Ten Architectural Niches Around the World Quiz

Answer: Norman

While large, rounded arches are only one part of this architectural wave which commenced nearly a millennium ago, Norman stylings cropped up mainly in what is now the United Kingdom. Found in larger structures like castles, churches, and cathedrals, particularly the great abbeys of Britain, Norman architects valued vast, open space and based their works on that being done by the French on the channel coast. All of this was just a reflection of a larger movement occurring at the time, the Romanesque, which spanned Europe and influenced buildings from Poland to Spain to Croatia and everywhere in between, making it the widest-scale architectural period in Europe since Ancient Roman times. Buildings of this style use rounded, semicircular arches, large, Corinthian-inspired pillars, and expensive stone vaulted ceilings.

Answer: Paris, France

Gothic architecture was a major wave in Europe following the Romanesque Period and to this day it's a major sight to be seen when visiting European churches, particularly those in Germany, France, and the UK. Like Romanesque architecture before it, Gothic was characterized by large, open spaces, usually upward to majestic vaulted ceilings. Where rounded arches predominated the Romanesque, Gothic turned to the pointed arch. Famous Gothic buildings include Notre-Dame Cathedral, Amiens Cathedral, and Lyon Cathedral-- all in France. Most are notably tall. Due to a revived interest in Gothic architecture in later centuries, Gothic structures can also be found in the Americas from the parliament buildings in Ottawa, Canada to cathedrals in Brazil.

Answer: Due to rapid colonization and religious spread

At this point in history, Europe continued to move outwards, exploring new parts of the world into the 16th and 17th century and bringing with them general aesthetics and religious belief. After the Renaissance, Baroque opted to make more dramatic buildings, often to demonstrate the worship and spread of Catholicism; the movement started in Italy.

While these structures emerged all around Europe as far east as Moscow and as far north as Stockholm, it also made early appearances in Portuguese-occupied India and the cathedrals of Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina, mainly due to rapid colonization and missionary efforts around the globe.

Answer: World War I

Although this was a time of technological advancement, particularly in the way of entertainment (i.e., cinema), perhaps the biggest influence on the Expressionists was World War I which, while providing for a darker view of the world at the time, opened up to the optimism of the Roaring Twenties. Architecture reflected this Modernist view as the decades wore on, especially in Germany, where an eagerness to branch out, innovate, and break free was apparent, at least until the reign of the Nazis and World War II when Expressionism was considered a major negative; the style took a fall until well after the Second World War ended. Famous Expressionist structures over the years have included the Sydney Opera House, the Bilbao Guggenheim, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Answer: Russia

As Communism grew in what was ultimately the Soviet Union, the interest in Constructivism also grew. This style, known for its social function as well as its fascination with lines and material, characterized the region until Stalin's major prominence in the 1930s. Nonetheless, this Russia-centric form of architecture was most definitely a sign of the times during the region's increasingly-red Modernist period.

The buildings of this era make great use of space with robust size and numerous windows.

Answer: Bauhaus

Although Bauhaus became an important influence on European (specifically German) architecture shortly after World War I, the style was snuffed out at the advent of the Second World War, mainly due to its disfavour amongst the Nazis. The aesthetic of Bauhaus originated in a single school, Staatliches Bauhaus and soon spread, but the basic premise involved removing the gildings and overabundant flourishes of other Modernist styles (e.g., Art Deco) to provide structures of both appealing form and function; builders simply built to accomplish the act of building.

Answer: Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur

International Style was, like others of the same era, a response to the garishness of Modernist aesthetic. Instead of including the ornamentation and gilding of the 1920s, this movement focused on providing simple, sizable, functional buildings. What resulted was a number of (what some have considered) sterile, boxy landmarks though, over time, they have shaped skylines in many cities in North America. The International Style became a standard in Canada and the U.S. (though it appeared worldwide) until waning in the 1970s.

The Petronas Towers, the twin towers of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are Postmodern structures.

Answer: Technology

Art Deco emerged before and during World War II at a time when innovation was almost certainly on the rise. Although much of the globe was struggling with economic depression and downturn, mass production and industrialization had already made their mark; Art Deco was a reflection of this, exemplified in straight angles, perfect symmetries, and a certain boldness to decor.

It was of particular importance to the development of New York City but it can be found all around the world from the Empire State Building and 30 Rock in New York to the commerce buildings in Mumbai, India to El Cristo Redentor in Brazil. Miami, Florida in particular is known for its heavy use of Art Deco in its structures though with different colour palettes.

Answer: False

Taking a leaf from the book of Expressionist architecture, deconstructivists strove to break themselves away from the norm, exploring the general feel of a building and experimenting with typical form and structure. As such, many Expressionist buildings (like those by Frank Gehry) also take elements from Deconstructivism.

These buildings are not cookie-cutter; they are often abstract, formed by odd shapes and styles, and singularly unique.

Answer: Solar panels

With rising ecological concerns at the turn of the century, architects turned to creating multi-use structures, some of which would act as eco-friendly residences and commercial buildings. Solar panels, greenhouses, and recycled materials are all major additions in this generation (though not all are necessary); the general goal is to create sustainable environments which reduce emissions, create energy, etc. Buildings around the world, from New York to China and everywhere in between, have collected rainwater, made their own energy, and recreated the standard for 'green building'.