PATTERNS IN ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN A History Book of Lena Reetz Puebla, 2018
Cover Artwork: Thibaut Rassat, „Stacked city“, 2015
INDEX
6
Prologue
8
Timeline
10
Famous mosques artwork
18
Islamic Architecture
26
Pre-Romanesque Architecture
32
Romanesque Architecture
40
Gothic Architecture
48
Renaissance
56
Mannerism
62
Baroque in mexico
68
Baroque artwork
74
Conclusion
75
References
PROLOGUE
“There are always patterns in everything, there are patterns in books, there are patterns in human behavior, there are patterns in success, there are patterns for everything in life. You just need to pay attention to them.� - Jordan Belfort
As I walk through the city and look at the buildings around me, I often try to see a pattern in them. I try to hide the fact that it‘s a building and see it as a work of art. In many modern buildings, the pattern can be seen at first glance, and in some other buildings it can only be seen at a closer look. In the end, there is a pattern in everything around us. We just have to open our eyes for it. A stylistic epoch can only be described as such if a pattern can be recognized in it. This book gives an insight into the most important architecture and design styles of the past and traces their patterns.
GOTHIC
RENAISSANCE
BAROQUE
ROCOCO
AMERICAN COLONIAL
GEORGIAN
1400 - 1600
1600 - 1830
1650 - 1790
1600 - 1780
1720 - 1800
ROMANESQUE
1100 - 1450
500 - 1200
EARLY CHRISTIAN AND MEDIEVAL
CLASSICAL
850 BC - 476 AD
373 - 500
ANCIENT GREEK
3050 BC - 900 BC
VICTORIAN
ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT
ART NOUVEAU
BEAUX ARTS
NEO-GOTHIC
ART DECO
1840 - 1900
1860 - 1900
1890 - 1914
1895 - 1925
1905 - 1935
1925 - 1937
20TH CENTURY
GREEK REVIVAL
1790 - 1850
1900 - PRESENT
NEOCLASSICAL / FEDERALIST / IDEALIST
1730 - 1925
TIMELINE
Lena Reetz, „Famous mosques artwork“, 2018
FAMOUS MOSQUES ARTWORK
Islamic architecture and its patterns are very traditional and old and therefore make most people feel „out of fashion“. These three artworks of very famous mosques reflect the advantages and characteristics of these architectural masterpieces in a very minimalist and modern way.
Lena Reetz, „Al Nabawi Mosque Medina, Saudi Arabia“, 2018
Lena Reetz, „Dome Of The Rock Mosque Jerusalem“, 2018
Lena Reetz, „Al Haram Mosque Mecca“, 2018
TIME
PEOPLE
7TH CENTURY
PROPHET MUHAMMAD THE MUSLIMS
CITY
ARCHITECTURE
THE MOSQUE THE TOMB THE PALACE THE FORT THE SCHOOL URBAN BUILDINGS
ORNAMENTAL CALLIGRAPHY DECORATIVE OPEN LIGHT FLORAL COLORFUL
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTION Islam was founded by the prophet Mohammed (570-632). The visionary revelation experiences received by him found their written form in the Koran, the holy scripture of Islam. In 622, after religious conflicts between Muhammad and the Arab authorities, he fled from Mecca to Medina. With the escape, which is called Hegira, the Islamic era begins. Unlike the Christian calendar, the Islamic calendar is based on the counting of the moon years. The word Islam means absolute devotion to the will of Allah. The followers of Islam call themselves Muslims. At the center of religion is the Koran, while Muhammad is regarded as the human bearer. The prayers of the faithful were and are still today directed towards Mecca, the Kaaba, a cube-shaped sacred building with a black stone, possibly a meteorite, on the south-eastern side. Monotheism, i.e. the conviction that there is only one God, is fundamental for Islam.
