History Of Design 2: Romanesque

History of Interior Design II

02 Romanesque Architecture Tutor : Amal Shah Spring 2021 Faculty of Design, CEPT University

Origin of Romanesque Style : Geographical Landscape

The word "Romanesque" means "descended from Roman" Due to the collapse of Roman empire, Romanesque developed in Western Europe.

It is a direct modiďŹ cation of Roman empire which grew in Italy, France, Germany, Central Europe, Spain and Britain.

It was also the ďŹ rst style to spread across the whole of Catholic Europe, from Sicily to Scandinavia.

Origin of Romanesque Style : Socio-Political Landscape Much of Europe was affected by feudalism.

The Crusades, 1095–1270, brought about a very large movement of people and, with them, ideas and trade skills.

The continual movement of people, rulers, nobles, bishops, abbots, craftsmen and peasants, was an important factor in creating a homogeneity in building methods and a recognizable Romanesque style, despite regional differences.

Origin of Romanesque Style : Cultural and Economic Landscape

By the End of the Middle Ages, the abundant spread of Christanity had resulted in Christian Churches having a lot of influence and money.

They started building larger and larger churches.

To do this they needed engineering techniques and hence they employed strategies from the Ancient Roman Architecture and the architecture evolved to ‘Romanesque Architecture’.

Vezelay Abbey

Basilica: The central nave extends to one or two storeys more than the lateral aisles, and it has upper windows.

Pseudo-basilica (i. e. false basilica): The central nave extends to an additional storey, but it has no upper windows.

Hall Church: All vaults are almost on the same level.

Stepped hall: The vaults of the central nave begin a bit higher than those of the lateral aisles, but there is no additional storey.

Aisleless church with wallside pilasters, a barrel-vault and upper windows above lateral chapels

Basilica: The name given by the Romans to a very common type of building erected for business purposes and also for the accommodation of the courts. It usually consisted of a rectangular hall, of considerable height, surrounded by one or two ambulatories, sometimes with galleries, and lighted by openings in the upper part of the side walls.

Origin of Romanesque Style : Regional Dierences English Romanesque

Canterbury Cathedral, UK

French Romanesque

Basilica of Saint Sernin, France

Italian Romanesque

Cathedrale di Pisa, Italy

The Basilica

The word "basilica" refers to a long rectangular building with an apse or niche at one end, an architectural form borrowed from ancient Rome and then widely used for Christian churches in the West

Building and Spatial Elements

References :https://blog.kaarwan.com/romanesque-architecture-a-breif-introduction-8b9909b5ca31

Romanesque Style of Architecture Context:

Construction

Materials:

“Roman- like” • This style grew in those countries of Western Europe which had been under the rule of Rome. • With the church as the unifying force, this period was devoted to the glorification of Christianity and the church was the predominant building type.

Romanesque buildings were made of stone, but often had wooden roofs because people were still not very good at building stone roofs yet. If they did have stone roofs, the walls had to be very thick in order to hold up the roofs, and there couldn’t be very many windows either, so Romanesque buildings were often very heavy and dark inside.

Space & Geometry Vaults: Barrel vaults- Formed by the extrusion of a semicircular arch along an axis, barrel vaults require thick supporting walls.

Apse Choir

Groin vaultsintersection at right angles of two barrel vaults

S

N

Transcept

Nave

Double-bay system: Engaged system a pattern of columns to support vaulting in Romanesque basilicas where the side aisles are half the width of the nave, requiring columns for aisle vaulting at half-bay widths along the sides of the nave

Speyer Cathedral, Germany Spaces: The plan consists of a body formed by a western portico on the ground oor and galleries on the upper level.

The nave of 15m wide, has six sections corresponding to the 12 sections of the aisles.

Structure and Material: The original building was made with wooden roofs, and its reconstruction is replaced by stone vaults of edges; foreclosing highest space; raising.

This is how the side walls are attached to the roof by the same material, replacing the bucket abstracto sealed horizontal, for a space deďŹ ned by semicircular arches.

The technical structure of the wall is visible in form, which has an inner and outer crust, and a core of concrete or mortar.

SigniďŹ cant Examples San Miniato al Monte, Florence, (1013–1090) has basilical form, open timber roof and decoration of polychrome marble and mosaic. The decoration continued harmoniously until the apsidal mosaic of 1260.

San Miniato al Monte, France (1013-1090)

Significant Examples Leaning tower of Pisa: It was designed as a circular bell tower made of white marble in the medieval Romanesque style.

The architect who initially designed the tower remains a mystery, although the first construction phase is attributed to either Bonanno Pisano or Gherado di Gherado.

Saint Faith Abbey: The original chapel was destroyed in the 11th century in order to facilitate the creation of a much larger church as the arrival of the relics of St. Foy caused the pilgrimage route to shift from Agen to Conques.

