Paradigm shift in architecture: Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo

Paradigm shift in architecture: Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo is the Ninth article of a series of articles investigating the paradigm shift in architecture. In the previous eight articles, I have discussed several different papers for academics, researchers, and professionals who have different perspectives on the paradigm shift in architecture.

This article is the continuity of my investigation of the reality of the paradigm shift, its effect on the work environment, and its real characteristics. Here I will start as indicated in my previous articles from ancient history to modern-day’s architecture. The Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo architecture period is the subject of my discussion here.

Renaissance Means rebirth. Renaissance architecture is located in Florence Italy and in later stages spread to most Italy cities and Europe. Many writers wrote various views about the reality of its birth. Peter ¹ Illustrates that the renaissance felt they are returning to the ideals of the forefathers when they tried to clear away the wreckage of the barbarian centuries and to return to the good manner of buildings.

Gilbert ² discusses various factors that participated in the establishment of renaissance architecture and even art, sculpture, and literature. The desire for unity of national states Latin language, exploration of the non-European world, advances in banking and accounting, the rise of philosophical age and discovery systems, and the problems of observations and experience in natural science. The first spark of the renaissance was in art (we will see later), see figure 1.

Many of us know the big amount of online writing about this subject. These writings are written by architects, historians, art specialists, and others who possess great value. Here, I am discussing the appearance of the renaissance where these people provide valuable information about its existence. The crusade’s wars with the east (Muslims) led to interaction and new observations about other cultures and their beliefs and social character. The black death of 1348 started in Africa moving to India and through trade ships to Italy and Europe. The liberation war of Spain from the Muslims led to the discovery of many valuable books that were translated by the Muslims from Latin to Arabic specifically philosophy, math’s, natural science, and physics.

These factors led to the move of many Italians to Spain to read these valuable books which are linked to the Latin language and were considered part of roman valuable intellectual treasures. Other writers relate the renaissance birth also to another factor the division between the Christian world and the need to unify the European world and specifically the Italian world.

Before I dive into the reasons behind this appearance from the architectural point of view here, I present my assessment of this matter.

The reasons presented about the real reasons for the birth of the renaissance do not seem realistic to me from the architect’s point of view. The preceding gothic architecture spread to the specific type of architecture the religious buildings. Many types of architecture lost their architectural importance because of the dominance of the church, cathedral, and other religious types of architecture. The city is not only a church building or cathedral but other types of architectural types like courts, town halls, hospitals, museums, residential, commercial, and even bridges. The Italians felt the disappearance of the great architectural achievement of their ancestors and the reduction of Italian architecture’s Influence within Europe. The dissolution of Italian architecture though they had their spirit in the architectural work of the gothic period.

The Italians wanted to retrieve their influence as before for the long centuries starting from the roman empire to byzantine to Romanesque and early Christian architecture. The creators of this massive and innovative architecture must take the lead and influence other countries’ architecture.

Renaissance architecture flourished in Florence Italy. The great support of the city patronage and their dominant family, the Medici. This family provided great support for painters and sculptors. Many artists and sculptors moved to this city because of that. Gilbert ²  Indicated that many renaissance painters and sculptors received architectural commissions but not reverse this show the influence of art and sculpture on architecture.

The Invention of the Gutenberg printing machine and the movement to translate books written in Arabic and also the printing of Vitruvius’s Book The ten books of architecture are one of the main contributors to the birth of renaissance architecture. Brunelleschi one of the Italian painters (originally) incidentally invented perspective drawing while making drawings of ancient buildings in Rome. Brunelleschi and his contemporaries, though there were great effects by Cimabue, Giotto, and the Pisani, they established renaissance architecture. Brunelleschi’s contribution started with the competition of the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence dome construction that stayed incomplete for more than a century in 1410 As Christy ³ indicates. His solution to the dome construction succeeded to complete the building after 100 years.

Brunelleschi and before him Vitruvius have put the principles of good architecture. Vitruvius’s principles of architecture include the six elements as Payne ⁴ indicates. They include Ordering, design, eurythmy, symmetry, decorum, and allocation or economy.

Renaissance architecture established by Brunelleschi was based on Vitruvius’s principles. Renaissance architecture’s main characteristics are Proportion, symmetry, and harmony (rhythm). These principles obviously were used by the Romans in their architecture and influenced the Byzantine and Romanesque architecture produced by Romans. A very good example of the application of these principles by Brunelleschi is his design for Ospedale degli see figure 2.

