We live in the 21st century and do not think that the buildings, monuments and structures surrounding us were built according to architectural designs. If cities with a centuries-old past, their architecture preserves the era and style of those distant years when temples, palaces and other structures were built. Definitely, everyone can say what architecture is. This is all that surrounds us. And, in part, he will be right. We will talk more about architecture in an article.
About architecture
And yet, how comprehensive is the meaning of the word architecture? Some people believe that architecture is the construction of buildings, and the architect is the one who builds these buildings, that is, a simple builder. True, a layman who does not understand anything in art can argue this way. In fact, the answer to the question of what architecture is is that it is primarily the art of building buildings. An architect, like an artist or composer, creates masterpieces by investing his soul in them.
The most famous architects, whose names the whole world knows: Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Rafael Santi, Konstantin Melnikov, Alexey Schusev, Alvar Aalto. A modern understanding of architecture is the unique art of building design and layout to create a spatial environment for human life.
Architecture in antiquity
Historically, the countdown is from the architecture of Ancient Egypt. A characteristic feature in the construction of buildings is the slope of the walls, characteristic of residential buildings. Tombs, necropolis, the pyramid of Cheops and Columns - these are all Egyptian architectural monuments.
Pyramids are the most recognizable symbol of ancient Egypt, despite the fact that other civilizations, such as Mayans or Chinese, also used this form. The pyramids in Giza remain impressive monuments thousands of years after their construction. However, the pyramids are not the pinnacle of ancient Egyptian architecture, they only give an understanding of what it was, and what is the architecture of those times.
An important role was played in the development of architecture by Ancient Greece. The main buildings historians include the Acropolis of Athens with the temples included in it: the Parthenon, Apteros and Erechtheion.
Greek architects created some of the best buildings in the Ancient World, and some of their structures, such as temples, theaters and stadiums, became an integral part of the cities. The ancient Greeks are rightfully known for their magnificent Doric and Ionic temples, which went down in the history of architecture. An example is the temple of Athens. It was built in the middle of the 5th century BC, to house a gigantic statue of Athens and advertise the world of glory of Athens. She still stands majestically on the acropolis of the city.
Roman architecture continued the legacy left by earlier architects of the Greek world. The Romans expressed special reverence for the established architectural monuments. Nevertheless, they were great innovators, and quickly mastered new construction methods, using new materials and uniquely combining existing technologies with creative design. Thanks to this, they created a number of new architectural structures: a basilica, a triumphal arch, a monumental aqueduct, an amphitheater, and granaries. Ancient Roman architecture is known to history for buildings based on girders, arches, vaulted and domed structures.
The relationship between architecture and art
The history of architecture has been intertwined with art for centuries. This is confirmed by the following reasons.
- Many religious buildings have been designed with aesthetics as well as functionality in mind. They were created to inspire as well as serve a public function. As a result, they included the services of a wide range of artists and decorative craftsmen, as well as workers.
- In many of these buildings, exteriors and interiors performed:
as display cases for fine art (Sistine Chapel); frieze and relief sculpture (Parthenon, European Gothic cathedrals); stained glass art (Chartres Cathedral); mosaics and metalwork.
3. The architecture of buildings, as a rule, was combined with the development of visual art and was reflected in the corresponding styles of the Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism.
Architecture styles
The legacy that architects of all times around the world have left behind is sometimes difficult to figure out. Let us dwell on the fact that the style is characterized by features that make the building or other structure visible and historically identifiable. What are the features? These may be elements such as form, method of construction, building materials and regional character. That is why the architecture of buildings can be classified as a chronology of styles.
Based on this, it can also be assumed that several styles in different countries could be fashionable, and their change took place gradually. They could go out of fashion, and, sometimes, come back in new interpretations. For example, classicism was revived many times and found a new life as neoclassicism. Each time, during its revival, noticeable differences occurred.
Gothic features
The term gothic means a style of architecture and art. It was introduced in the Renaissance as a derogatory designation of all the architectural art of the Middle Ages. It was considered truly "barbaric", destroying the classical art of antiquity.
The main feature of Gothic architecture is a pointed arch, according to many experts, that arose in Assyrian and then Islamic architecture. This sharpness directed the weight of the ceiling onto the supporting pillars or columns at a much steeper angle than was previously possible with Romanesque rounded arches.
This allowed architects to raise the vaults much higher and, thus, create the impression of reaching the sky. Instead of massive thick walls, small windows and dull interiors, the new buildings of Gothic architecture had thin walls that were often supported by flying buttresses (protruding part of the wall) and huge stained-glass windows, an example of which is Saint-Chapelle (1241-48) in Paris.
