Early Renaissance
-By
Manish [Link]
Raja Babu
Renaissance architecture
It is the European architecture of the period between the early 14th and
16th centuries
Stylistically, Renaissance architecture followed Gothic architecture and
was succeeded by Baroque architecture.
Developed first in Florence, with Filippo Brunelleschi as one of its
innovators, the Renaissance style quickly spread to other Italian cities,
France, Germany, England, Russia and other parts of Europe.
Renaissance style places emphasis
on symmetry, proportion, geometry and the regularity of parts
Orderly arrangements of columns, pilasters and lintels, as well as the use
of semicircular arches, hemispherical domes, niches and aedicula
Early Renaissance (1400-1500 )
-importance of the upper
bourgeoisie increased (merchants,
bankers)
- Expansion of industry and world
trade; voyages of exploration begin
- Commercial and financial
dominance of Flanders and Italy
- Increased patronage of the arts
by wealthy individuals
Culture
As a cultural movement, it encompassed a resurgence of
learning based on:
•classical sources
•the development of linear
perspective in painting
•gradual but widespread
educational reform.
Although the Renaissance
saw revolutions in many
intellectual pursuits, as well as
social and political upheaval, it
is perhaps best known for its
artistic developments
Developments
The invention of the compass and
the development of new
techniques in shipbuilding.
Printing press led to a higher
literacy rate
Discovery of Perspective : had a
profound effect of art,
architecture and civic design
during and after the Renaissance.
"Man is the measure of all
things.“ - Protagoras
Characteristics
Plans were square,
symmetrical appearance in
which proportions are
usually based on a module
which is often the width of
an aisle
(Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Mantua by Alberti)
Characteristics
Arches :
semi circular
often used in arcades, supported on
piers or columns with capitals
Vaults :
do not have ribs.
They are semicircular or segmental and
on a square plan, unlike the Gothic
vault which is frequently rectangular.
(Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Mantua by Alberti)
Characteristics
The Roman orders of
columns are used:- Tuscan,
Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and
Composite which can be
structural or decorative
Details -courses, mouldings
and all decorative details are
carved with great precision.
Old Sacristy, Brunelleschi
Characteristics
Dome : is a very large
structural feature that is
visible from the exterior,
and also as a means of
roofing smaller spaces
where they are only
visible internally.
- the dome is used frequently
Florence Cathedral’s Dome, Brunelleschi
Characteristics
Façades :
are symmetrical around their vertical axis
- Church façades are generally
surmounted by a pediment and
organized by a system of
pilasters, arches and entablatures
Cathedral of Pienza, Rossellino
Characteristics
Façades :
Domestic buildings are often
surmounted by a cornice
- There is a regular repetition
of openings on each floor, and
Palladian Villas
the centrally placed door is
marked by a feature such as a
balcony, or rusticated
surround
Palazzo Rucellai,
Alberti
Characteristics of Elements
Ceilings - roofs are fitted with Doors - usually have square lintels, set within
flat or coffered ceilings, frequently an arch or surmounted by a triangular or
painted segmental pediment
Characteristics of Elements
Walls - external walls are generally
of highly finished ashlar masonry, laid
in straight courses, the corners of
buildings are often emphasised by
rusticated quoins, basements and
ground floors were often rusticated
Quoining on the
corners of Palazzo
Aragona
Gonzaga, Rome.
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Michelozzo di
Bartolomeo
Rustication
A popular decorative
treatment of the
Renaissance palazzo
was rustication, in
which a masonry wall
is textured rather than
smooth.
Construction Materials
In early Renaissance
construction used
materials like stone,
marble, terracotta tile and
stucco (a mortar mixture)
-Watermills were used to
saw timber and convert
trees to planks
Filippo Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 1446)
foremost architects and engineers of the
Italian
Renaissance. He is perhaps most famous for
his
discovery of perspective and for
engineering the dome of the Florence
Cathedral, but his accomplishments also
include other architectural works, sculpture,
mathematics, engineering and even ship
design. His principal surviving works are to
be
found in Florence, Italy.
The Florence Cathedral dome (1436)
by Filippo Brunelleschi
•Employed the Gothic pointed arch
cross section instead of a semi
circular one
•To reduce dead load, he created a
double shell as was done in the
Pantheon
•Employed 24 vertical ribs and 5
horizontal rings of sandstone, as
observed in the ruins of Roman
construction
•The cupola on top was a temple of
masonry acting as a weight on top of
the dome.
The Foundling Hospital, 1421-1444
by Filippo Brunelleschi
•Considered as the first building of the
Renaissance.
•Featured a continuous arcade
• At the hospital the arcading is three
dimensional, creating a loggia with
domed
vaults in each bay.
• Use of Corinthian columns across its
main facade and around an internal
courtyard.
• The design was based in Roman
architecture.
The Palazzo Medici, Florence 1444
•Rustication- stone blocks with •It was the first such cornice since ancient
deeply recessed chamfered joints times.
•Had three tiers of graduated textures, •The building reflected Renaissance
rock-faced stone at the street level, ideals of symmetry, the use of classical
smooth ashlar at the third level below elements and careful use of
a 10-ft high cornice. mathematical proportions.
The Palazzo Medici is a Renaissance palace located in Florence
The Tempietto, Rome (begun 1502)
•Built for King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella of Spain
•The erection of a monument atop
the spot where St Peter was
believed to have been martyred.
•The building is a 2-story cylinder
capped by a hemispherical dome
and surrounded by a one-story
Doric colonnade with entablature
and balustrade.
•The metope panels of the frieze
displays symbols connecting the
current authority of the Pope to
the
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