The second phase of construction, which was completed by the end of the 11th century, included the building of the five radiating chapels, the ambulatory with a lower roof, the choir without the gallery and the nave without the galleries.

The third phase of construction, which was completed early in the 12th century, was inspired by the churches of Toulouse and Santiago Compostela.

Saint Faith Abbey Church of Conques, France

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

Architectural Character : Construction Technology

The thrust of the Barrel Vault necessitated massive thick walls 2-3 metres thick

Barrel vault : Extrusion along a single curve

Romanesque Round Portal

Thrust and thickness resulted in Smaller Windows

Round arches as a characteristic

Architectural Character : Construction Technology Constructive principles evolved from Roman Architecture: The principle of equilibrium which succeeded that of inert stability as used by the Romans The employment of dressed stonework in comparatively small pieces, connected with mortar beds of considerable thickness. This was a method not before attempted, because the materials in use up to that time had not demanded it.

By this new employment of materials, the whole current of architecture was turned to a constructive system which should answer to its needs, and which, after many tentative experiments, was to lead to the next glorious period of architecture the thirteenth century in which elasticity of structure was joined to the principle of equilibrium.

Primary features- Walls

The First Romanesque employed rubble walls, smaller windows and unvaulted roofs. A greater refinement marks the Second Romanesque, along with increased use of the vault and dressed stone in the wall.

The walls of Romanesque buildings are often of massive thickness with few and comparatively small openings.

They are often double shells, filled with rubble.

The building material differs greatly across Europe, depending upon the local stone and building traditions.

Primary features- Buttress Because of the massive nature of Romanesque walls, buttresses are not a highly significant feature, as they are in Gothic architecture.

Romanesque buttresses are generally of flat square profile and do not project a great deal beyond the wall.

In the cases where half-barrel vaults were used, they effectively became like flying buttresses. Often aisles extended through two storeys, rather than the one usual in Gothic architecture, so as to better support the weight of a vaulted nave.

Primary features- Arches The arches used in Romanesque architecture are nearly always semi-circular, for openings such as doors and windows, for vaults and for arcades.

Semi Circular Arch

Segmented Arch

Horseshoe Arch

Stilted Arch

Wide doorways are usually surmounted by a semi-circular arch, except where a door with a lintel is set into a large arched recess and surmounted by a semi-circular "lunette" with decorative carving.

These doors sometimes have a carved central jamb.

Narrow doors and small windows might be surmounted by a solid stone lintel. Larger openings are nearly always arched. A characteristic feature of Romanesque architecture, is the pairing of two arched windows or arcade openings, separated by a pillar or colonette and often set within a larger arch.

Primary features- Arcades A series of arches carried by columns or piers, a passageway between arches and a solid wall, or a covered walkway that provides access to adjacent shops. An arcade that supports a wall, a roof, or an entablature gains enough strength from lateral thrusts that each individual arch exerts against the next to carry tremendous weight loads and to stretch for great distances.

A Roman arcade is an arcade with almost at columns or pilasters attached to piers. It's the type of arcade you see on the Colosseum. Pilasters are rectangular elements with a capital and a base that are connected to a pier and not freestanding.

Arcades were often used in other kinds of religious architecture. A nave arcade was used in churches.

It separates the main large room of the church, called the nave, from aisles on either side. Nave arcades are often found in Gothic churches surrounding enclosed green spaces or private gardens called cloisters, places where monks or nuns lived apart from other members of society.

Primary features- Arcades

Primary features- Columns

Columns are an important structural feature of Romanesque architecture. Monolithic columns cut from a single piece of stone were frequently used in Italy, as they had been in Roman and Early Christian architecture.

Types of columns such as Drum columns (Solid cylinders) , Hollow core columns (Filled with a rubble core), Salvaged columns, and Pilasters (embedded into the wall) were used.

The Columns used variation of the Corinthian and the Ionic capital with a twisted shaft known as the Scallop. The following types of columns were primarily used: ● Fluted ● Twisted or Scallop ● Wreathed Columns ● ZigZag ● Chevron

Primary features- Capital The foliate Corinthian style provided the inspiration for many Romanesque capitals, and the accuracy with which they were carved depended very much on the availability of original models. The Corinthian capital is essentially round at the bottom where it sits on a circular column and square at the top, where it supports the wall or arch. This form of capital was maintained in the general proportions and outline of the Romanesque capital. The capitals, while retaining the form of a square top and a round bottom, were often compressed into little more than a bulging cushion-shape.

Block,Cushion or Cubic capital: A simple cube like capital with bottom corners tapered. The block capital is particularly the characteristic of Ottonian and Romanesque architecture in Germany and England.

