European Architecture

An Introduction to different Styles

Romanesque1000-1200

• Rounded arches

• Small, high windows

• Little Ornamentation

Romanesque

• Accommodate numerous monks, priests and pilgrims

• Pilgrims came looking at relics

Romanesque-Gothic

• Rounded Arches on buildings

• Pointed arches on church

Gothic1150-1500

• Pointed Arches

• Flying Buttresses

• High Steeples• Focus up

toward God

Gothic• Ribbed

vaulted ceilings to preserve natural light

Gothic

• Stained-glass window panels leading to sun-dappled interior effects

Renaissance1350-1600

• Rebirth of Classical culture

• Showed a harmony between human proportions and buildings

Renaissance• Revival of

ancient Roman forms

• the column and round arch, the tunnel vault, and the dome

Baroque1600-1800

• Complex plan shapes

• Grandeur, drama and contrast

Baroque

• Rich surfaces• Bright colors

Baroque• Complex

shapes were favored to heighten the feeling of motion and sensuality

Rococo1650-1750

• Extremely Ornate

• Ceilings and walls seem as one

Rococo

• Walls, ceilings, and moldings feature interlacings of curves and countercurves

Rococo

• Light, elegant, and elaborately ornamented

Fachwerk

• Half-timbered structures

Fachwerk

• Built between 1300 and 1700

Fachwerk• Style resulted

from insufficient wood

• Hay and plaster were used between wood frame

Neo-Classical1750-1850

• Grandeur of scale

• Simplicity of geometric forms

Neo-Classical

• Dramatic use of columns

• Antique simplicity

• Reaction against Rococo

Romantic

• Organic – the harmony of nature

• Classic – bring order to chaotic world

Romantic• Set a mood• Give a

memorable feeling

• Irregular, undefined quality

Romantic

• Return to nature

• Seeks to celebrate the unknown parts of life

Biedermeier

•Mid-1800’s•Apolitical

Biedermeier1840-1870 • Tied to home

• Calmness and order

Jugendstil1910-1940

• Art Nouveau• Floral motif• Use of

wrought iron for ornamentation

Modern/Bauhaus1950 - present

• Founded by Walther Gropius

• Integration of art, craftsmanship, and technology

Modern/Bauhaus• Associated with a

severe but elegant geometric style

• Economy of means