Choose the sentences which correspond to the contents of the text

1) Baroque is a term applied to European Art of the early 15^th century.

2) The word “baroque” was used to describe an irregular or imperfectly shaped pearl only.

3) The Baroque style was concerned with bright colours, hidden light sources and contrasting surface textures.

4) Cheap materials were used during the Baroque period.

5) The Rococo is considered to be the late phase of the Baroque.

6) The Rococo style is assumed to have appeared in France.

7) During the Rococo period there was no more integration of architecture, painting and sculpture.

Answer the questions

1) How is the word “Baroque” defined?

2) What are the main features of the Baroque?

3) What outstanding Baroque architects do you know?

4) When did the Rococo appear?

5) What are typical characteristics of the Rococo?

4. Use the clichés from ex. 5, p. 14 and write the retelling of the text “Baroque and Rococo”

Text 3

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High-tech style

Features

High-tech style embraces an industrial look, in which the decor and the building itself are obviously very influenced by technology. High-tech buildings are often created from such materials as heavy steel girders[25], a metal deck plate[26], metal shelves often seen in hospitals and factories, and a concrete structure. The outside of the building, instead of being opaque[27], is often made entirely of windows or mirrored glass, not stressing the decorative outside of the building but revealing the skeleton of the building itself.

Examples

High-tech style can be seen in almost any city in the world.

One of the most well-known examples of high-tech style is the Swiss Re building[28] in London – more commonly known as The Gherkin[29], because of its distinctive, peaked shape. Designed by British architect Norman Foster, the building is the sixth tallest in London, and stands out from the background of centuries-old buildings from miles around. The Gherkin was opened in 2004, and has been featured in a number of television shows and movies, quickly becoming one of London's most recognized modern symbols. Also in London is the Lloyd's Building, which is unique as all of its staircases, elevators, ventilation shafts and piping are on the outside of the building.

Another well-known example is the Bank of China Tower, located in Hong Kong. Designed by architect I.M. Pei, the building was designed to resemble tall, slender shoots of bamboo.

The Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, France, is the home to a massive library, as well as to IRCAM[30], a centre for music research. Color-coded pipes and ventilation shafts figure predominantly on the outside of the building.

Munich's Olympic Stadium also displays a unique high-tech style, with steel cables and domes of glass that were designed to represent mountains and a newer, more modern Germany.

History

High-tech style made its first appearances after World War II. Much of Europe – from England all the way across the continent – had been ravaged[31] by war, leaving countless buildings destroyed. When the time came to rebuild, designers and architects replaced many of the old edifices[32] with ones done in a forward-thinking, new style that was intended to show something new rising from the ashes of destruction.

Also, the postwar era was a time when scientific advances were taking the world by storm, from advances in industrial and medical practices to science and technology. This new world was undeniable[33], and was reflected heavily in the buildings that were being developed at the time.

The name "high-tech style" came about in 1978, and was coined[34] by a pair of home-design specialists: Joan Kron and Suzanne Slesin. Their book, "High Tech: The Industrial Style and Source Book for The Home," shared ideas for bringing the high-tech look into the home.

Date: 2016-01-05; view: 1137