WEEK 7

 CHINA INDIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, THE AMERICAS

STUPA : mound of dirt such as a burial ground where a more permanent structure is built over the mound.

-originated in India but came to China as buddhism spread to that region.

-no space for visitors


PAGODA: a combination of the stupa and Chinese tower building invented by the Chinese.


Chinese traditional architectural craftmanship for timber framed structures. 

INCAS: TRAPEZOIDAL DOORS

The vast majority of Inca buildings were rectangular, and most of these had a single entrance and were composed of only one room, as dividing walls are not common in Inca design.


Current applications:

Timber-framed structures are very common for fire-resistant buildings.


Mexico City has some of the last remains of Tenochtitlán. Tenochtitlan was a remarkable urban center established by the Mexica people on an island in Lake Texcoco, in what is now the heart of Mexico City.

https://youtu.be/fmHVqb6t__8?si=kG97-61hPspXYN5A

Although it was not Tenochtitlan, I got to visit a closer historical aztec landmarks to my city of La Piedad Michoacan. It was the first time I went to Mexico at 15. I remember learning about the Aztecs, part of my familys native language. 

This was the pyramids in Penjamo Guanajuato.
The volcano I visited from aztec times, the people/tribes, tortillas were from when I visited them in Paricutin. 


ONE STEP FURTHER



PEDRO REYES is an architect and artist who does many sculptors/stone carvings. Olmec inspired artwork that depicts people, art, furniture from the Olmec civilization. 

I recommend looking him up as he is commissioned to create very important modern structures in rememberance and to represent (mainly) the olmec women ( the olmec civilization ) through the new stonehead he is creating.


CONCLUSION


These different civilizations illustrate the historical significance of art and architecture. Every building, from the pagoda in China to the stupa in India, and from the Inca stonework in the Andes to the Aztec temples in Mexico, was influenced by its surroundings and beliefs. The intricate stone patterns, sculptures, and carvings demonstrated talent and intent while utilizing regional resources appropriate to their climate and terrain. Collectively, they demonstrate how design may be geographically adaptive while still expressing culture and spirituality in various global locations.

Comments

  1. Abigail FosterOctober 11, 2025 at 9:56 AM

    I think the sculptures by Pedro Reyes are very interesting! I like the bold geometrically-shaped stones and simple colors.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Allyssa PotterOctober 18, 2025 at 9:52 AM

    Good job! You connected the stupa and pagoda beautifully to their cultural meanings

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaOctober 19, 2025 at 6:07 AM

    Veronica- Excellent Blog post this week. 50/50 points

    ReplyDelete

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