Neoclassical Architecture
Neoclassical Architecture
Neoclassical Architecture
· Volumes of grand scale: Neoclassical architecture is characterized by the use of large scale buildings
that evoke a sense of grandeur and magnificence. Often, these buildings would feature tall columns
and large archways to add to their impressiveness.
Simple geometric forms: The symmetry and geometric simplicity of neoclassical architecture make it
an iconic style. You’ll often find that buildings have an equal number of columns and windows, with
the central entrance being the most prominent feature.
· The most dramatic columns: Neoclassical architecture owes much of its beauty to the use of
dramatic columns. Often, these columns would be fluted with intricate carvings and were responsible
for supporting the structure of the building.
· Doric Greece or Roman details: The details that give neoclassical architecture its charm usually
incorporate ornamental references to classical Greece or Rome. These details could be anything from
frescoes to intricate reliefs, to statues atop columns or on pediments.
· Flat or domed roofs, depending on the style: Neoclassical architecture offers a unique variety of
roof styles to choose from, depending on the building’s size and design. You can opt for flat,
symmetrical lines or a more dramatic dome-shaped roof for larger buildings.
Greek Revival
From about 1800 a fresh influx of Greek architectural examples, seen through the medium of
etchings and engravings, gave a new impetus to neoclassicism, the Greek Revival.
There was little direct knowledge of surviving Greek buildings before the middle of the 18th
century in Western Europe, when an expedition funded by the Society of Dilettanti in 1751 and
led by James Stuart and Nicholas Revett began serious archaeological enquiry.
Greek Revival architecture was a style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which
particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern
Europe, the United States, and Canada, as well as in Greece itself following its independence in
1832.
Much Greek Revival architecture used the Greek Doric order in the earlier version found in
buildings leading up to the Parthenon in Athens.
The Grange is a 19th-century country house-mansion and English landscape
park near Northington in Hampshire, England. It is currently owned by the Baring family, Barons
Ashburton.
Butler Library is located on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University at 535 West
114th Street, in Manhattan, New York City. It is the university's largest single library with over 2
million volumes, as well as one of the largest buildings on the campus. [1] It houses the Columbia
University Libraries collections in the humanities, history, social sciences, literature, philosophy,
and religion, and the Columbia Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
The Neoclassical style building was built in 1931–1934 to a design by James Gamble Rogers.
Butler Library remains at least partially open 24 hours a day during the academic yea
Indoors, neoclassicism made a discovery of the genuine classic interior, inspired by the
rediscoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum. These had begun in the late 1740s, but only achieved
a wide audience in the 1760s, with the first luxurious volumes of tightly controlled distribution
of Le Antichità di Ercolano Esposte (The Antiquities of Herculaneum Exposed).
Château de Malmaison, 1800, room for the Empress Joséphine, on the cusp between Directoire
The Agate Pavilion, Tsarskoye Selo, designed by Charles Cameron in "Pompeian" style
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss; by Antonio Canova; 1787; marble; is a sculpture by Italian
artist Antonio Canova first commissioned in 1787 by Colonel John Campbell.[1] It is regarded as
a masterpiece of Neoclassical sculpture, but shows the mythological lovers at a moment of great
emotion, characteristic of the emerging movement of Romanticism
Ganymede and Jupiter; by Bertel Thorvaldsen; 1817; marble; height: 94 cm; Thorvaldsen Museum,
Copenhagen, Denmark
ORIGIN AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Art Nouveau ( 'New Art') is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially
the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants
and flowers.
Art Nouveau, ornamental style of art that flourished between about 1890 and 1910
throughout Europe and the United States
The new art movement had its roots in Britain, in the floral designs of William Morris, and in the Arts
and Crafts movement founded by the pupils of Morris.
Art Nouveau was a reactionary movement of artists and architects that were not satisfied with the
academic historicism of architecture in the 19th century. Artists of this movement incorporated
modern technologies and materials into the construction of their works such as glass, ceramics, and
iron. The style is typified by a sense of movement and dynamism due to the asymmetrical shapes of
the organic flowing lines.
Characteristics
Art Nouveau, a decorative art style that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is known
for its innovative and nature-inspired designs. Here are the key architectural characteristics of Art
Nouveau.
Art Nouveau style is inspired by the natural world, characterized by sinuous, sculptural, organic
shapes, arches, curving lines, and sensual ornamentation.
Common motifs include stylized versions of leaves, flowers, vines, insects, animals, and other
natural elements.
