Stacks, Groups, and Circles

Hi all, your friendly TA Justin here wanting to share with you some of the work I did in History and Theory of Design I and how it may relate to the ideas you all are learning about Circles, Groups and Stacks.

The first thing I would like to bring to your attention is the many different levels of scale layering or stacking can occur at. If you look at the superimposed papyrus column it has several tiny layers of ornamentation placed in a hierarchy of forms across the capital. Yet if you change your focus to the black and white column you also perceive a sense of stacking from the base to the shaft and finally to the capital but you can also count the ornamental bands as a form of sub layering as well as the capital ornamentation stated above.

In the section cut of the hypostyle hall you get a greater perception of the larger context and you can clearly see there is clustering or grouping of columns. Yet again there is a difference in scale between the larger papyrus columns down the center and the lotus columns flanking them on the sides. This cluster of central columns obviously marks the main entrance and progression of movement.

While there is no clearly defined dome in this space, it is not a stretch to consider the columns as a cluster of circles. Perhaps the fewer, monumental papyrus columns contrasted with the majority of smaller lotus columns represent a stratification in society, the majority ruled by the few. Wouldn't this be an ironic twist in our understanding as circles inherently representing uniformity and equality?