Alternatives | Unit Summary

Throughout time, styles and information alternate. Every time something comes back around, some portion of it is done alternatively, and somewhere in the midst of it all, sometimes there is something new. This was made clear in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque design.

After the fall of Rome, most of the Western world was in disarray, with no major empire dominating the landscape. Instead, the ever-strong Catholic Church and the architecture that came with it provided alternatives from one area to another. Yet, at the same time, the principles of Gothic architecture were boundless throughout most of Western Europe. These principles included verticality, integration of light into the interior space, as well as making the walls appear lighter, needing the support of flying buttresses. For Christianity, these principles had strong meaning—light is a symbol of salvation and God, and the verticality reached toward God. The cathedrals were built to glorify God, as well as instill awe and fear into those who worshipped there.

Though many aspects of the Gothic Cathedrals seemed new, they were built upon alternatives of the old. They incorporated the plans of the churches and basilicas of the past, as well as improved up on them. Many ties to the past can be found in the details of these structures, such as the severely stretched Corinthian columns. Also in the details can be found the ways in which an illiterate society was taught scripture, as “The Gothic cathedrals were covered virtually from top to bottom with sculptural representation of biblical stories” (Roth 2007).

As time progressed, an interest emerged in Ancient works. This curiosity and interest leads into the Renaissance. During this time, prevalent architecture alternates away from being only concerned with places of worship and also begins to re-integrate other public buildings as well as private homes. There are two reasons for this: the first being a return to the ancient world; the second being the rise of a wealthy merchant class, who donated money for buildings to be built and who wanted their own homes to be grand. These houses manifested in two forms: the Palazzo and the Villa, the first of which was in the city, the latter was in the country. Both shared a characteristic used in homes for centuries, and still at least somewhat applicable today. The lowest level was the most public and was where commerce was conducted. The second level, known as the piano nobile, was a semi-public space, where guests would be entertained. The third level was the private living quarters of the family. Villas were introduced by Palladio outside of Venice, an alternative city in the fact that it was practically floating in a marsh. In these structures, pieces of the ancient world can be found, such as in the Palazzo Rucellai, on which, “Alberti [remodeling architect] superimposed three orders of pilasters, as the Romans had done in the orders applied to the Theater of Marcellus in Rome and the Colosseum, with Tuscan Doric on the bottom, a variant of Ionic in the middle, and a loosely interpreted Corinthian at the top” (Roth 2007). More boldly, the Villa Capra was built by Palladio to have a temple façade on all four sides, emphasizing the importance of the household.

As the Renaissance wore on, artists, scholars, architects, and designers began to experiment outside of the rules of the ancients. This resulted in some failures, such as the strange way the roundels on the Foundling Hospital run into the columns. Eventually such experimentation would lead into the more refined Baroque period, which dealt more with emotional rather than rational. Roth states, “Baroque architecture was made deliberately complex. Instead of clarity, there was ambiguity; instead of the uniformity of elements and overall effect, there was studied variety; instead of regularity, contrast. Where there had been planer forms, with an emphasis on the surface, now the emphasis was placed on plasticity and special depth” (Roth 2007).

This period provided many alternatives to the Renaissance, and brought back the importance of light found in Gothic architecture. However, this time, the light was more direct instead of necessarily flooding a space. Also, art and architecture comes together, breaking the Renaissance boundary of the two being exclusive. From this comes such amazing works as The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, in which, “The autonomy of architecture is here eliminated, becoming now an armature for sculpture and painting meant to impress upon the viewer a mystical experience” (Roth 2007). Also reincorporated into design was the use of water to re-introduce clarity and emphasize fluidity.

Throughout time, design is always alternating onto something new. After one generation or many, the desire for something new emerges. However, nothing is entirely new, but complex alternatives of the foundations once lay. These alternatives become the basis for the next movement, constantly morphing into something new and different, but not entirely so. All one needs to do is look closely enough to see that the principles of Egypt, Greece, and Rome hold strong.

Roth, Leland, M. (2007). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.