Analysis of Islamic Architecture

Analysis of Islamic Architecture The eternal principle behind modern Islamic architecture is about the story that evolves from ancient times of Islam architecture and move towards modernism. Modernism began to slowly grow since Industrial revolution started. Since the period, it has turn Islamic architecture to explore in depth with the use of mass production. At the same time, continuing the richness of Islamic architecture elements and forms with influences from Euro and how it brought to Singapore, which is known to be one of the elite modern countries. The spread through revolution is rapid and challenges occur in Islamic architecture to keep up with the modern times and also embracing its cultural identity. The comparison between Euro and Singapore Islamic architecture for religious building carries the same element of projecting modernism as religious spaces. As well as modification of few elements of Islamic form into simplistic manner that fits in the society that lives in. Academic building as modern Islamic architecture reveals representation of different materials and colours to interpret Islamic perspective. The differences in the application use by Egypt and Singapore were selective yet portray the element of Islamic architecture. Commercial building in Islamic and Singapore as multi-cultural country sets different challenges. The application of the elements are achievable, however in site context, attraction as identity and carrying the character may be difficult due to the society that lives in, and how they perceive it differently. Introduction The variety of artistic developments in todays Islamic Architecture is influenced by both traditional forms and by modernism. There was a greater openness of Islamic architecture to European styles, also varied and distinctive new approaches to the analysis of their own tradition. Whether or not it ranges from secular to religious, Islamic architecture carry the same element of style such as the geometric shapes and repetitive art. Standing still in this modern era, Islamic architecture has been famous for its traditional forms. For example the concept of art rests on a basic foundation of calligraphy, geometry and, in architecture, the repetition and multiplication of elements based on the arch. Usually there are allied and parallel floral and figural motifs. Other element such as the water and light are also important for Islamic architecture decoration as they contribute in generating layers of pattern for surface decoration. With these surfaces, they are able to transform space. Since surface is articulated by decoration, there is an intimate connection in Islamic architecture between space and deco. Analysis Modernism in Islamic architecture will be covered in three aspects such as religious architecture, academic as well as commercial spaces.To begin with, the aspect of modern Islamic architecture of religious spaces such as the Mosque shows a great departure from traditional to futuristic look. Resulting in hybrid buildings where traditional facades of arches and domes are grafted onto modern high-rises. 2.1 As a case study of Euro-Islamic architecture, the Penzberg Islamic Centre built in a small German town between Munich and Alps, boldly demonstrates the compatibility of mosques and modernism. minarets are shortened and serve no purpose unlike minaret of traditional Islamic Mosque that is tall in height are usually use as a way call people for prayers. However, The building in night scene. The minaret serves its purpose as light which illuminates the ornamental decoration wrapped around. The idea shows the model notions of enlightened Islam. Apart from the shortened minaret, whose colours sets it apart from the course being sandstone facade, the centre is not obviously marked out as a typical religious building. The exterior already hints at the contemplative atmosphere of the prayer hall inside. The main entrance that is made to stand out by slanted concrete slabs symbolizing the pages of a book, on which words from the Koran can be read. Whereas on the right, the interior has shows the modernist idea of working with the simplest means by having no huge chandeliers and no exuberant ornaments. Adding dynamic quality to the architecture is by playing with lights. The same key element uses often in Islamic architecture. The way the light falls draws attention to the ceiling and wall panels, where ornaments are applied to the unclad concrete that can be read as expressions of divine boundlessness. The abstracted star motifs contain The 99 Names of God such as The Most Merciful and The Utterly Just in calligraphy. Modern Islamic Architecture can exist anywhere in Europe since Europe society can keep with constantly developing innovation and the idea of understanding faith but not tradition that is set in stone. In Europe, the mosque of today must represent a distinct type that reveals the 20th century that is when it meets the fitting choice for future generations. Modern Islamic architecture may took over in Europe, going back to local context, Euro-Islamic architecture are also influencing Singapore. Singapore is well known for here and now architecture building that surrounds the entire city. Modernity is what Singapore falls under. Overshadowing the historical sites, modern Islamic architecture in Singapore is becoming more dominant. The second case studies in local context for religious building are the Assyafaah mosque located at Admiralty lane in Singapore. The Assyafaah Mosque The Assyafah Mosque uses a contemporary interpretation of the arabesque, a universally recognizable symbol of Islamic Art and Architecture, to create an original identity for the modern mosque. The use of the positive arabesque, a double arabesque to make the notions of overlapping geometries more explicit and negative arabesques are seamlessly incorporated in the design of this mosque. The architects state that the use of the arabesque patterns to symbolize the Qurans attributes provides a link to the past. The minarets were done in modernist way. It is similar to Penzberg Islamic centre minaret which is done in a simple form. The minaret of Assyafaah mosque is a symbol of alif which is the first letter word of Arab language. The idea of integrating letters as minarets further emphasize Islamic architecture elements rather than using complex calligraphy form. The column free prayer hall framed by its ribbed and arched fairfaced concrete structure rising from the floor and opening upwards towards the quadruple volume in front of the mihrab wall The three-dimensional arches, which serve the purpose of transferring the structural loads of the upper three storeys help provide a column free span in the lower prayer space. The concrete arches are a great prove of how the architect explores usage of material which look as raw yet prove to be aesthetically pleasing. At the same time, they serve to guide the eye of the user towards the four-storey high marble clad mihrab wall, bathed in natural light. The light filtering through, very much a-like to Tadao Ando style of playing with lights. Again, the nature of keeping elements of Islamic architecture by using natural light to seep through the calligraphy patterned frames which act as light filtering, making the facade to look more lacy by trapping some light and diffuse it with most subtle gradations. The uses of geometrical facade assure the Islamic architectural method of using optical effect shows how different thicknesses of frame define the sophisticated effect. 