History and philosophy of Architecture IV
LECTURE 03
Course Instructor: Ar.Zain Zulfiqar & Ar. Rafia Gulzar
Going back to the roots….Revival of the classics
• The Renaissance period witnessed
a great revival in interest in antiquity
in terms of thought, art, and
architecture.
Features of Renaissance buildings include
the use of
• Revival of interest in the classical orders
• Mathematically precise ratios of height
and width
• A desire for symmetry, proportion, and
harmony between the proportions of the
human body and those of their
architecture.
• Columns, pediments, arches and domes
are imaginatively used in buildings of all
types.
Vitruvian Man – Drawn by Leonardo Davinci
Timeline
• Renaissance architecture was an evolving
movement that is, today, commonly divided
into three phases:
• Early Renaissance (c. 1400 onwards), the first
tentative reuse of classical ideas
• High Renaissance (c. 1500), the full-blooded
revival of classicism
• Mannerism (aka Late Renaissance, c. 1520-30
onwards) when architecture became much
more decorative and the reuse of classical
themes ever more inventive.
A few examples of important buildings:
• St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
• Tempietto of Rome
• The dome of Florence's cathedral
Tempietto of Rome
Points of reference for the study…..
• The first and most obvious point of study for
Renaissance architects was the mass of Greco-
Roman ruins still seen in southern Europe,
especially, of course, in Italy.
• Basilicas, Roman baths, Aqueducts,
amphitheaters, and temples were in various
states of ruin but still visible. Some structures, like
the Pantheon (c. 125 CE) in Rome, were
exceedingly well-preserved. Architects studied
these buildings, took measurements, and made
detailed drawings of them.
• They also studied Byzantine buildings (notably
domed churches), features of Romanesque
architecture and medieval buildings.
• For many Italian architects, the Gothic style was
regarded as an invasive 'northern' invention
which 'corrupted' Italian traditions.
• In many ways, then, Renaissance architecture
was a return to Italy's roots, even if medieval
architecture was never wholly abandoned.
Points of reference for the study…..
• A second point of study was surviving ancient
texts, most particularly, On Architecture by the
Roman architect Vitruvius (c. 90 - c. 20 BCE).
Written between 30 and 20 BCE, the treatise
combines the history of ancient architecture and
engineering with the author's personal
experience and advice on the subject.
• The first printed editions came out in Rome in
1486. Renaissance architects pored over this
work, studied the emphasis on symmetry and
mathematical ratios, and in many cases, even
tried to build structures that Vitruvius had only
described in words.
• Perhaps an even greater effect was that Vitruvius
inspired many Renaissance architects to write
their own treatises. Vitruvias
Contemporary Influences
• Influences didn’t only have to come from other
architects;
• Drawings and prints spread new concepts far and
wide so that those unable to see new buildings in
person could study developing trends.
• The Florentine painter and sculptor Michelangelo
(1457 – 1564) created some of the most famous of
all Renaissance artworks, and these were hugely
influential on later artistic styles. His bold and
decorative reimagining of classical figures in art also
influenced architects, encouraging them to try new
ideas in mixing up classical elements and making
them more decorative.
• Michelangelo was himself directly involved in
architecture. His Laurentian Library, San Lorenzo, Michelangelo
Florence (1525) with its 46-metre (150 ft) long
reading room, was a triumphal combination of
aesthetics and function - two inseparable ideas for
Renaissance architects.
The Revival of Classical orders
• This architectural language was formally
canonized by Sebastiano Serilo (1475-
1554) in his Seven Books on
Architecture, a hugely influential
theoretical and practical work). Serlio
formulated the five classical orders, the
fifth having first been identified c. 1450
by the architect and scholar Leon
Battista Alberti (1404-1472).
• These orders are: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian, and the fifth, Composite (a
mix of Ionic and Corinthian elements).
• A diagram showing the five classical
orders as classified by the Italian
Renaissance architect Sebastiano
Serilo Left to right: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian and Composite. From Book IV
of Serlio's 'Complete Works
on Architecture & Perspective
Details of classical orders Origins of the Corinthian column
Filippo Brunelleschi
• Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446)
• The father of Renaissance architecture.