ART Since the 7th century, Islamic art has been influenced by Syria, North Africa, southern Spain, Anatolia, Iran, Iraq and northern India. Islamic art has its origins in the encounter with late antique Byzantine art, whereby techniques and craftsmen were adopted. From the 11th century, Chinese porcelain works were regarded as models for Arab blue-white ceramics. Due to the Islamic prohibition of depicting living beings, a rich nonfigurative ornamentation and calligraphy (art of writing) developed. A decorative decoration consisting of tendrils, star and wickerwork patterns, arabesques
and ornamental lettering can be admired mainly in the architecture. However, the ban on pictures was frequently broken, mainly in the bourgeois and courtly spheres. There is a highly developed illustrative book illumination and human and animal illustrations can be found on floor paintings and ceramics. During the expansion of Islam, local and cultural differentiations of Arab art developed. Divisions in faith, such as the very early one between Shiites and Sunnis, also affected Islamic art. Orthodox Shiites, for example, are less strict about the prohibition of images than Sunnis. Islamic calligraphy „Bismillah“ (engl. „In the name of god“)
ARCHITECTURE The main tasks of Islamic sacral architecture were mosques, Ribat (monasteries) and Medresen (Koran school). The secular architecture is characterised by city and desert castles, cisterns, fortifications, baths (hammam), tombs (mausoleum) and hospitals. A common stylistic feature is the surface ornament as the dominant decorative form of the entire Islamic architecture. The first simple mosques were built around 640 AD under the rule of the Umayyads in Old Cairo. They were architecturally inspired by Muhammad‘s house in Medina, at whose court the Prophet had gathered the faithful for prayer. The main feature of this early court mosque was the walled courtyard, which was covered with a roof of palm leaves to protect it from heat. Since the Islamic religion prescribes ritual ablutions before prayer, there is a well in every mosque, usually in the inner courtyard. The back wall of the mosque with prayer niche shows the faithful the direction to
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
Mecca, where the prayers are directed. To the right of the prayer niche is usually the pulpit, where the Friday prayer is said and preached to the congregation. In some mosques there are elevated podiums for the clergy and shielded galleries for rulers. Due to the Byzantine influence, the basilica became known in Islamic territory and was used as an architectural model. The originally square district of the mosque, surrounded only by walls, was extended, the side aisles increased in every direction and thus more space was created for the faithful. The mosque with central dome also has its origins in the Byzantine Roman tradition. From Central Asia, the mosque type with a central courtyard and Ivan on each side was introduced into Persian territory as a model. The minaret, the tower for the Islamic call to prayer, is often directly connected to the mosque. Partly the main divan, the entrance portal of the mosque, has two minarets. However, a single minaret is common, but there are also four and up to six minarets.
Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain
DECORATIVE ELEMENTS AND STRUCTURES Ancient stone buildings as well as Mesopotamian brick buildings and stucco served as models for Islamic architecture. Preferred were open, light buildings richly decorated with floral and geometric stucco ornaments. Equally common and popular since the 11th century were the so-called muqarnas, which form a transition from the wall and dome vault and hang from the ceiling vault like stalactites. They were not only made of stone, but also of wood, stucco and ceramics. Bows and domes also play an important role in Islamic architecture. There are various arch forms, which were used as decorative elements and are connected to Roman, Byzantine and Sassanidic arches. Under the influence of Byzantine architecture, the round arch was mainly used as a decorative element, later also the pointed arch. Especially popular was the horseshoe bow, which was mainly found in Spain and Morocco.
The Islamic dome has a semicircular design under Byzantine and Sassanid influence. Under Central Asian influence the dome was built on a drum-shaped base, called tambour. The dome of the Mongols sits on a high tambour and has the shape of an onion, while the Turkmen covered their domes with conical roofs. Indian-Islamic architecture preferred light, canopy-shaped superstructures on graceful columns. The faรงade design of Islamic buildings is usually very ornate. Often bricks were walled up in geometric patterns or colorfully glazed bricks were artistically placed. In the Indian-Islamic area, coloured marble and stone inlays were also used. The ornament on the exterior was designed as a frieze or made of plant, geometric and calligraphic patterns and often covers the entire building in an almost infinite sequence.
left: Taj Mahal, India right: The Blue Mosque, Istanbul
STYLE-SHAPING BUILDINGS One of the most stylish buildings of Islamic architecture is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (built around 691). The central building, modelled on the Constantinian Church of the Holy Sepulchre, was to set a monument to the new faith. In 787 the Great Mosque of Cรณrdoba was built in Spain. It has 19 naves and a total of 665 columns. The strikingly beautiful horseshoe arches follow the late Roman custom of alternating red and light sandstone.