2.2 Apart from religious building, academic buildings in Islamic architecture are as well influence with modern contemporary architecture. The third case studies for academic buildings are the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. The structure illustrates the rich historical and rapid modern evolution of the Islamic past. The design portrays the idea of openness, containment and all encompassing knowledge in its main geometric form, the circle. Partly, Islamic elements such as the geometric patterns permitted an interrelationship between the parts and the whole building complex. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina Exterior facade The stone walls of the library The idea of openness with the integration of water. As an influence of Islamic architecture, water reflects architecture and also serves its means by emphasizing the visual axes. Like the mirror, they give fluidity, dynamic yet show the static architecture. Besides having literal water elements, another way to represents Earth element reflected in one of the Modern Islamic academic architecture in Singapore which is Al-Mukminin Madrasah located in Jurong East. Exterior building of Al-Mukminin For the fourth case study is about the building as total modernization of Islamic architecture. Arabesque pattern is not evident in this building, however, the building play with colours despite no vivid traditional form. The underlying exploration of this facade is the use of Islamic colours to represent water, sky and ground. The multi-shade colours also gives an optical illusion effect from far, creating dematerialisation which is one of the technique element that from Islamic architecture usually use in traditional times. 2.3 The last aspect besides Religious and academic building are the commercial building. One of the examples for commercial building for Islamic architecture would be the museum of Islamic Art in Qatar by I.M Pei. He uses geometrical forms and symmetry applied for the design concept. Clearly, it is not a hybrid futuristic building which usually uses metal and glass cladding as the facade. Instead, he uses limestone marble which gives the smooth touch against the solid form building. As compared to traditional times of using mud brick construction, the limestone marble gives off the modernistic look and also how the block are arranged in sequence manner in parallel. Museum of Islamic Art Exterior Front and Interior The front view of the museum shows two pillar which look like the modern minarets. Traditional domes are not seen evidently, however in the interior, tall arches are not seen instead walls slanted in symmetrical direction toward the ceiling in geometrical forms that creates spherical domes made up of geometric shapes. The dome also gives a hint of natural light to pass through. Elements of Islamic principle are still applicable to commercial spaces. The aim to enhance space through patterns proves dynamically interesting for a modern Islamic building. The solidity of the forms made up is in repetition direction along with different proportions which then allows the eternal principles of Islamic architecture of rhythmical movement. The last case study for Commercial buildings as modern Islamic architecture is the Haniffa, a famous textile company originated from India, the building is located by Keng Lee road, Singapore. The building shows strong influence of Euro-Islamic architecture. Conclusion In conclusion, the desire for rapid development has brought in influences from Western architecture to Islamic architecture due to the Industries revolution that pushes the Islamic architecture to move forward by understanding the essence Islamic principles in architecture and then allows modern building technology to be the tool in the expression. Tool of expression in terms of the mass production of materials has become an advantage for designers to explore with the possibilities of transforming forms by moving away from traditional techniques into modern ways. Such application is strongly reflected on Singapore context for Islamic architecture. Most Islamic architecture buildings in Singapore were made in modern ways. However, the challenge that is set for Singapore is how it may stand apart from other non-Islamic architecture tall buildings that have been the ultimate identity of Singapore. In order to create modern Islamic architecture identity should be more evident, and the re levance to eternal principle of Islam is important. This can be achieve by creating forms in relation with traditional Islamic elements that evolves through modern approach and at the same time carry its own characteristic. Hence, the regional identity of Islamic architecture will then become an evolution to modern Islamic era. List of references James Steele [1994] Architecture for Islamic Societies Today, Academy Editions / The Aga Khan Award For Architecture, St.Martins Pr, United Kingdom Cristian Welzbacher [2008] EURO-ISLAM Architecture (The New Mosques in the West), Sun Publisher,Saudi Arabia Renata Holo, Hasan Uddin Khan [1997] The Mosque The Modern World, Thames Hudson Publisher, Australia Markus Hattstein, Peter Delius [2004] ISLAM Art Architecture, Konemann, New York Richard Ettinghausen, Oleg Grabar [2003] The Art and Architecture Of Islam 650-1250 , Yale University Press, Connecticut Phillipa Baker [2004] Architecture Polyphony Building in the Islamic World Today,Thames Hudson Publisher, Yemen Bibliography http://www.miesarch.com/index2.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=10Itemid=16obraid=251 http://www.architecture-page.com/go/projects/assyafaah-mosque-singapore__all http://www.bibalex.org/english/aboutus/building/architecture.htm http://www.fivefootway.com/2009/06/30/forum-architects-madrasah-addition-to-al-mukminin-mosque-blends-traditional-values-with-contemporary-colour/ http://de51gn.com/design/the-museum-of-islamic-arts-by-im-pei-opens-in-Qatar/

