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HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2 - MIDTERM - BAROQUE &
REVIVALARCHITECTURE prepared by: arch.castronuevoBAROQUE
ARCHITECTURE- architecture of the curved lineGeneral Features The
fundamental characteristic of Baroque art is dynamism (a sense of
motion). Strong curves, rich decoration, and general complexity are
all typical features of Baroque art. While the full-blown Baroque
aesthetic (full Baroque) was embraced in southernWestern
Europe, northernWestern Europe struck a classical-Baroque
compromise (restrainedBaroque).
The full Baroque aesthetic emerged during the Early Baroque (ca.
1600-25), then culminatedduring the High Baroque (ca. 1625-75);
both periods were led by Italy.
The restrained Baroque aesthetic culminated during the Late
Baroque (ca. 1675-1725). The Baroque age concluded with the
French-born Rococo style (ca. 1725-1800), in which the
violence and drama of Baroque was quieted to a gentle, playful
dynamism. The Late Baroque and Rococo periods were led by
France
phase of the Baroque age leading regionEarly Baroque (ca.
1600-25) ItalyHigh Baroque (ca. 1625-75)Late Baroque (ca.
1675-1725) FranceRococo (ca. 1725-1800)
Baroque architecture is distinguished primarily by richly
sculpted surfaces. Whereas Renaissance architects preferred planar
classicism (flat surfaces veneered in
classical elements), Baroque architects freely moulded surfaces
to achievethree-dimensional sculpted classicism.
And while the surface of a Renaissance building is typically
neatly divided into sections (inaccordance with classical clarity
and order), a Baroque surface is treated asa continuous whole.
Indeed, a Renaissance facade often consists of many similar
sections, such that one's eye isnot drawn to any particular part of
the building.
A Baroque facade, on the other hand, often features an
attention-grabbing concentration ofrich elements (e.g. curved
walls, columns, blind arches, statues, relief sculpture) around
acentral entrance.
Churches are the most splendid formof Baroque architecture in
Italy,while chateaux (country mansions) are the outstanding Baroque
works of France.
England should also be noted in a discussion of Baroque
architecture, for two reasons. Firstly,this period featured
Christopher Wren, often considered the greatest of all English
architects.
Wren designed many of London's buildings after the Great Fire,
including his masterpiece, StPaul's Cathedral.
Secondly, theBaroque agewitnessed the rise of Palladian style
architecture in England, whichbecamemassively popular during the
subsequent Neoclassical period.
EARLY BAROQUE1) Carlo Maderno The foremost pioneer of Baroque
architecture Hismasterpiece is the facade of Saint Peter's
Basilica
(RIGHT), Vatican City. (Constructed under variousarchitects
throughout the sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies, Saint Peter's
features a mixtureof Renaissance and Baroque components, the
facadebeing one of the latter.)
The facade of Saint Peter's contains a number of typical
Baroque elements, including double columns (close-set pairs of
columns), layeredcolumns, colossalcolumns(columns thatspanmultiple
stories),and brokenpediments (in which thebottomand/or top of
apediment features a gap,often with ornamentationthat "bursts
through" thepediment).
All of these elements werepioneered during the LateRenaissance,
in mannerist architecture.
St Peter's also makes extensive use of coffered ceilings, a
common feature of monumentalWestern architecture. (A "coffer" is a
sunken ceiling panel, typically square, rectangular, oroctagonal in
shape.)
HIGH BAROQUE2) Gian Lorenzo Bernini Famous works found at St
Peter's. One is the
four-story baldachin that stands over thehigh altar. (A
baldachin is an indoor canopyover a respected object, such as an
altar orthrone.) The other is the curving colonnadesthat frame St
Peter's Square.
His most famous building is likely the smallchurch of
Sant'Andrea alQuirinale (RIGHT)("Saint Andrew's onQuirinal Hill").
Quirinal hill is one of the"seven hills of Rome"
3) Francesco Borromini the master of curved-wall architecture.
Though he designed many large buildings,
Borromini'smost famous and influential workmaybethe
small church of San Carlo alle QuattroFontane (LEFT)("Saint
Charles at the FourFountains"). This building is also found on
QuirinalHill.