The Blue Mosque (1609-1616) in Istanbul is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. The mosque got its name from the 21,043 blue majolica tiles that decorate the exterior. It has 6 minarets, 260 windows and a 43 m high dome, which makes the mosque an extraordinary building. One of the most beautiful and well-known Islamic buildings is the Taj Mahal in Agra (India), which was built in honour of his deceased wife by the great mogul Shah Jahan from 1629. For twenty years the best craftsmen and builders built the mausoleum.
PATTERN
TIME
PEOPLE
5TH - 7TH CENTURY EARLY MIDDLE AGES DARK AGES
CHARLEMAGNE ROMANS EUROPE POVERTY
CITY
ARCHITECTURE
CHURCH AS CENTRAL POINT SMALL VILLAGES
GOTHIC MEROVINGIAN CAROLINGIAN OT TONIAN THICK WALLS BRICK SMALL WINDOWS ARCHES UNVAULTED ROOFS UNDECORATED
PRE-ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTION When we speak of pre-Romanesque, we mean the epoch of the early Middle Ages from the point of view of architectural history. This period extended approximately from the 5th to the 11th century and describes the transition from Late Antiquity to Romanesque. While Roman antiquity is temporally and spatially connected with the Roman Empire, Romanesque is brought into harmony with the medieval European empires. At this time several important buildings of different architecture were constructed: representatives of Gothic, Merovingian, Carolingian and Ottonian architecture can be found here. The Asturian as well as the Old Croatian preRomanesque also belong to it.
ARCHITECTURE The First Romanesque style, also known as Lombard Romanesque style, is characterized by thick walls, lack of sculpture, and the presence of rhythmic ornamental arches known as Lombard bands. The difference between the First Romanesque and later Romanesque styles is a matter of the expertise with which the buildings were constructed. First Romanesque employed rubble walls, smaller windows, and unvaulted roofs, while the Romanesque style is distinguished by a more refined style and increased use of the vault and dressed stone. For example, Abott Oliba ordered an extension to the Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll in 1032 mirroring the First Romanesque characteristics of two frontal towers, a cruise with seven apses , and Lombard ornamentation of blind arches and vertical strips.
Cistercian architecture is considered one of the most beautiful styles of medieval architecture and has made an important contribution to European civilization . Because of the pure style of the Cistercian monasteries and churches, they are counted among the most beautiful relics of the Middle Ages. Cistercian institutions were primarily constructed in Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles during the Middle Ages, although later abbeys were also constructed in Renaissance and Baroque styles. The Cistercian abbeys of Fontenay in France, Fountains in England, Alcobaรงa in Portugal, Poblet in Spain, and Maulbronn in Germany are today recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This architecture embodied the ideals of the order, and in theory it was utilitarian and without superfluous ornament. The same rational, integrated scheme was used across Europe to meet the largely homogeneous needs of the order. Various buildings, including the chapter-house to the east and the dormitories above, were grouped around a cloister and sometimes linked to the transept of the church itself by a night stair. Cistercian churches were typically built on a cruciform layout, with a short presbytery to meet the liturgical needs of the brethren, small chapels in the transepts for private prayer , and an aisle-edged nave divided roughly in the middle by a screen to separate the monks from the lay brothers.
left: Acey Abbey, France right: Palatine chapel in Aachen, Germany
STYLE-SHAPING BUILDINGS During the pre-Romanesque period, numerous buildings of different architecture were erected. Important monuments of early Christian architecture are the mausoleum of Theoderich in Ravenna and the Baptisteries in Provence, France. The most famous representative of Gothic architecture is also the sacred building of Sao Frutuoso de Montelios in Braga. The Goths built their churches from large stone blocks, which were carefully worked on. Merovingian architecture is also part of the pre-Romanesque style. Thus, during the Merovingian period, sacral buildings such as the Baptistery of St. Jean in Poitiers and the Baptistery of the Church in Venasque were built.
Numerous important buildings also include Carolingian architecture. These include above all the Palatine Chapel Aachen, the Church of the Crossing in Neustadt am Main and the Church of Germigny-des-Pres. Other important representatives of preRomanesque architecture are the Ottonian architecture with the Michaeliskirche Hildesheim, St. Pantaleon in Cologne and the Westwerk of Essen Cathedral. These also include the Asturian PreRomanesque with the Church of Santa Maria del Naranco in Oviedo and the Church of Santianes de Pravia near Pravia, as well as the Old Croatian PreRomanesque with the Church of Saint Donat in Zadar.