Empty Promises Essay

The article I chose is called â€Å"Empty Promises, Empty Cradles†. This case involves fake adoptions. A family is promised a child, and when the time comes, there is no child given to the family. Shockingly enough, there were no children to begin with. The women who promised their unborn children to the people, who were interested in adopting, were not even pregnant. At least six couples in the Midwest were victimized by this adoption fraud scheme. For example, in a Florida case a woman contacted over a dozen victims through a forum/ Internet site for people who were looking to adopt a child, and posted that she knew a women who was about to â€Å"give birth†. All she asked of the adopting victims was either small administrative fees or for money to help with the birth mothers expenses. The victims obviously paid money for what they thought was going to go the birth mother, but in reality, there was no birth mother, and the money was pocketed. In another case that took place in Indiana, Victoria Farahan contacted the director of a local adoption ministry and said she could provide newborns from a hospital in Moscow, Russia. She went as far as providing pictures of these babies, but it turns out that the pictures were of her own children. She eventually cheated six couples out of a total of $97,500. The types of white collar crime that was committed was wire fraud and mail fraud. The wire fraud was used to wire the money to the people who were committing the crime, and the mail fraud was used to post the information online and to help find the victims. The victims of this crime were all the women who thought they were going to receive a baby. Not only was it the women, but it was also their families. Some of these women took off work for maternity leave, while others moved into bigger homes in order to give, what they thought was going to be their child, a better and bigger home to live in. It really is a shame, because some of these women were not able to have children due to being infertile. To want a child your entire life, and not be able to have one is very depressing. Adopting a child was the only hope  for the women in this situation. And they were let down yet again, but this time, their money was taken away from them. This article that I found does not talk about the outcome of the case, meaning the charges are not stated. I do believe this is a severe crime. Some of the victims went as far as decorating a nursery and others even bought a new house. That money did not need to spent, so not only are they out of money from the fraud, but on top of that, they are down money for getting prepared for their child. I truly feel for all of the people who were victims of this case. Some people will do anything for money and not completely understand the consequences. I feel as though the money should be returned to every family that supplied the criminal with money, and the criminal should do jail time.