Gothic style spread
The building, which marks the true beginning of the Gothic era, was the abbey church of Saint-Denis, not far from Paris. Although the pointed arches and columnar clusters were used before, only in Saint-Denis, these features came together as a whole, and the building became a kind of prototype for more churches and cathedrals in the region known as Ile de France. Over time, the Gothic style spread throughout France, England, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The architectural heritage of Gothic architecture are palaces, castles, municipal town halls, guilds, abbeys and universities. This style is best illustrated by Gothic cathedrals:
- In northern France: Notre Dame Cathedral (1163-1345); Reims Cathedral (1211-1275); Chartres Cathedral (1194-1250); Amiens Cathedral (1220-1270).
- In Germany: Cologne Cathedral (1248-1880).
- In Austria: St. Stephen's Cathedral of Vienna.
- In Spain: the cathedrals of Burgos, Toledo and Leon.
- In England: Westminster Abbey and cathedrals: Salisbury, Exeter, Winchester, Canterbury and Lincoln.
Baroque features
At the beginning of the XVI century, a new stylistic direction appeared, the name of which is Baroque (Italian: barocco, lit. - strange, bizarre).
The baroque style in architecture can be considered as more complex, detailed and more ornamented in the Renaissance. More twists, more complicated manipulations of light, color, texture and perspective. If we talk about cathedrals, then on their outer side are more prominent facades, domes, columns, sculptures and other decorations. On the inside - floor plans were more diverse, the ceilings were covered with frescoes.
Baroque is an emotional style that makes full use of the theatrical potential of the city landscape. An example of this is St. Peter's Square (1656-67) in Rome, in front of the domed St. Peter's Basilica. As you approach the cathedral, visitors are given the impression that they are hugged by the hands of the Catholic Church, which causes a feeling of awe.
The spread of baroque in Europe
In general, baroque architecture is part of the struggle for religious excellence, the hearts and minds of fans across Europe. At the political level, this style of architecture was used to support the absolutism of ruling monarchs such as King Louis XIV of France. From Italy, baroque spread throughout the rest of Europe, especially to Catholic countries, where each of them, as a rule, developed its own interpretation.
In England, the leader of the Baroque style was Sir John Vanbrug (1664-1726), the designer of the Blenheim Palace. German baroque spread to Poland, the Baltic countries and, ultimately, to Russia. It bore a significant resemblance to Italian Baroque, with the addition of an even greater tendency towards lush decoration, especially the interior. It also differed from Italian forms in that it avoided sharp contrasts of light and darkness in favor of a more diffused and serene luminosity.
Baroque in Russia
In Russia, Bartolomeo Rastrelli (1700-1771) was mainly responsible for the style known as Russian Baroque, but which included elements of both early neoclassical architecture and Rococo.
Rastrelli designed the Winter Palace (1754-1762), Smolny Cathedral (1748-1757) in St. Petersburg and remade the Catherine Palace outside the city. Many buildings have survived to this day, allowing us to draw conclusions about what architecture and architecture were in Russia in the XVII-XVIII centuries. This is the Golitsyn’s house in Moscow, the stone Pogankin’s chambers in Pskov.
Baroque in France
French architects, like artists, considered themselves professionals dedicated to serving and glorifying their king. They developed the Baroque style, which was more restrained than Italian: the ground plans were less complicated, and the facades were more strict, with great respect for the details and proportions of traditional architectural orders.
The greatest achievement of French Baroque is the Palace of Versailles, built for Louis XIV outside of Paris: a huge U-shaped mass with two long wings, almost not disturbed by small low arcades on the main facade overlooking the garden.
Rococo architecture
During the reign of King Louis XV, a more decorative, playful style of architecture appeared in France, the definition of which is Rococo. Unlike other major architectural movements, such as Romanesque, Gothic or Baroque, Rococo is an interior design. It arose and remained in France, where the wealthy nobles did not want to rebuild houses and castles, preferring instead to rebuild their interiors. As a result, Rococo architects are essentially interior designers. They limited themselves to the creation of carefully decorated rooms with beautiful stucco, frescoes, tapestries, furniture, mirrors, porcelain, silk.
Rococo style in Europe
While the baroque architecture was complex in France, Italy, England, Spain and South America, the milder rococo styles found their fans in Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe and Russia. Although Rococo was mostly limited to interior decoration and decorative art in Western Europe, Eastern Europe was fascinated by Rococo styles both inside and out. Compared to baroque, by definition, Rococo architecture tends to be softer and more elegant. The colors are pale, and curvilinear forms prevail. Catholic Germany, Bohemia and Austria easily adopted the Rococo style, combining it with German Baroque. Fluffy stucco interiors were popular in Turin, Venice, Naples and Sicily.
Rococo in Russia
Catherine I, Empress of Russia from 1725 until her death in 1727, was one of the great women rulers of the 18th century. An example of Rococo architecture is the palace near St. Petersburg, named in her honor - the Catherine Palace (pictured below).
Its construction was started in 1717 by her husband Peter the Great. By 1756, it was expanded specifically to compete with Versailles in France. They say that Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, did not approve of the extravagance of Rococo.
Summing up the above, we can answer the question of what architecture is. This is what makes one wonder and discover new facets, seeing the creations of architects, their masterpieces. Architecture is music in stone.