Decorative elements found on the inside and outside of buildings include intricate mosaic
work, stained and curved glass, and decorative wrought iron.
The rapid industrialization and technological advancements of the Industrial Revolution laid the
groundwork for the emergence of Art Nouveau.
The International Expositions held in Paris, particularly the 1889 Exposition Universelle that
showcased the iconic Eiffel Tower.
SECESSION BUILDING, VIENNA, AUSTRIA
The Secession Building, constructed in 1897, was a visual manifestation of their beliefs. Gustav Klimt
created a frieze for the now-iconic structure, which has the group's slogan, “To every age its art, to
every art its freedom,” carved above the door.
Designed by architect Otto Wagner, this structure received its name from the lavish floral tiles which
cover its facade.
CASA BATTLÓ, BARCELONA, SPAIN
Also known as the House of Bones, Casa Battló was remodeled in 1904 by famed architect Antoni
Gaudí. It's defined as an example of Art Nouveau architecture (or its Spanish term Modernisme) in a
broad sense, with its curving facade and use of glass and ironwork.
The Hôtel Tassel was built between 1893 and 1894 for scientists and professor Emile Tassel. Architect
Victor Horta's use of glass and iron building materials have garnered this Belgian town house the
honor of being the first Art Nouveau piece of architecture.
METRO ENTRANCES, PARIS, FRANCE
Between 1900 and 1912, 141 Art Nouveau metro entrances were installed in Paris. Designed in two
styles by architect Hector Guimard, 86 still remain today. Guimard created two types of entrances,
with and without glass roofs, some also featuring paneling with floral motifs.
La Sagrada Familia is a large unfinished Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Designed by Antoni Gaudí, and constructed since 1882, it is one of the most famous works of
architecture in the world. The basilica is the central focus of the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada
Familia, a complex designed by Gaudí that includes other buildings and gardens.
ORIGIN AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The International Style or internationalism[1] is a major architectural style that was developed in
the 1920s and 1930s and was closely related to modernism and modernist architecture. It was
first defined by Museum of Modern Art curators Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson in
1932, based on works of architecture from the 1920s.
Around the start of the 20th century, a number of architects around the world began developing new
architectural solutions to integrate traditional precedents with new social demands and technological
possibilities.
The International Style can be traced to buildings designed by a small group of modernists, the
major figures of which include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Jacobus Oud, Le Corbusier, Richard
Neutra and Philip Johnson.
The ideals of the style can be summed up in four slogans:
Ornament is a crime Truth to materials
Form follows function Machines for living
Characteristics
The most common characteristics of International Style buildings are :
Rectilinear forms;
Light, taut plane surfaces that have been completely stripped of applied ornamentation and
decoration;
Open interior spaces; and
Visually weightless quality engendered by the use of cantilever construction.
Glass and steel, in combination with usually less visible reinforced concrete, are the characteristic
materials of construction.
1. Seagram Building
The Seagram Building is a stunning skyscraper in Midtown
Manhattan, New York City, and can easily be described as the epitome of
International Style buildings. It was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
(1886-1969), a German-American architect and a pioneer of modern
architecture.
The fascinating skyscraper in NYC was completed in 1958 and stands 157
meters (515 feet) tall. Its situated a couple of blocks east of Rockefeller
Center and a few blocks south of 432 Park Avenue. It features a public
plaza that is surrounded by more remarkable modern buildings which
provide a fascinating atmosphere to the place.
2. Villa Savoye
Villa Savoye is proof that not all International Style buildings need to be
towering skyscrapers. This villa is located in Poissy, a suburban area on the
western outskirts of Paris. It was designed by the Swiss architect Le
Corbusier (1887-1965), another pioneer of modern architecture.
This mansion was constructed between 1928 and 1931, a period in history in
which modern architecture was still in its infancy. This means that this was
quite an influential building as it served as the inspiration for numerous
similar buildings all around the world.
Completed in 1952, the complex consists of several structures, including
the Secretariat, Conference, and General Assembly buildings, and the Dag
Hammarskjöld Library. The complex was designed by a board of architects led
by Wallace Harrison and built by the architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz, with final
projects developed by Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier
9. Fagus Factory
The Fagus Factory is yet another factory that incorporated the International Style in its design. It’s
located in the town of Alfeld on the Leine, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was one of the first buildings in
history to do so as the building was completed between 1911 and 1913 and modern additions were
made in 1925.
Barcelona Pavilion