East and West : a common order

Abstract

The aim is to investigate a common order between Eastern and Western architecture at the city scale. Specific cultures and time-periods were chosen (Western Renaissance and Pre-Muslim India) for their consistency and depth which placed immediate limits and biases on the research undertaken, (this was necessary to accommodate the Arch 389 course timeframe). The investigation of a common order between East and West warrants and requires universal consideration and to isolate two cultures and periods in order to research this topic, inhibits the depth to which an order can be established. Acknowledging this, I have endeavoured to be specific in my research of both cultures, then continued in a more general fashion to establish some basis of commonality that is applicable to universal pre-industrial cities. The report comprises three key parts: 1: An investigation of Renaissance Pre-Muslim Indian cities, through current fundamental ideology, the city transformation and the cosmos they inhabit. 2: Descriptive and analytical cases of city forms precedented by preceding and following sections. 3: A final conclusion which draws parallelisms and differentiations in terms of conscious intentions, geometries and concentricity. Part one is instended to establish a basis for the comparison carried out in part three. Part two identifies what was realised as to what was expounded in part one.