PATTERN
TIME
PEOPLE
10TH - 13TH CENTURY HIGH MIDDLE AGES
ROMANS EUROPE CHRISTIANS
CITY
ARCHITECTURE
RELIGIOUS PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS MORE ESTABLISHED DEFENSIVE CHARACTER
SACRAL BUILDINGS WOODEN FRAME MASSIVE STONE BLOCKS ROUND ARCHES UNDECORATED
ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTION The Romanesque style spans about 300 years, from about 950 to about 1250, and spread throughout Europe as an architectural style. Because of the long period, the Romanesque era is divided into early, high and late Romanesque. It was not until 1824 that the French archaeologist de Caumont gave Romanesque its name. Romanesque means: derived from Rome, since the Romanesque style reminds of the Roman antique buildings made of raw stone, with arches and columns. The Romanesque era primarily meant an architectural style in the High Middle Ages of Western Europe, to which the art of sculpture and painting was subordinated and served. The pre-Romanesque period had begun under Charlemagne (747-814) with the commencement of Roman stone building by the Nordic peoples. During the Carolingian and Ottonian periods, the Old Christian basilica began to spread throughout Europe. This basilica, with a nave and two aisles and the choir to the east, is considered to be the forerunner of the Romanesque church. Around 950, what was taken over was finally replaced by something of its own, by a self-statement of the West, as the early Romanesque is described.
served the glory of the founding families and contained a treasure chamber for relics. Numerous churches were chosen as burial places for princes and bishops, and the choir often became a room for private or dynastic prerogatives of the sovereigns and church princes. The Romanesque architectural style is extraordinarily rich in variations and regional peculiarities. Nevertheless, uniform basic forms can be found in all Romanesque buildings. The round arch on windows, friezes and portals is the striking, connecting feature of Romanesque architecture. Many of the Romanesque buildings have given way to or been destroyed by the Gothic period that followed. In France in particular, Romanesque churches were often replaced by Gothic buildings and were thus irretrievably lost. Many of the Romanesque castles there are also in ruins today. In Germany, on the other hand, there is still a wealth of Romanesque architecture.
The real theme of the Romanesque period is sacral architecture. Protected prayer rooms were created for the entire Christian community, which were destroyed and rebuilt, especially in eastern Germany, often because of the fierce resistance against Christian conversion. In rural areas, the defensive character of Romanesque architecture is therefore an important feature. At the same time, Romanesque buildings often Floor plan and elevation of St. Sernin, France
West Tympanum of Saint-Lazare, Autun, France
ARCHITECTURE As already mentioned, the style-defining buildings of the Romanesque period are sacral buildings. The Romanesque church was modeled after the Roman temple of antiquity. While the Greek people did not enter the temple, however, the Romanesque architecture created a space that was to and could accommodate the entire Christian community. Stone construction was necessary to protect against weathering and fires. In addition, a uniform image of church construction was to be created. The Romanesque churches were built of heavy, massive stone blocks, which remained raw and unfinished. They largely do without decorating agents. The towers are a special feature of the Romanesque church. The early Christian buildings knew only the freestanding bell tower, which the Italians kept as a campanile. In northern European architecture, however, the tower merged with the building as the crowning glory of the entire church. In Germany and France, the two-tower façade was created after the turn of the millennium. Occasionally, however, up to seven towers appeared, for example in Limburg an der Lahn. Mainz and Speyer also have six towers at each of the cathedrals, they resemble true „castles of God“.
The unchangeable characteristic of the Romanesque period, the round arch, has been found since the 12th century on windows, portals and in horizontal decorative bands, the round arch frieze. The vertical bends to the wall structure have no passage and are therefore also called blind bends. However, arched door and window openings were not only preferred for aesthetic reasons. However, the curves placed against each other are of great importance for the statics of the building. By joining the arches together in a durable manner, the curvature is achieved, which absorbs the pressure of a piled up, heavy roof and prevents, but at least greatly reduces, the risk of collapse. In the interior, the vaulting of the roof was divided by a groined vault, which led to a special character of the epoch. The Romanesque church also reached its highest degree of monumentality due to its vaulting. The curvature achieved by the round arches had to be additionally stabilized in the interior. A further aesthetic feature of Romanesque architecture developed from this necessity, the change of supports. The alternating columns and pillars, which served as supports, also left much space for the assembly of the congregation within the church. While the columns absorbed the load of the vault, the pillars served to statically secure the rooms.
