After reading the dome and understanding why it is used in Drop City to promote communal and creative spaces, I wanted to first analyze why domes are used here for shared spaces, what makes it different than any other type of enclosure? What other history of architecture examples used domes and why?
“All living and non-living units take their forms from a balance of energies. On a physical plane these forces come into nearly perfect balance in the sphere. It is the most efficient way to enclose a volume. A dome – a part of a sphere is the most efficient way to cover a surface” quote taken from the reading explaining the main reason why dome is a reoccurring feature for the buildings in Drop City. We understand that the architects of drop city believed that the triangle is the “strongest structural element known” and further details that “cubical buildings are structurally weak and uneconomical”. The architects here are emphasizing on the symbolism of the dome and how it used to create an atmosphere that don’t constrict the mind and it helps in opening up ideas and perceptions and expand the approach to creativity.
Furthermore, I see a lot of similarities between the Drop City’s decision to use the dome to enclose structures and the way mosques are also enclosed using domes. Domes actually originate from around the Middle East and although it was never a requirement written in the Quran, mosques in our modern day all have domes and it has actually become one of the mosque’s biggest stylistic features. Furthermore, the dome is a symbolic representation of the sky’s and heavens furthermore creating connection with god through geometry There are no pictures drawn on them since Islam prohibits the drawing of living beings. Which is different to the way the other abrahamic religions use realistic figurative depictions in their places of worship to connect them to their higher powers. The dome which is called Quba when found in mosques is usually found placed next to the qibla wall, connect the people to the holiest section of the mosque and leads to the direction of the holiest Islamic site, which is the Kaaba in Mecca. In addition, the keeps Muslims in the world connected through the domes Quba(dome) and the Qibla(Direction of the Kaaba) wherever they are in the world.
