The field of architecture has been developing in a certain manner over period of times. What I know is that as soon as people develop, the world develops and the field of architecture develops as well too…
Honestly, there is no such thing as architect thousand years back, this field has not been introduced yet even after the construction of settlements and buildings.
Few thousand years ago, people gathered and form civilizations, those famous like in Egypt, China, etc…they created settlements, and it is the job of the head of villager or settlements to plan the area. Design? No…whatever…this is their response. Design is no important by that time…
Civilizations developed too, they build large and magnificent structures, particularly temples, sacred places, tombs, palaces, etc…Even the construction of these structures are supervised by intellectual people, those knowledgable, like philosopher, priest, warrior, and engineer..Do you know that the profession of engineer came earlier to this world than architect?
Those famous structures are like:
Great Pyramid of Giza (over 5000 years ago) – former world tallest structure.
Parthenon (over 2000 years ago)
Great Wall of China (over 2000 years ago) – world greatest construction.
Tomb of First Emperor (not excavated yet) and Terracotta Warriors (over 2000 years ago)
Colosseum (over 1900 years ago)
Time develops…more and more new materials are produced, more and more new constructing systems are found, more and more people are equipped with knowledge, settlements became giant urban areas, became an area with city , city center, commercial area, trading and port area, etc…Of course, no highrise will be seen yet…however, the profession of architect started to be introduced…
Famous structures are like:
Hagia Sophia (over 1400 years ago)
Borobudur (over 1100 years ago)
Angkor Wat (over 700 years ago) – world largest temple.
Forbidden City (over 600 years ago) – world largest palace.
Taj Mahal (over 300 years ago)
Industrial Revolution arrived…more and more commercial structures are erected…new technology invented day by day, the revolution began fromn Europe and spread to the whole world…
Crystal Palace (over 150 years ago) – destroyed by fire.
Eiffel Tower (over 110 years) – former world tallest structure.
After that, era of skyscrapers began…people started to build highrises, meeting the demand for more working space on a small area in dense city like Chicago and New York City. Taller and taller, reaching for the sky, and so the term of skyscraper is created. Technology did not limit the height of structures.
Chryler Building – former world tallest building, first structure exceeds 300m height.
Empire State Building – former world tallest building for over 40 years, 381m.
Sears Tower – former world tallest building, 442m.
Now comes the era of modernization, which I think began around twenty years back…everything starts to get modern, striking look, and globalized outcome.
Petronas Twin Towers – world tallest twin buildings, 452m height.
Taipei 101 – current world tallest completed building, 509m height.
And now as well as the upcoming near future, maybe between now till 2030, those impossible designs will come to reality, drawings will come to built forms. There will be no more limit to world of architecture that beautifies the world…
Beijing National Stadium – ‘Bird Nest’ Stadium
Burj Dubai – world tallest man made structure, 818m height.
Palm Islands, World Islands,Universe Islands – world largest group of man-made islands.
Hydropolis – world first underwater luxury hotel, planned.
And many more, especially at Dubai, Shanghai, etc…
