20 Opinion Essay Topics: How to Write about the History of Architecture in an Interesting Way

It is a known fact that the content of an essay is determined by the subject matter to be discussed but its structure relies heavily on the topic you choose. Therefore, when writing an opinion essay, the first step to shaping your opinion and that of the reader starts with selecting a topic that wakes up the urge to learn in the reader.

Writing on the history of architecture is a task that can be simplified if a topic that truly interests the reader is chosen. This article will attempt to provide you with some topics on the history of architecture which will serve as a portal into learning more about ancient cultures and their influences on the architecture of their time.

1. Dissecting the Role of Ancient Cultures in Driving Architectural Growth
2. Architecture in the Neolithic Era and the Birth of Modern Architectural Designs
3. Neolithic Architecture and its Role in Human Creative Growth
4. Spotting Religious Influences in Ancient Architectural Design
5. Understanding the Importance of Religion in Ancient Architecture and Creative Design
6. The Effects of Roman Architectural Innovations to Urban Planning
7. Outlining the Architectural Innovative Feats of the Roman Era
8. Discussing Islamic Architecture and the Cultures that Influenced it
9. The Unchanging Face of Chinese Architecture through the Years
10. Chinese Architecture and its far-reaching Influence Over Asia
11. The Incan Architecture and the History of Suspension Bridges
12. European Medieval Architecture and its Religious Influences
13. The Need for Defense and Offense in Ancient Societies and Medieval Architecture
14. Gothic Architecture and the Rise of the Christian Religion in Europe
15. The Rise of Renaissance Architecture and the Structures it Inspired
16. The Spread of Italian Renaissance Architecture and its Impact in 16^th Century Europe
17. The Impact of Aksumite Architecture across The Sahel Region
18. The Spread of Gothic Architecture and the Role of French Architects
19. A Study of African Architecture and its External Influences
20. The Incan Architectural Feats and its Impact on Asian South American structures

Above are the topics on the history of architecture which you can use to develop your opinion essay on ancient cultures and the architectural revolutions they birthed. You can choose any of the listed topics as yours or seek some inspiration from them. Also, we intend to provide a sample essay using a topic listed above as the inspiration behind it. So please stay tuned to learn more about writing a great essay. Lastly, facts from the complimentary article which provides 10 facts for an opinion essay on the history of architecture will be used in developing the sample essay in the coming paragraphs.

Sample Essay: Dissecting the role of Ancient Architecture Cultures in Driving Architectural Growth

The history or architecture through the ages has been replete with the cultural beliefs of the people who created the structures that defined bygone eras. In my essay, I intend to explore the role of culture as a determining factor in advancing the field of architecture as we know it.

To effectively discuss culture and ancient architectural growth, I believe it is important to first understand the meaning of culture and what makes up the cultural fabric of a society. Culture is defined as the ideas, customs, religious beliefs and social behavioral patterns of a society. As man evolved from being a solitary creature to living in communities, cultural values slowly became established and were represented by art works on cave walls. With time, circa 10,000 BC, the Stone Age witnessed the first time man created architectural structures to serve as housing for the family unit.

As with the art forms that defined the Stone Age, 10,000 BC architecture was also inspired by the culture of its people. Therefore, architecture in the Neolithic era consisted of stone works arranged in circular form to accommodate both prehistoric man and the domesticated animals they kept for feeding. Here, the farming and gathering culture prevalent in the Neolithic age led to partitioning the home into rooms and sections for the keeping of both plant and animal life. The need for constant trips to water grounds and to gather food also played a role in advancing the creation of road paths for easy movement.

The cultural influence on architecture also continued after the prehistoric era as can be seen in the architectural forms known as Mesopotamia architecture. In ancient Egypt, the belief in multiple gods and their direct influence on every sphere of human life led to the need to create elaborate homes for these gods on earth. Therefore religion played a huge role in architectural innovation as large monuments such as the Sphinx statues—tributes to the god Ra—were ingeniously built with the use of stone, mortar as well as advanced pulley systems which were marvels at that time.

European architecture is not also bereft of cultural influences. In ancient Rome, large temples were also built to accommodate the many gods that influenced the roman society. But the architects in ancient Rome took innovation a step further by building civic structures such as the amphitheatre, triumphant arch, baths and gladiatorial grounds to cater for the entertainment, learning and relaxation needs of humans. While in medieval Europe, a culture of warring, annexation and external aggression led to the building of architectural marvels dedicated to the art of defending and attacking the enemy.

With the advent of Christianity and the Christian way of life, the architectural landscape of Europe changed to accommodate the building of large cathedrals using ancient roman patterns as well as the Italian renaissance techniques which integrated perspective in architectural pieces to inspire the people. Islamic architecture also took inspiration from the architecture of ancient Iran as can be seen from the recurrent use of large domes and spires in the building of mosques.

Finally, African architecture in the colonial era is a great indication of the effects of culture in architecture. This is because it integrated African, European, Christian, Arabic and Islamic cultures in the architectural masterpieces that can be seen across the continent.

References:

1. Fletcher, B. (1961). A History of architecture on the Comparative Method. 1st ed. New York: Scribner.
2. Harland, J. and Bell, W. (2003). The Architecture of Ancient Greece: An Account of Its Historic Development. The Classical Weekly, 46(16), p.242.
3. Sales Carbonell, J. (2014). Roman Spectacles Buildings as a Setting for  Martyrdom and its Consequences in Christian Architecture . Journal of Ancient Architecture and Archaeology.
4. Buiskikh, A. (2007). On the Question of the Stylistic Influences reflected in the Architecture and Art of Chersonesos: ‘Snake-legged Goddess’ or Rankenfrau. Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia, 13(3), pp.157-181.
5. Shilliam, R. (2015). Colonial Architecture or Relatable Hinterlands? Locke, Nandy, Fanon, and the Bandung Spirit. Constellations, 23(3), pp.425-435.
6. Williams, K. (2014). Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt by Giulio Magli. Nexus Network Journal, 16(3), pp.825-828.
7. Amirkhani, A., Okhovat, H. and Zamani, E. (2010). Ancient Pigeon Houses: Remarkable Example of the Asian culture crystallized in the architecture of Iran and central Anatolia. Asian Culture and History, 2(2).