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HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2 - MIDTERM - BAROQUE &
REVIVALARCHITECTURE prepared by: arch.castronuevoLATE BAROQUE The
Late Baroque marks
the ascent of France asthe heart of Westernculture. Baroque art
ofFrance (and northernEurope generally) tendsto be restrained,
suchthat it can be describedas a classical-Baroquecompromise.
The most distinctiveelement of French Baroque architecture is
the double-sloped mansard roof (a Frenchinnovation)
The most famous Baroque structures of France are magnificent
chateaux (grand countryresidences), greatest of which is the Palace
of Versailles. (below)
One of the largestresidences on earth,Versailles was builtmainly
under LouisXIV, whose patronageof the arts helpedpropel France to
thecrest of Westernculture.
The palace facadeadmirably illustratesthe classical-Baroque
compromise ofnorthern Europe. Thewalls are characterizedlargely
bysimple planarclassicism, althoughthey do containsuch
Baroqueelements as sculptedbusts, a triplestringcourse,
doublepilasters, and colossalpilasters.
Additionally,the mansardroof features a sinuousmetal railing and
richmoulding around thedormer windows. Versailles becameEurope's
model of palace architecture,inspiring similarly grand
residencesthroughout the continent (above,an example of A Russian
Palace inspired byVersailles)
ROCOCO Rococo artists embraced the curves and
elaborate ornament of Baroque, but reigned inits weighty
drama.
The result was a gentle, playful style typified bypastel colours
and delicate, asymmetricaldecoration.
ThoughmostRococo art wascentredin France (thebirthplace of
thestyle), Rococoarchitectureculminatedin Austria
andsouthernGermany,especially in the formof churches
NOTES:
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HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2 - MIDTERM - BAROQUE &
REVIVALARCHITECTURE prepared by: arch.castronuevo18TH - 19TH
CENTURY REVIVALISM: NEOCLASSICISM + ROMANTIC ARCHITECTUREGENERAL
FEATURES As the elaborate age of Baroque and Rococo drewto a close,
appreciation for classical
restraint resurfaced. This trend was accelerated by the
excavation of numerous ancient ruins, both Roman (e.g.
Pompeii) and Greek (e.g. Athens), which rekindled interest in
antiquity and expanded classicalarchitectural
vocabulary.Suchexcavations alsomade clear the distinct
architectural styles ofthe Greeks and Romans.
This finally allowed architects to deliberately design buildings
that were purely Greek, purelyRoman, or a Greco-Roman hybrid.
Concurrent with Neoclassical architecture was the Gothic
Revival, a British-born movement.Gothic Revival (aka Neogothic) may
be considered the architectural manifestationof Romanticism, given
the Romantic affinity for medieval nostalgia and the wild,
fancifulnature of the Gothic style (as opposed to the restraint and
order of classicism). (It should benoted that Gothic construction
had never gone completely dormant inWestern Europe, giventhe
style's suitability for churches and university buildings.)
Neoclassicismand Neogothic flourished acrossWestern Europe
(especially in the north) andthe United States, and to a lesser
extent in Eastern Europe.
Both aesthetics thrived in the formof sacred and secular
architecture. Indeed, construction in these styles diminishedonly
gradually in the twentieth century, and even
continues (to a limited extent) to this day Formost of history,
temples (buildings for religious ceremony) and palaces (grand
residences)
served as the leading forms of monumental architecture. During
the Neoclassical/Romantic era,these building types were superseded
by government architecture (e.g. legislatures, courts,public
service buildings, schools) and commercial architecture (e.g.
office and apartmentbuildings, performing arts centres,
transportation terminals). Today, government andcommercial
buildings dominate cityscapes the world over
It should be noted that while Neoclassical and Neogothic
architecture were the main focus ofthis period (ca. 1750-1900),
they were accompanied by a variety of less popular styles.
Inaddition to Gothic, Romanesque was also revived; the resulting
style is known specificallyas Neoromanesque, though the
term"Neogothic" is often stretched to include it. Likewise, theterm
"Neoclassical" is often stretched to include the Neobaroque
aesthetic.