STYLISTIC PHASES Early Romanesque (about 950-1150) In early Romanesque the massive square pillar often replaced the antique column. The Corinthian capital, the upper end of the column, was replaced by the blocklike cube capital. All organic structures, such as plant decorations and the human form, were banished and the walls were rarely painted with frescoes. Rather, the raw stone should work. Early Romanesque architecture is therefore also called „the heavy silence“. With this return to primitive forms, Romanesque art contrasts with rich Islamic and Indian art, which also developed from late antiquity. High Romanesque (about 1050-1150) During the high Romanesque period, a variety of styles developed in Europe. What all styles had in common was the development from meager to richer and more vibrant. The structure of the walls was loosened, the outer wall often decorated with friezes of small round arches. This formation of wall layers was increased from the lower floors to the upper floors. The size of the round arch friezes also increases with height. Finally, a dwarf gallery forms a corridor behind the arches and gives the wall a roomy
Cathedral of Pisa and the Leaning tower behind it, Italy.
appearance. The highly Romanesque twostorey castle church with a double chapel is also impressive. The lower church room was intended for the general public, the upper room remained a devotional room for the superiors and the nobility. Late Romanesque (1150-1250) The late Romanesque is characterised by a versatile design of the interiors and the ornamental jewellery, such as round arch friezes and blind arches. Often, magnificent crossing towers were added to the double-tower façade. Early Gothic style features can also be found in late Romanesque architecture as early as 1250. The different orders of monks and commissioners of churches are the reason for the design diversity of Romanesque architecture. However, it remained the same for the buildings that the idea of Christian rule was to be realized in them. In this sense, the choir occupied a special position in Romanesque architecture. The parish‘s gaze should focus on the priest‘s action in the choir. Thus, great attention was paid to the design of the choir, both in the interior and on the exterior. It is therefore no coincidence that the choir in cathedrals and churches usually points eastwards, towards the country of Christ‘s birth.
STYLE-SHAPING BUILDINGS A special feature of the German Romanesque period is the establishment of two choirs. The choir in the east was joined by a second choir in the west. Usually two transepts were also added to the two choirs. Examples are St. Michael in Hildesheim and the cathedrals in Worms and Mainz. Speyer Cathedral is the largest Romanesque building in Germany. It was built in two construction periods, around 1025 to 1061 and 1082 to 1106. Speyer Cathedral has been a World Heritage Site since 1981.
In contrast to the Romanesque buildings in France, an extraordinary number of Romanesque buildings have survived in Germany. In Cologne alone there are twelve large Romanesque churches. The cathedral in Königslutter and also the Bamberg cathedral are Romanesque buildings. In Goslar there is an impressive Palatinate, in Nuremberg a preserved Romanesque castle. The Benedictine abbey of Maria Laach in RhinelandPalatinate was founded in 1093 and has one of the most important Romanesque abbey churches. There are also many important Romanesque buildings in France, such as Autun Cathedral, Fontenay Abbey and Sainte-Marie-Madeleine Basilica in Vézelay. In Italy, the Cathedral of Pisa with its Baptistery (Pisa) and the Leaning Tower stand for the Romanesque period.
left: Speyer cathedral, Germany right: St. Michael‘s cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany
PATTERN
TIME
PEOPLE
12TH CENTURY
EUROPE FRANCE MEDICI CHRISTIANS
CITY
ARCHITECTURE
CHURCH AS THE HOUSE OF GOD INFLUENCE OF BOURGEOISIE UPSWING
SACRAL BUILDINGS POINTED ARCHES RIBBED VAULT MAJESTIC HEIGHTS LIGHT BUT TRESSES
GOTHIC
INTRODUCTION Gothic originated in France in the 12th century and is generally regarded as the most independent style epoch in the West since antiquity. The epoch name Gothic goes back to Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), an Italian court painter of the Medici, and the concept of art at the time of the Renaissance. The name was devaluatively derived from the Goths (= barbarians) - and the Gothic thus also dismissed linguistically as barbaric art.
