1. History of Architecture - III
Kurdistan Region-Iraq
Tishk International University
Faculty of Engineering
Architecture Engineering Department
History of Architecture - III 12
Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural Character
12.3. Vaulting
By:
Nizar Najim
Assistant Lecturer

2. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
The Renaissance of the 15th century in Italy, and of the 16th century in other parts of Western Europe, was a break in that orderly evolution of architecture which is based on the nature and necessities of materials.
In place of such evolution, there was the worship of style, that is, of the past results of the nature of materials as formulated into system.
The main features in the style were the Classic orders (Figure 01), the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, which were often used decoratively, as by the Romans, and at other times with their true constructive significance.
Buildings designed for more modern wants were clothed in the classic garb of ancient Rome, but it must not be supposed that in this development no advance was made.

3. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
(figure 01).

4. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
It is true that Roman precedent was the basis, but columns and pilasters, whether plain, fluted or paneled, with entablature and details, were applied in many novel and pleasing forms, a system in their application being gradually evolved, and a style build up which has become the basis of all modern styles.
Italy, the headquarters of the new movement, in the 15th century possessed skillful jewelers and excellent medalists, and it was by their help that the Renaissance commenced and expanded.
From their well-known good taste, architects consulted them, and often, indeed, were their pupils, as Ghiberti, Donatello, and Brunelleschi.

5. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
Men, therefore, who were at once painters, sculptors, architects, silversmith, jewelers, and goldsmith somewhat naturally only looked at the finished results as the goal to be aimed at, and were not troubled about the means to such an end.
The development of the schools of painting also had their influence on architecture and aided the tendency which caused structure to be looked upon as works of art, instead of being dependent mainly for their form and effect on structural necessities.
For the same reason, the period may be looked upon as the age of accessories, in which iron, gold and silver work, and tombs, monuments, altars, fonts, and fountains, were designed in great numbers, and by the fancifulness of the designer, were special features of the style.

6. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
Architecture stopped to a certain extent to be subject to the considerations of use, becoming largely independent of constructive requirements, and to a greater extent an art of free expression in which beauty of design was sought for.
Owing, therefore to ignorance of Roman methods, the Roman manner of forming the main walling of concrete and casing it with marble, stone, or brick was not followed.
In the Gothic period each stone was finished, molded, and sculptured in the workshops before being laid, a method which produced skillful and intelligent masons and stone dressers, and obliged the sculptors to make the decoration suit each piece of stone.

7. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
In the Renaissance period the new moldings and carvings could be executed with more exactitude and less expense in situ, and thenceforward the necessity of making the jointing accord with the various architectural features being no longer imperiously felt, a want of harmony between the jointing and the architectural features often resulted.
A building, it will be observed, was regarded rather as a picture with pleasing combinations of lines and masses than as a structure of utility, being often designed by men trained as painters, sculptors, or goldsmiths.
Such structure often have a princely dignity, as in many of the Roman palaces (Figure 02), where the column, pilaster, frieze, and cornice were employed as elements of composition with special regard to the artistic result and considerable originality.

8. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
(figure 02).

9. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
The wide and narrow spacing of the pilasters in the Palazzo Giraud is a novel form (Figure 03).
It would be a great mistake, therefore, to state that Renaissance architecture was solely imitative, for new and delightful combinations of features were introduced, and architecture became to a great extent a personal art due to the fancy of individual architects, many of whom founded schools of design, in which their principles were followed by their pupils and followers.
In the decorative detail, also, an advance was made.
In metal work the bronze baptistry gates at Florence were won in competition by the sculptor Ghiberti, 1404, and are the finest examples of a class of work for which these craftsmen-architects were famous.

10. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
(figure 03).

11. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
These accessories of architecture were erected, or added to many old buildings, both in Italy and elsewhere.
The Renaissance architects followed the Byzantine treatment of the Dome, but increased it in importance by lifting it boldly from its substructure and placing it on a “drum”, in which windows were formed, thus making it a great external dominating features (Figure 04).
Likewise, they were the first to introduce as an architectural “motif” the wall of massive rusticated masonry with arched openings, as in the Palazzo Riccardi, Florence (Figure 05), the Palazzo Pesaro, Venice (Figure 06), and elsewhere, in which buildings the wall was frankly treated as architecture, and was in no way imitative of ancient Roman buildings.

12. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
(figure 04).

13. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
(figure 05).

14. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.2. Architectural character:
(figure 06).

15. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.3. Vaulting:
In the Beginning of the 15th century the Gothic principles of ribbed vaulting were abandoned (neglected), giving place to the revival of the classic method of solid semicircular vaulting.
This type of vaulting was much used in the halls, passages, and staircases of Renaissance palaces churches, and was besides frequently built of wooden framing, plastered and painted with colored decoration, often of remarkable richness and beauty, as at the Vatican palace by Raphael.
In cases of cross-vaulting with narrow and wide spans, it appears that the groins were now formed by means of “ordinates” (Figure 07), with elliptical soffits, groins forming a straight line on plan instead of the wavy line produced by the intersection of a semicircular vault with one stilted above its springing.

16. History of Architecture - III 12. Renaissance Architecture:
12.3. Vaulting:
(figure 07).

17. History of Architecture - I 12. Renaissance Architecture
References:
1. Ching, Francis D.K., “A Global History of Architectural”, Second Edition, John Wiley& Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, 2011
2. Fletcher, Banister, “A History of Architectural on the Comparative Method”, Fifth Edition, Pradbury, Agnew & Co. Limited Printers, London, 2011
3. KOSTOF SPIRO, “A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals”, Oxford University Press, USA, 1995
4. Mansbridge, John, “Graphic History of Architecture”,
Hennessey & Ingalls, 1999