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April 23, 2006
Architectural Archetypes
Those of you who know me personally know about my interest in Jungian and Campbellian archetypes, themes that appear and reappear throughout the ages across unrelated cultures. I see three square windows everywhere nowadays. In trying to find out more about their architectural history, David and I stumbled upon a few interesting links...
The three square window theme dates back to the Incan Temple of the Three Windows at Macchu Picchu:
It is now known that it was built long before the Incas, and that it's olden name was Tampu-Tocco, "Haven of the Three Windows." The place, and its unique windows, are featured in local lore regarding the origins of the Andean civilization when the gods, led by the great creator Viracocha, placed the four Ayar brothers and their four sister-wives in Tampu-Tocco. Three brothers emerged through the three windows to settle and civilize the Andean lands; one of them founded the Ancient Empire that preceded that of the Incas by thousands of years.
Ubiquitous they are, and yet considered modernist. From Architectural Ruminations on a 1936 Armstrong home:
The design makes effective use of tones and textures from the white of the stucco to the grey of the limestone, darker tones and shadows at the bricks, and darkest in the repeated composition of three square windows. While the stone face of addition partially concealled by vines and planting appears to be old, the white stucco of the garage extending beyond the end together with the flat roof of the addition, is a clear indication of its modernity.
Armstrong has developed his architectural expression by the careful juxtaposition of materials, forms, geometry, and textures.
It appears we are not the only ones with an eye on 50's doors:
I never cared for the diagonal thing myself, but I've always liked that other 195Os contender, the three square windows stacked vertically. They're crisp and Modern, unlike the diagonal version, which looks to me like it's trying too hard to be different. Then there was also the model with the same three square vertical panels. but they were wood, attached to a flush door.
when i was a kid, i'd hang out by the back door in my kitchen. the door had three square windows, one on the bottom, one in the middle, and one on top. and i remember at one point only being tall enough to look out the bottom one. then the middle. then the top.
Funny to think that this theme has such interesting origins and varying interpretations. I've read others, from the fact that early art shows three square windows on the side of the Trojan Horse, and that three windows are often used in Christian architecture as an entry point for the Holy Trinity.
And here I just thought they looked cool.
Posted by Christiane at April 23, 2006 01:43 PM
Comments
Are you getting your master's in counseling?
Jung is one of my favorites. In my first Master's I did a project on The Wizard of Oz and Jung. Fun times and Dorothy really needed some counseling.
I wish I could have three windows on my front door, but I don't think it would go with our house...maybe three windows across the top would be somewhat '51.
Posted by: laurie at April 24, 2006 01:35 AM
Master's in Liberal Arts, baby, yeah. I wrote a rockin paper last year on Jungian and Euripides' Hippolytus. Very academic, kind of boring, but way up my alley, LOL. Had a hard time figuring out if my studies were more Humanities (had a lot of literature and communications courses) or Social Sciences (eventually decided on social anthropology, my thesis is about American families).
I just sent my thesis to the printers for pick up at 5. I present on Thursday and I am DONE! WOOHOO!! Graduation on May 6th! I can't believe I'm DONE!!!
Back to yr regularly scheduled houseblogging... ;)
Posted by: Christiane at April 24, 2006 01:03 PM
I admit I know nothing about Europides' Hippolytus. Social anthropology is definitely an area I could get into, if I should happen to go for a third master's. However, I don't think I'll get another degree, but if I do, I think it will be a PhD...getting more than one master's is a bit goofy. I did start toward a Master's of Interior design 3 years ago, but quit after a couple classes. I should be done with my Master of Library and Information Science this December. I hope. Congrats on completion of the thesis. I remember finishing my thesis on the first Master's. Such a load off!!
Posted by: laurie at April 24, 2006 09:22 PM