This period also featured significant influence fromnon-Western
art and architecture.Elements were borrowed from such exotic
traditions as Islamic, Indian, Chinese, and Egyptian
THREE MAIN TYPES1. Temple style buildings - were uncommon during
the Renaissance; architects of that periodfocusedmainly on applying
classical elements to churchesandmodernbuildings (e.g. palazzos,
villas).
Temple style architecture exploded during the Neoclassical
age,thanks largely to wider familiarity with classical ruins.
Manytemple style buildings feature a peristyle (a continuous lineof
columns around a building), which is rarely found inRenaissance
architecture.The most famoustemple stylebuildings of
theNeoclassical agemay be
the Panthon (ABOVE)(Paris, by Jacques-GermainSoufflot) and the
British Museum (RIGHT) (London, by Robert Smirke). The formeris
Roman-based (modelled after the Pantheon in Rome), while the latter
is Greek-based.
The Rotunda, University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson
(1822-26)
2. Palladian architecture - is derived fromthe villas of Andrea
Palladio, the greatest architect ofthe Late Renaissance. Palladio,
like famousartists generally, was followed bymany successors who
absorbed and workedin his style The most famous Palladian architect
of
the Neoclassical period isBritain's Robert Adam, who
designedmany fine country houses. Thesemansions illustrate that
while Palladianarchitecture shares certain basicfeatures (derived
from the villas ofPalladio), it takes diverse forms. For instance,
Adam's design for Osterley Park (above)
includes a classical gateway, corner towers,and a courtyard,
none ofwhichare found inany villa by Palladio. Another
famousexample of Adam's creativity is the facadeof Kedleston Hall
(left), whichmimics atriumphal arch.
The most famous of all Palladianbuildings are two American civic
buildings,the White House and United StatesCapitol. Both were
constructed over long
periods under various architects. The buildings usually feature
a balustrade (a railing with vertical supports) along the edge
of
the roof. (The vertical supports within a balustrade are known
as "balusters" or "spindles".) Thebalustrade is a common classical
method of crowning a building that has a flat/low-lying roof.
Monticello (house in virginia, thomasjefferson (right)
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HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2 - MIDTERM - BAROQUE &
REVIVALARCHITECTURE prepared by: arch.castronuevo
3. CLASSICAL BLOCK A classical block building features a
vast
rectangular (or square) plan, with a flat (orlow-lying) roof and
an exterior rich in classicaldetail.
The exterior is divided into multiple levels, each ofwhich
features a repeated classical pattern,often a series of arches
and/or columns. T
he overall impression of such a building is anenormous,
classically-decorated rectangular block.
(The classical block aesthetic is also known as"Beaux-Arts
style", since it was developedprincipally by the French cole des
Beaux-Arts.)
The leading early practitioner was Henri Labrouste,
whosemasterpiece is the Library ofSainte-Genevive. (RIGHT)
The most famous classical block of all isthe Palais Garnier,
1860-75,a Neobaroqueopera house designed by Charles
Garnier(LEFT)
classical block architecture flourished moststrongly in the
United States, particularly inNewYork
4. GOTHIC REVIVAL The Gothic Revival movement was initiated
in
the late eighteenth century bywealthy Britishpursuing the
Romantic dreamof living in acastle.
Consequently, the earliest Gothic Revivalbuildings were simply
country housesembellished with a veneer of Gothicelements.
Over the ensuing decades, however, architects thoroughlyrevived
the Gothic aesthetic and building techniques, allowingthem to
design authentically Gothic structures.
The style was especially popular for churches and
publicbuildings.
Neogothic buildings feature castellation: crenellated walls
andtowers in imitation of medieval castles. Indeed,
heavilycastellated Neogothic buildings are often referred to as
"castles",even though they never served a defensive purpose
Gothic Revival flourished throughout the West, especiallyin
Britain and the United States.
The two favouredbuilding materials were stone and brick.
The foremost Gothic Revival monument of Britainis Westminster
Palace (aka the Houses ofParliament (1839-52) ), by Charles Barry
(LEFT)
the crowning American work is St. Patrick'sCathedral (NewYork)
1858-79 , by James Renwick(ABOVE)
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BAROQUEARCHITECTURE-architectureofthecurvedlGeneralFeatures