Modern Day Example Of Architectural Strength example essay topic

Architecture is the center of our modern world. Without architecture there would be no places of business or any domestic housing. That means no courthouses or any other federal building, no duplexes, no apartments, and no hospitals. Architects are used in many fields of study. They are used in tool and die factories, designing the certain pieces built by that factory, in domestic landscaping companies, designing the layout of the yard of a home, and of course in architectural firms, both public and private. Architecture is also one of the oldest professions in history.

Since ancient times architecture has been a major part in showing the strength, wealth, independence, and power of a nation. From ancient times all the way up to modern day, strength has been a major part of any nations concern. One of the biggest symbols of strength in the ancient world is the Great Pyramid of Giza. This pyramid was built around the year 2560 BC to serve as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu of the fourth dynasty (Great 1). The pyramid was an astonishing 145.75 m (481 ft) high (2).

For forty-three centuries Khufu's tomb was the tallest structure on Earth, and is still standing now in Giza as strong as ever (2). The strength of a nation is determined on how established their society is (Kost of 124). A modern day example of architectural strength is the most breath-taking "Twin Towers" in New York City, New York. For around thirty years the two "Twin Towers" were the largest buildings on the face of the Earth. Seeing those two towers stand through it all and never budging. Then, on September 11, 2001, disaster struck the "Twin Towers" when an airplane flew directly into the side of one of the towers.

Then another plane hit the other tower making it finally hit the ground. Both of these nations were known for their strength during the time of the architectural structures that I just named. Another characteristic that every nation keeps a close eye on is their riches. As Gutman says", The wealth of a nation not only depends on how much money a country has, but how they use their money in their architecture" (Gutman 58).

In ancient times the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was built for sheer pleasure, and is a perfect example of a nation showing it's wealth. As "The Seven Wonders" article says, The Hanging Gardens were built on the east bank of the River Euphrates in about 604 BC (Hanging 1). King Nebuchadnezzar II built it for his wife so she would feel at home in the mountains. Any person who saw the Hanging Gardens was in complete awe of the beauty of the place. A modern day example of wealth is not hard to find at all, the only thing we have to do is go to Manchester, England. The article said that a man named Alfred Waterhouse built the giant Manchester Town Hall in 1887.

The building reached an astonishing 286 feet above Albert Square below (Manchester 1). The one thing noticed by everyone is the huge bell tower that rises above the rest of the structure. With all of this together and the beautiful scenery of the square below, the Manchester Town Hall in Manchester, England is a definite example of wealth. Independence is a factor that no nation can do without. As Frank Lloyd independence is not only being free to govern as you please, it also means taking responsibility for your actions (51).

The Colossus of Rhodes is one magnificent model of a nation showing their independence. According to the "Colossus of Rhodes" article, in about 304 BC on the small island of Rhodes, the war equipment was sold and the money was used to build an enormous statue of their sun god, Helios. They built this huge statue in rejoice of overcoming the Antigo nids of Macedonia that had them besieged for so long (1). The colossus was designed and built by the Rhodian sculptor Charles of Lindos.

The 110 ft. high giant took twelve years to complete and was finished in 282 BC. It stood at the harbor entrance guarding the island, until disaster struck and an earthquake hit Rhodes about 226 BC. The giant statue could not support itself and buckled at the knee (2). Their symbol of freedom was never restored and the pieces sat in the same spot for almost a millennium, until Arabs invaded Rhodes and took them and sold the broken pieces to a Jew from Syria (2). There is also an unavoidable structure of freedom here in the United States; it's the Statue of Liberty, also known as "Liberty Enlightening the World" (Burkhard 32). The statue was built on Bedloe's Island, which sits in the New York Harbor, and was finished on October 28, 1886 (32).

The Statue of Liberty was designed and built by Auguste Bartholdi in France then transported to the United States aboard the French frigate "Isere" (33). It was built as gift to America to show to all who come into America that it is a free country. To any American who looks at the Statue of Liberty, it resembles all the hard work and all the many lives lost to preserve our freedom. To go along with all of the other characteristics, power cannot be overlooked.

If a nation doesn't have power, then it cannot defend itself. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was an awesome display of power. This structure was built in 290 BC on the ancient island of Pharos, now a peninsula within the city of Alexandria, Egypt (Lighthouse 2). The Lighthouse was built on behalf of those who sailed the seas, because of the dangerous sailing conditions and the flat coastline (1). This structure was a massive 117 m (384 ft), making it the tallest building on Earth at the time, but the one thing that fascinated scientists most was the mysterious mirror whose reflection could be seen more than 35 miles off-shore (1). The Lighthouse used fire at night and reflecting sun rays during the day to mark the harbor for centuries (2).

The Lighthouse was the last of the six vanished Wonders to disappear (2). The modern day equivalence to The Lighthouse of Alexandria would be the White House of the United States. The construction of the White House began in 1792, and the building was completed in 1800 (White 1). It has been our symbol of power and judgment ever since the day it was built.

Then, during the War of 1812, the White House was not spared when the British set fire to Washington, D.C. (1). It was then rebuilt to perfect form at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, showing that America never gives up. So the strength, wealth, independence, and power are the four basic principles that architecture allows a nation to base its foundation on. Architecture is a major way in which a nation proves that they are strong, free, and powerful. If we can't show these things through architecture, then where are we supposed to show it?