Cathedral of Sens, France (top: floorplan, bottom: elevation of inside and buttresses)
The geographical expansion of the Gothic period was accompanied by the spread of Christianity in Europe, reaching as far as Byzantine territory, for example Cyprus, Rhodes and Asia Minor, with the Crusaders. In the western Occident, Gothic spread from France to Britain, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, the states of the German Empire and its influential regions of Poland, Hungary and Bohemia, Italy and the wider Mediterranean region. While the Gothic period in France began around 1130, Germany first built in the new style in the 13th century. In England, the Gothic period began at the end of the 12th century. The duration of the Gothic period and its subdivision into early, high and late Gothic varies from country to country. Until the beginning of the 16th century, however, the Gothic era was generally overcome and replaced by the emerging Renaissance, which had largely replaced Gothic in Italy as early as the 14th century.
ARCHITECTURE The Gothic style was mainly determined by the architecture of sacral architecture and thus replaced the preceding Romanesque style. Instead of round arches and groined vaults, as was typical in Romanesque architecture, the pointed arch in Gothic architecture and the ribbed vault in the interior became a stylistic feature. Furthermore, the enormous height of the mostly very slender towers and the structure of the individual parts of the room characterize the Gothic architecture. The church was regarded as the house of God and was to embody the Christian religious idea. The Gothic cathedral was designed as a light-flooded church, the emphasis of which lies on the vertical, the striving to the sky. While retaining the ground plan of the basilica, with nave and side and transepts, the church interior was conceived as a single unit. While a sum of individual rooms was created in the Romanesque period, the Gothic church was characterised by the openness of the room. The two transepts were made shorter and closer to the nave, whereby the side aisles of the nave were designed longer and led around the choir, so that a choir walk was created. The pointed arch replaced the typical Romanesque round arch at portals and windows. Due to the lower sideshift of the pointed arch and the discharge of the thrust through a structural scaffolding in the interior as well as on the exterior structure, the walls could be built very thin. The possibility of securing the walls with supporting pillars and the crossribbed vaults that shift the weight of the vault to services and buttresses also made it possible to open the walls. In these openings mighty coloured windows were placed, which distinguish the Gothic churches, next to ogival arches and ribbed vaults. Due to these high, richly painted glass windows, light could flood into the churches, which earned them the name of light houses.
The large Gothic cathedrals stand out for their high and narrow volume in relation to their width. The proportion was also emphasized by the play of lines of the pillars and the slender columns supporting the vault. The Gothic construction principle distributed the weight of the vault over four corners, where it is supported by supports. The compressive forces are localized through the cross-rib vault and transferred to buttresses. This frees the walls of their weight and made it possible to dissolve the building mass and build very high. The height of the buildings led to a clear arrangement of the room parts. Galleries, balconies (a gallery-like upper floor above the aisles) and window gangways were often inserted into the nave walls, so that the wall often had a doubleshell appearance. Strongly outstanding buttresses, independent of the main structure, were added to the exterior structure, which surround the structure. This creates a variety of perspectives and different dimensions of the room, which seem highly interesting to the eye. The western faรงade of the churches was designed with a rich arrangement of ornamental tracery and window rosettes and also emphasized by the comparatively narrow towers striving towards the sky. During the Gothic period, secular architecture experienced a great upswing, mainly in the cities. There she embodied the growing influence of the bourgeoisie. The Gothic cathedral served as an example for the construction of town halls, guild houses, hospitals and town halls. Castles and fortifications also adopted motifs of sacral architecture, such as ogival arches and ribbed vaults.
right: Canterbury cathedral, England
Chartres cathedral, France
STYLE-SHAPING BUILDINGS The Gothic style was first expressed in the cathedral of Sens (around 1130-1164) and in the abbey church of Saint-Denis (around 1130-1140), designed by Abbot Suger, in France. Other famous early Gothic buildings include the cathedrals in Laon (around 1160), Noyon (around 1150) and Notre Dame in Paris, whose construction began in 1163. The early Gothic features include a four-part wall structure of arcade (arch supported by two pillars or columns), gallery-like upper floor above the aisles, triforium (wall structure or walkway blended in under the choir windows) or round window zone and upper guard window. The six-part vault is also regarded as stylistic for the early Gothic period.