• Born in 1377 in Florence and trained as a
goldsmith and metalworker. Filippo had been
educated with the intention of following in his
father's footsteps as a lawyer he also studied
Mathematics and literature.
• Brunelleschi was so influenced by ancient Roman
ruins that he and his friend, Donatello, travelled to
Rome to study them completing many
measurements and drawings on their journey.
• Interested in the study of linear perspective and
achieving a harmonious simplicity of form in
buildings which also considered the immediate
environment in which they were constructed.
• Emphasis on classical proportions, simple
geometry, and harmony were prime considerations
in what became a new architectural language.
CATHEDRAL OF
SANTA MARIA
The idea and plan for the entire building
had been conceived in 1293, before the
Renaissance period, however the
technology to complete the dome did not
yet exist.
It was not until Fillipo Brunelleschi that the
Cathedral was finally given a dome, more
than a century later.
Brunelleschi came up with a daring
approach to vault the dome space without
any scaffolding by using a double shell with
a space in between.
With over 4 million bricks, a diameter
45.52m and height of 90m, it was the
largest dome in the world until 1881.
Andrea Palladio
• Andrea Palladio (1508-1580 CE) was an
Italian Renaissance architect most famous
for the villas he designed in and around
Vicenza and two large churches in Venice.
• Palladio made his visit to Rome where he
was able to study first-hand the surviving
buildings from ancient Rome and examples
of High Renaissance Architecture such as the
Tempietto of San Pietro by Donato
Bramante (c. 1444-1514 CE), completed c.
1510 CE.
• Palladio was interested in capturing the
symmetry and proportions seen in the
buildings of ancient Rome.
• He wrote an influential work on architecture:
Four books on Architecture.
Pedimented porticoes with classical spacing for
optical illusion
Andrea Palladio
• Palladio blended elements of classical
architecture, particularly the orders, to
create harmonious buildings and was so
successful that he became the foremost
architect in northern Italy.
• He combined this practical study with an
appreciation of the writings of the Roman
architect Vitruvius (c. 90 - c. 20 BCE) and
the newly published but already
influential works on architecture
by Sebastino Serilo (1475-1554 CE).
• Palladio would put all of these ideas
together to imitate and reimagine the
severity and grandeur of Roman
architecture in his own unique buildings.
Elevation development based on module
Andrea Palladio
• Completely symmetrical plan with
hexastyle, or pedimented porticoes, on
each of four sides and central circular
halls surmounted by domes.
• Roofed porch supported by columns
The Palladian Arch
Basiclica Pilladiana
MANNERISM
• A style that emerged in the High
Renaissance, roughly from 1520 to
1600.
• A deliberate departure from the
balance, harmony, and naturalism of
High Renaissance ideals.
• Characterized by artificiality,
complexity, and a sense of
unease.
Pedimented porticoes with classical spacing for
optical illusion
• Violation of Classical Rules:
• Intentional distortions and manipulations of classical architectural orders.
• Exaggerated Ornamentation: Abundance of decorative elements, often with a
sense of playful invention.
• Unusual Spatial Relationships: Complex and ambiguous spaces, challenging
traditional perspectives.
• Emphasis on Artifice: Prioritizing artistic invention over naturalistic
representation.
• Playful use of surprise: Hidden meanings, and unexpected views.
Pedimented porticoes with classical spacing for
optical illusion
• CONCLUSIONS
Style Time Key Idea Look/Feel Examples
Rediscoveri
Orderly, Florence
Early ng classic
1400s clear, Cathedral
Renaissance Roman
simple Dome
rules
Perfecting Harmonious
High
Early 1500s balance and , grand, Tempietto
Renaissance
beauty ideal
Breaking
Complex, Laurentian
Mid-late rules for
Mannerism distorted, Library,
1500s artistic
surprising Palazzo
effect
Pedimented porticoes with classical spacing for
optical illusion
ASSINGMENT # 3
SKETCH | STUDY | COMPARE
GOTHIC VS RENAISSANCE
DUE- 12TH MARCH WEDNESDAY