Primary features- Vaults and Roof Roof: The majority of buildings have wooden roofs, generally of a simple truss, tie beam or king post form. In the case of trussed rafter roofs, they are sometimes lined with wooden ceilings in three sections Vault: Vaults of stone or brick took on several dierent forms and showed marked development during the period, evolving into the pointed ribbed arch characteristic of Gothic architecture. Types of Vaults such as Barrel vault, Groin vault, Ribbed vault, and Pointed arched vault

Features and Essence of Romanesque Style : Subjective Components - Darkness, Acoustic Excellence

Thick walls, Clerestory Windows, minimal wall windows for protection from war, ďŹ re, and due to structural constraints Resulting in dark, moist, acoustically excellent spaces (sound) with a massive feel due to the walls

The Romanesque Tympanum

Features of Romanesque Style : Objective Components - Space-making Elements

The biggest Arch frames the space.

But the smaller arches may act as openings, structural supports, create circulation paths etc.

A hierarchical use of arches and arcades is the most common theme in the architecture of this era.

Features of Romanesque Style : Objective Components - Spatial Organization Extra aisle on either side of the nave and along transept Smaller length of nave and denser column grid Typical Square cross plan as adapted from Roman Basilicas

St. Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy

Romanesque Art Romanesque art, architecture, sculpture, and painting characteristic of the first of two great international artistic eras that flourished in Europe during the Middle Ages.

The relation of art to architecture—especially church architecture—is fundamental in this period. For example, wall-paintings may follow the curvature of the apse of a church as in the apse wall-painting from the church of San Clemente in Taüll, and the most important art form to emerge at this period was architectural sculpture—with sculpture used to decorate churches built of stone.

Romanesque art was also greatly influenced by Byzantine art, especially in painting, and by the anti-classical energy of the decoration of the Insular art of the British Isles. From these elements was forged a highly innovative and coherent style.

Romanesque Art - Wall Murals The large wall surfaces and plain, curving vaults of the Romanesque period lent themselves to mural decoration. Many of these early wall paintings have been destroyed by damp or the walls have been re-plastered and painted over. In England, France and the Netherlands such pictures were systematically destroyed or whitewashed in bouts of Reformation iconoclasm.

The Three Magi from the St. Albans Psalter, English, 12th century.

The "Morgan Leaf", detached from the Winchester Bible of 1160−75. Scenes from the life of David.

Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll, a Catalan fresco by the Master of Taüll, now in Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.

Romanesque Art - Metal Work Precious objects had a very high status in the period, probably much more so than paintings.

Metalwork, including decoration in enamel, became very sophisticated. Large reliquaries and altar frontals were built around a wooden frame, but smaller caskets were all metal and enamel.

The bronze Gloucester candlestick, 12th century

Stavelot Triptych, Mosan, Belgium, c. 1156–58. 48×66 cm with wings open.

The work made principally in gold was replaced gradually by some pieces made in copper and bronze; to which a process of enameling applied over them made possible a more unique work and at the same time a more diverse and easy to produce type of metal work pieces. Enamel was gradually overcoming the metal craftsmanship but was not less beautiful, was definitely not coarse nevertheless; since the new technique favored a different approach to good quality pieces without the costly precious metal gold.

Romanesque Art - Glass Work

Detail of a panel from Chartres Cathedral

Detail showing use of applied paint and silver stain

Stained glass, the Prophet Daniel from Augsburg Cathedral, late 11th century.

Romanesque Art - Sculptures

The tympanum of Vézelay Abbey, Burgundy, France, 1130s. The Virgin and Child in Majesty and the Adoration of the Magi, Val d'Aran, Catalonia, c. 1100

Life-size wooden Crucifix commissioned by Archbishop Gero of Cologne in about 960–65, apparently the prototype of what became a popular form.

Pórtico da Gloria, Santiago Cathedral. The colouring once This capital of Christ washing the feet of his Apostles has common to much Romanesque sculpture has been strong narrative qualities in the interaction of the figures. preserved. . .

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of carving large works in stone and sculpting figures in bronze died out. Some life-size sculpture was evidently done in stucco or plaster. These were later set up on a beam below the chancel arch, known in English as a rood, from the twelfth century accompanied by figures of the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist to the sides. During the 11th and 12th centuries, figurative sculpture strongly revived, and architectural reliefs are a hallmark of the later Romanesque period.

Romanesque Art - Furniture Romanesque furniture consisted mostly of pieces designed and constructed for church use. Altars, canopies, shrines, silver chalices, throne chairs, caskets, and tapestry were all common Romanesque furniture pieces.

Materials used: local wood (walnut, oak, mixture of woods).

Carved storage chests. .

Throne chairs, mainly used by the rulers and archbishops. .

Romanesque Throne chair of the bishop of Saint Sophia, a casket made of ivory, a shrine, and an Altar. .

Mainly the furniture of that era consisted of throne chairs, carved chests, simple stools, benches, tables, pillared bedsteads.