The cathedral in Chartres (begun after 1194) is considered the first building of the High Gothic period. It served as a model for the cathedrals in Reims (from 1210) and Amiens (from 1221). The high-gothic style is characterised by a three-part wall, arcade, triforium, uppergarden windows and a four-part vault. On the basis of the Saint-Chapelle (from 1241/42) in Paris one can admire the Rayonnant style, which reached its climax in the first half of the 13th century by an almost complete dissolution of the wall. Late Gothic in France began in the middle of the 14th century and ended in the so-called Flamboyant style. This style is characterised by a tracery of flaming fish bubbles.
The construction of Canterbury Cathedral (from 1185) marks the beginning of Gothic in England. Other famous Gothic cathedrals can be found in Exter, Wells, Ely, Winchester and Cambridge. The famous Westminster Abbey in London also belongs to the Gothic style.
right: Abbey church of Saint Denis, France bottom: Westminster Abbey, London
In Italy, the Gothic period was introduced by the Cistercian, Franciscan and Dominican orders. One example is the faรงade of the Cathedral in Orvieto. But already in the 14th century the Gothic style mixed with essential elements of the Renaissance.
PATTERN
TIME
PEOPLE
15TH CENTURY
EUROPE MEDICI FREE INDIVIDUALS AT TITUDE TO NATURE AND LIFE APART FROM RELIGION BRUNELLESCHI DA VINCI
CITY
ARCHITECTURE
STABLE POLITICAL SITUATIONS GOOD TRADE RELATIONS
PERSPECTIVE HUMANISM FREE ART SCIENCE IDEAL BEAUTY
RENAISSANCE
INTRODUCTION The Renaissance is not just about architecture or the performing arts. It is first and foremost the beginning of a social change away from medieval and towards modern thought and imagination structures. The medieval, mainly religious borders, which particularly affected the areas of science, art and social life, gradually began to fade in the 15th century. During the Middle Ages, man was in a society determined by the Christian religion, in which the secular individual was of no importance. The life of man in this world was limited exclusively to the Christian idea of being in the hereafter and thus to the observance of religious commandments. The all-dominant influence of the Church on every aspect of life prevented religious independence in the Middle Ages. Through the Renaissance, man‘s attitude to nature and life broke away from exclusively religious aspects. Likewise, thinking and research, as well as the image of the individual, freed themselves from the attachment to the Middle Ages and reoriented themselves. In the early 15th to the beginning of the 16th century a reference to ancient culture developed in Italy, which brought its name to the Renaissance (French = rebirth). The revival of ancient languages and philosophy as well as literature and art finally founded humanism. In Florence a society developed which was shaped by powerful families, humanists and artists and which directly defined the Renaissance. The birthplace of the Renaissance can therefore be found in Tuscany.
Italy, which wavered between secular and spiritual rule in the 13th and 14th centuries, flourished at the beginning of the 15th century with a relatively stable political situation and very good trade relations. Non-noble families, most of whom had gained wealth through trade and banking, gained great influence, promoted humanist studies and acted as patrons. The new image of personality was particularly reflected in art. Artists were commissioned to perpetuate the growing fame of the leading elite in portraits and buildings, which explains the wealth of Renaissance art and architecture in Italy. The effects of the Renaissance, which originated mainly in Tuscany but also in Rome, also reached other European countries in the 16th and 17th centuries. Humanists and artists travelled to Italy to study and brought the new discoveries back home. Germany and the Netherlands in particular were in close intellectual contact and exchange with Italy. The influence of the Renaissance on society, art and science can also be clearly seen in France, Spain and England. After a long interruption during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance continued and developed ancient educational and artistic traditions. Humanism as the spiritual foundation of the Renaissance and the artistic and scientific achievements of this epoch are of the greatest importance for our modern times. The peculiarity of this epoch can be seen in the rebirth of free art from the Middle Ages and ancient Greek and Roman thought. With the architect Brunelleschi and his teaching about the perspective, the Renaissance took its origin in art around 1400. The revival of Roman Greek philosophy culminated in humanism, the spiritual foundation of the Renaissance.
“The Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter” by Pietro Perugino, 1481
EPOCHAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN ART AND ARCHITECTURE Perspective and Theory of Proportion The discovery of perspective was a true revolution for art. It made it possible to depict a space on canvas or in sculpture and to arrange persons and objects differently within this space. Through the perspective, the artists of the Renaissance succeeded in depicting nature in the way you actually saw it. With the help of straight lines drawn from the individual picture objects to a common vanishing point, the compositionally correct rejuvenation of objects and the theoretical reduction of the objects in the painting can be represented. In the Renaissance it was considered that art was a science that could only be perfected through the study of perspective and anatomical proportion.
