History and Theory of Architecture VIII

Abstract

The course offers an advanced introduction into the practices and debates of architectural history and theory by studying both well and lesser known examples of rococo art and architecture in Switzerland and Central Europe.

Objective

- Fostering an understanding of how architecture is embedded in a political, religious, social, and economic environment. - Fostering an understanding of how formal and artistic decisions reflect considerations about use, meaning, and time. - Fostering an understanding of how form, materiality, and ornament contribute to the agency of buildings.

Content

This lecture series explores and interprets the rococo church architecture of Switzerland and Central Europe, by examining its religious and political context, by proposing a close reading of a number of case-studies, and by offering a thematic analysis of some of its key features. The course is intended at once as a thorough introduction and an open-ended process of discovery, where preliminary observations will be weighed and discussed collectively.

Resources