New Step by Step Roadmap for Argumentative Essay Theme Samples

New Step by Step Roadmap for Argumentative Essay Theme Samples Recent argumentative essay topics that are related to society is going to do. An argumentative essay requires you to choose a topic and have a position on it. It includes a short overview of the topic. It doesn't need to be an enormous headache or a project so overwhelming that you don't even know where to start. Look through the list of topics with care and get started making a mental collection of the evidence you are able to use on topics you want. To help you out here are a few attention grabber topics that you're able to consider. To begin with, the issue of self-identification arises. Quite frequently, the very best topic is one which you truly care about, but you also will need to get ready to research it. The only answer is EssayBasics. You don't need to find super technical with legal argumentative essays, but make sure you do your homework on what the present laws about your favorite topic actually say. Before writing an argumentative essay, there's one important thing which you should know. Odds are, all you have to do is relax and locate a topic you're passionate about and, needless to say, one that's debatable. It's crucially important to totally engage yourself in the subject you will write. Deciding on your topic isn't that easy. Argumentative Essay Theme Samples - What Is It? There are 3 different kinds of arguments that you could use in your essay. When you develop this kind of essay, you should make your claims by your composition so it will be open fordebate. The very first sentence of the essay has to be interesting enough to create the reader read on. The point of your essay is to modify the overall opinion on the matter. Winning an argument isn't easy. Remember you will most likely have to defend your opinion, so be certain your theme is argumentative and causes contradicting reactions. The structure of your paper's outline is exactly like the structure of your whole essay. Everyone wants some strong ideas that can be linked with your idea, that's why you will need to hook examples together with theoretical ones. A superb hook sentence is intended to grab your readers attention. In such a situation, you are going to require an excellent theme. Each style differs in two ways. The theme meaninglessness of life isn't a considerable topic of the play, but it may be a great topic to write about. Fairy tales are a favourite way to devote time for children. To start with, a theme can be as easy as the moral of a fable. It is beneficial because it presents an anecdotal notion made by the author, which promotes a context that allows the next generation to remember the sacrifices that were made by Hamlet. The Argumentative Essay Theme Samples Stories The thing you ought to do to be able to structure an argumentative essay is to set a claim that's debatable. Verify the arguments of the US citizens who don't support the concept of the 2nd national language. The dearth of very good support sources will end in a decrease grade. While the focus is mostly on your side, there's also a discussion about the opposing side which goes far beyond a single sentence or a paragraph. Bear in mind that the period of your essay is dependent upon the assignment provided to you. In the body you are going to want to have three or more chief ideas, so jot down the points you will expand upon in your outline. For that you'll get some totally free point we're sure! Even in the event you don't like to argue with the points of different men and women, it's still true that you has to be prepared to compose an argumentative essay at any moment!

Laptops in the Classroom Neither Educational Heroes nor...

Computer access is an absolutely essential part of the education process. The Internet is a gold mine for information, collaboration, and publication. The spread of productivity software such as word processors and Power Point revolutionized the way students do homework. Computers are also addictive and distracting social hubs. The question of whether students should have access to laptops inside the classroom is a puzzling one, with research strongly supporting both the pros and cons. Ultimately, the way that laptops are used in the classroom and not the presence of laptops defines their value. Studies on student laptop usage cover a wide range of classroom variables in an attempt to quantify benefits and/or negative outcomes. Studies†¦show more content†¦Wurst, Smarkola, Gaffney (2008) found â€Å"no significant differences in all constructivist activities†¦ by the introduction of the laptop computer.† In fact, â€Å"Ironically, the introduction of laptops, wh en it did make a difference, reduced the amount of constructivism in the classroom.† In order for laptops to be best utilized, many teachers need to change their educational philosophies and strategies. Not only is the value of laptop use limited by educational tactics, but laptop use in the classroom can have a negative impact, particularly in lecture-centric classes. Fried (2008) did a study of laptop use in a large lecture course and found that â€Å"results showed that students who used laptops in class spent considerable time multitasking and that the laptop use posed a significant distraction to both users and fellow students.† Not surprisingly, laptop use â€Å"negatively related to several measures of student learning, including self-reported understanding of course material and overall course performance.† In a study of business honors students, â€Å"Seventy-eight percent of the students noted that the laptops were a distraction in class. In general s tudents found the temptation of Internet activities too great to control their behavior in class. Students got over-involved in Internet activities and were inattentive toShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesSelf-Assessment Library How Charismatic Am I? 382 Self-Assessment Library Am I an Ethical Leader? 386 An Ethical Choice Do Leaders Have a Responsibility to Protect Followers? 388 Myth or Science? â€Å"Power Helps Leaders Perform Better† 392 Point/Counterpoint Heroes Are Made, Not Born 398 Questions for Review 399 Experiential Exercise What Is a Leader? 399 Ethical Dilemma Undercover Leaders 399 Case Incident 1 Leadership Mettle Forged in Battle 400 Case Incident 2 Leadership Factories 400 13 Power andRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesThey are creating next generation, fuel efficient vehicles, developing sustainable sources of energy, and exploring the farthest reaches of outer space. The impact of project management is most profound in the electronics industry, where the new folk heroes are young professionals whose Herculean efforts lead to the constant flow of new hardware and software products. Project management is not limited to the private sector. Project management is also a vehicle for doing good deeds and solving social