Brunelleschi focused on, as many writers of architecture history indicate, establishing for himself a set of standards or principles to follow in conducting architectural design. Other architects Like Palladio, Michellozo, Alberti, Sangallo, and many others have strengthened this type of architecture in their produced architecture buildings.

One good example of applying the new principles of renaissance architecture in designing architectural plans for domestic architecture is the Villa Madama by Sangallo. See figure 3.

Palladio is one of the main contributors to renaissance architecture in Italy. In his work, he has strengthened the directions of the architectural principles of renaissance architecture. His work included the principles of proportion, symmetry, and harmony (rhythm). One of his excellent works is the architecture of the redentore church in Italy see figure 4.

The influence of renaissance architecture spread throughout Europe countries. In these special architectural masterpieces, the architects incorporated the local architectural character in addition to the principles of renaissance architecture.

One of the amazing architectural designs and masterpiece is the palace of justice in Bucharest in Romania. Here we can see the principles of renaissance architecture of symmetry, harmony, and proportion as well as the Romanian local architectural character in the external form elements of the building. See figure 5

Another Europian amazing and wonderful architectural masterpiece is the green gateway in Polland. The design includes the renaissance principles of symmetry, proportion, and harmony adding to that the local polish architectural character of the external form elements. See figure 6

Finally, another distinctive masterpiece of renaissance architecture in Europe is the Holstentor gateway at Lübeck in Germany. Here the Germans focused on showing the strength of the local architecture by showing the dominance of the local material that attracts the viewer to the gateway. See figure 7

In the previous paragraphs, I have illustrated the principals, contributors, and creators of renaissance architecture as well as the main reasons for its birth. The use of the proportion system (as I have shown in my previous article) in Greek architecture in the façade design and architectural plans has influenced roman architecture. The Romans added to the column systems two additional column types which were widely used in roman architecture. Also one of the main elements of roman architecture is the strong axis and symmetrical plans which can be found in façade design as well.

In Renaissance architecture, there is no paradigm shift as the Italians returned to their antique and architectural heritage. They re-established a more organized and formal principle for architects to follow in building architectural design. Builders in the roman empire created various buildings including the renaissance principles in their city but it was not widespread in the country.

The Italians presented in Florence painters, sculptors have made a paradigm shift in terms of establishing a formal education for architecture in schools or private teaching. This was the beginning of the appearance of the formal architectural academic education of architecture.

In the following years, two types of architecture appeared Baroque and Rococo.

Baroque architecture is located in Italy and spread out to European countries. Specialists in the field of art and architecture history relate the birth of this architecture to the rising intervention of the Catholique church (Jesuits) in challenging the protestant church reformation. Though the type is of decorative style it had its influence on architectural design. The general of the Jesuits intervened the church design when it is commissioned to any architect. In general, their effect appeared in removing the isles in the church design and replacing them with small chapels.

Baroque architecture focused on space creation and the relation of the external form of the building to outer space. Every architectural element in renaissance architecture of the static nature become having sub-elements of dynamic features that interact and create internal and external space. Baroque architecture wanted to create a building that impresses the visualizer by incorporating various dynamic elements on its major elements.

Baroque architecture continued the renaissance architecture but added a dynamic sense of the building and interiors with space. See figure 8

Rococo architecture is located in modern geography in France. This type of architecture mainly appeared in the interior decoration of domestic and larger royal chateaus in France. The type of architecture is meant to create illusional and special effects of painting, sculptors, color, and hidden lights of interior decoration.

Million ⁵ description of one of the internal church spaces gives a clear idea of the rococo architecture effect on architectural design rather than decoration. He says SS. Martina e Luca the internal space is of complex spatial experience with screening columns, hidden light sources, illusionistic effects, double domes, and unseen and implied spaces.

References

1. Murray, P. (1970) The architecture of the Italian Renaissance. New York, NY: Schocken Books.
2. Gilbert, C.E. (1974) History of Renaissance art: Painting, sculpture, architecture throughout Europe. New York: Abrams.
3. Anderson, C. (2013) Renaissance architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. Payne, A.A. (2017) Renaissance and baroque architecture. West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell.
5. Millon, H.A. (1961) Baroque Rococo architecture. London: Prentice-Hall International.