''The Four Elements of Architecture'' is a book by the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Gottfried Semper. Published in
1851, it is an attempt to explain the origins of architecture through the
lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements ...
of
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
. The book divides architecture into four distinct elements: the hearth, the roof, the enclosure and the mound. The origins of each element can be found in the traditional crafts of ancient "barbarians":
*
hearth –
metallurgy, ceramics
* roof – carpentry
* enclosure –
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
, weaving
* mound – earthwork
Semper, stating that the hearth was the first element created:
Enclosures (walls) were said to have their origins in
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
. Just as fences and pens were woven sticks, the most basic form of a spatial divider still seen in use in parts of the world today is the fabric screen. Only when additional functional requirements are placed on the enclosure (such as structural weight-bearing needs) does the materiality of the wall change to something beyond fabric.
The mat and its use in primitive huts interchangeably as floors, walls, and draped over frames was considered by Gottfried Semper to be the origins of architecture.
Semper's ''Four Elements of Architecture'' was an attempt at a universal theory of architecture.
The ''Four Elements of Architecture'' was not the classification of a specific typology but rather was more universal in its attempt to offer a more general theory of architecture. Rather than describing one
building typology as being the beginning, he considers what assemblies and systems are universal in all indigenous primitive structures.”
''The Four Elements of Architecture'' as an archaeologically driven theory stressed functionalism as a prerequisite to intentionality.
Sempers primitive hut theory as put forth by the ''Four Elements of Architecture'' is considered to be significant in contemporary theory. Semper continues to explore the four elements more closely in subsequent works such as ''Der Stil''.
Notes
References
*Semper, Gottfried. ''The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings''. Trans. Harry F. Mallgrave and Wolfgang Herrmann (Cambridge, 1989).
*Saint, Andrew. "Semper's Search." ''Architectural Review'' 178.1062 (1985): 66.
*Hays, K. ''Architecture Theory''. Cambridge, Mass: MIT, 1998.
*Whyle, Iain Boyd. "Semper Fidelis." ''Art History'' 13.1 (1990): 122.
Further reading
*Semper, Gottfried. ''Style in the Technical and Tectonic Arts; or, Practical Aesthetics''. Trans. Harry F. Mallgrave (Santa Monica, 2004).
*Hvattum, Mari. ''Gottfried Semper and the Problem of Historicism'' (Cambridge, 2004).
*Mallgrave, Harry Francis. ''Gottfried Semper - Architect of the Nineteenth Century'' (New Haven/London, 1996).
External linksDie vier Elemente der Baukunst
Original text at Internet Archive.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Four Elements of Architecture
Architecture books
1851 non-fiction books