

The architectural designs from Irbid, Northern Jordan, are wonderful, especially those from Petra. Here is a view of arches (Ana Maria Sanchez Peralta has pointed out this is Ronda, near Málaga.). What is the origin of these arches?

This is Ronda I think. Near me, in Málaga.

Look this:

Tajo de Ronda. Puente nuevo (made from 1751-1793) by Architect, José Martín de Aldehuela. Over the river Guadalevín.

http://www.turismoderonda.es/catalogo/esp/puentenuevo.htm

@C. Lewis Kausel:

The image showing the goddess Athena Parthenos is great! I am guessing that a Doric column is shown next to Athena (see attached image for a comparison of columns).

Ana,

Here is another view of the archways in Ronda, Malaga, Spain.

@C. Lewis Kausel:

The columns in the Roman aqueduct of Segovia, Spain appear to taper inwards toward the top of each column. This may partly explain the stability of the structure.

Also, it looks the repeated pattern of adjacent arches is possibly another source of stability for this structure.

Here is a closeup of one of the arches in the aqueduct of Segovia. Also, here is more about the constuction details:

The first section of the aqueduct contains 36 semi-circular arches, rebuilt in the 15th century to restore a portion destroyed by the Moors in 1072. The line of arches is organized in two levels, decorated simply, in which predominantly simple moulds hold the frame and provide support to the structure. On the upper level, the arches have a total width of 5.1 meters (16.1 ft). Built in two levels, the top pillars are both shorter and narrower than those on the lower level. The top of the structure contains the channel through which water travels, through a U-shaped hollow measuring 0.55 by 0.46 meter diameter size. The top of each pillar has a cross-section measuring 1.8 by 2.5 meters (5.9 by 8.2 feet), while the base cross-section measures approximately 2.4 by 3 meters (7.9 by 9.8 feet).

The aqueduct is built of unmortared, brick-like granite blocks. During the Roman era, each of the three tallest arches displayed a sign in bronze letters, indicating the name of its builder along with the date of construction. Today, two niches are still visible, one on each side of the aqueduct. One of them is known to have held the image of Hercules, who, according to legend, was founder of the city. The other niche now contains the images of the Virgen de la Fuencisla (the Patroness of Segovia) and Saint Stephen.

Biomorphism definitely fits into the scheme of things in considering architectural patterns, especially those inspired by natural patterns.

Biomorphism is an art movement that began in the 20th century. It models artistic design elements on naturally occurring patterns or shapes reminiscent of nature and living organisms. Taken to its extreme it attempts to force naturally occurring shapes onto functional devices.

The term was coined in 1935 by the British writer Geoffrey Grigson and subsequently used by Alfred H. Barr in the context of his 1936 exhibition Cubism and Abstract Art. Biomorphist art focuses on the power of natural life and uses organic shapes, with shapeless and vaguely spherical hints of the forms of biology.

Consider, for example, the treelike columns in the Sagrada Familia church.

Here are the treelike columns in the Sagrada Familia church.

Origin of the arches of Ronda. (Semicircular).

structural bridge solves two problems. On one hand, the existing rock not guarantee sufficient support to embed a stone arch in the same-the previous bridge was precisely an arc of 35 m. Otherwise, the height of the throat and geometry needed for exceptionally slender stirrups. Thus, to avoid problems with possible buckling foundation and an arc is projected to average height bracing stirrups viability ensuring structural assembly.

Inside the bridge, at the top, there are some units that were used at the time as a prison, and on both sides of these units two bows, also semicircular, capable of supporting the structure that supports the open street.

http://www.puentemania.com/752

Here is view of a sacred place in Long Canyon, Utah. The small temple (cf. Isis) is carved out of the rock.

Here is another view of the inside of the Ely Cathedral.

The astonishing feature of this dome is the octagon pattern, extending from the centre octagon to the 8 windows and outer octagon border, and then radiating out from the edges of the octagonal border there are 8 rays (orange in colour).

Did you take pictures of this? Or this just another, enlarged view of your Ely Cathedral image?

Dear Professor Kamal Bani-Hani,

Please tells us a bit about the history of the 5 columns. Is there any significance in the fact that there are 5 columns at Um-Quis?

Cecilia,

The new images and notes for the Ely Octagon are great! Now we know that the octagon figure prominently in both mosques and some cathedrals.

Are there other examples of octagonal shapes in cathedral architecture?

Here is a view of an archway and entrance hall in the Pergamon museum. To my knowledge, vertical and horizontal lines, especially those in the corners of the architecture shown in the attached image, are not found in nature. Rather edges of things in nature are characterised by their irregularity and unevenness.

Ceceila,

Has there been any effort in architectural designs to avoid corners and straight edges in architectural designs?

Look "Gaudí" in Barcelona.

I don't know if you can see this search:

https://www.google.es/search?q=gaudi+barcelona&biw=1366&bih=665&tbm=isch&imgil=i1lfWYl_CpJW7M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcRbLwcYCIszzUpMIomOQ_Yx3JMiaKMw0SR0nJ-ZQrKreAVdyRx-%253B500%253B333%253B6q3E0ZyN83VAhM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.viajesxeuropa.com%25252Ftras-las-huellas-de-gaudi-en-barcelona%25252F&source=iu&usg=__yNEEIJF8-_VVcmDUxwUlKWKZ3IY%3D&sa=X&ei=fL9WU43RIei70QXUiYGgBg&ved=0CDcQ9QEwAg#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=DxQBMnOkXOEgYM%253A%3BScysPexm2XfR4M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ciutatdebarcelona.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2010%252F04%252Fbarcelona_gaudi_1.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ciutatdebarcelona.com%252Ftag%252Fgaudi%252F%3B400%3B300

Ana,

Antoni Gaudi was an incredibly talented architect. A list of Gaudi's buildings, starting with the Sagrada Familia in 1882, is available at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Gaud%C3%AD_buildings

(For me like living structures, like stone animals...)

Apparently, it took 11 years (1837-1848) to complete the Fitzwilliam museum, in neo-classical style architecture inspired by the buildings of Ancient Greece and Rome, designed by George Basevi as a temple to house the collection of Viscount Fitzwillilam. What a wonderful collection Viscount Fitzwilliam must have had to merit such a palatial home. For more details about this, see the attached pdf with a great picture of the museum itself.

Cecilia,

I notice that what looks like a chandelier suspended from the entry ceiling of the Fitzwilliam museum has 8 petals. Is there any significance in the fact that there are 8 petals?