Humanism Renaissance humanism defines a literary and philosophical movement since the 14th century as an epochal concept, which is characterized by an occupation with ancient texts and philosophy. With the foundation of the Platon Academy in Florence in 1459, humanism gained outstanding importance for Italian society as a whole. Patrons supported humanistic studies, whose findings soon became known far beyond Italy‘s borders. Artists also worked closely with the humanists during the Renaissance. Representatives of humanism advised painters, sculptors and architects on questions of the ancient concept of value and form. Renaissance humanism is the translation and scientific revision of ancient authors and their writings. The humanist educational movement was founded around 1350 in Italy with a view to Roman antiquity.
After the destruction of Constantinople in 1453, with the influx of Byzantine scholars to Italy, numerous ancient Greek texts reached the homeland of humanism. The movement of Renaissance humanism soon spread throughout Europe in the 15th century and conditioned the progressive process of modern times. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), universal genius, Copernicus (1473-1543), German astronomer and founder of the heliocentric world view and Erasmus of Rotterdam (1465-1536), Dutch theologian, are among the best-known humanists. Today, humanism is primarily understood as an effort to achieve humanity and human dignity as well as free personal development of life and society. A humanistic education means the central occupation with the humanities, such as literature, philosophy and the ancient languages.
top: the classical orders of renaissance architecture bottom: Pazzi chapel in Florence (floorplan and elevation)
STYLE-SHAPING BUILDINGS The Renaissance architectural style developed in Florence at the beginning of the 15th century. Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) is to be mentioned as a styleshaping early Renaissance architect. He studied the preserved Roman buildings and used the forms of ancient architecture as a model for his own architectural style. The principles of these forms were based on the elements of the basic forms of hemisphere (dome) and cube. The reference to these ancient architectural forms was to replace the Gothic style imported from the north, which was considered archaic and coarse. The Foundling Home in Florence can be mentioned as the first Renaissance building, which is characterized by Brunelleschi‘s own design and proportions, modelled on antique stylistic elements.
St. Peters dome in Rome, Italy
The most stylish building of the early Renaissance is undoubtedly the dome of Florence Cathedral, designed by Brunelleschi. The dome of the Pantheon in Rome from 128 AD served as an example of this. The Florentine cathedral dome consists of a double shell of red bricks, which are divided into individual sections by so-called ribs typical of Brunelleschi. The largest dome of Christianity was created by Michelangelo in Rome and is thus the central building of High Renaissance architecture. The dome of St. Peter‘s Basilica was built in the style of Brunelleschi‘s Florentine dome. However, it has about twice as many ribs and is considered a logical consequence of an architectural development that began with Brunelleschi. For a long time it served as a model of monumental church construction par excellence.
Florence cathedral, Italy
Besides the cathedral dome, the villa, which has been rediscovered since the Roman Empire, can be mentioned as another stylish building of the Renaissance. It was the rural residence of the aristocratic families and was built during the Renaissance, preferably not far from the city, in an open location with a beautiful view over the countryside. The Renaissance architects also turned their attention to urban planning. As a result, scientific construction methods and three-dimensional spatial objects could be precisely defined on the basis of the laws of perspective as presented and formulated by Brunelleschi. As the city centre, the planning of the square, in the Italian piazza, received particular architectural attention. Even today‘s modern urban planning owes a number of inspiration in this respect to the Renaissance.
Above the Alps, the Italian Renaissance style can be seen in the Fugger burial chapel in Augsburg, in the central building of the pilgrimage church to the „Schönen Maria“ in Regensburg and in the Landshut residence. The architectural influence of the Renaissance on Germany is also visible in Heidelberg Castle and in the so-called Weser Renaissance.
PATTERN
TIME
PEOPLE
18TH CENTURY
EUROPE CHANGE OF THE WORLD VIEW ARTISTIC
CITY
ARCHITECTURE
STABLE POLITICAL SITUATIONS GOOD TRADE RELATIONS
DECORATIVE SYMBOLIC OVERGROWING ORNAMENTATION EXPRESSIVE NATURALISTIC
MANNERISM
INTRODUCTION
ART
Since the end of the 18th century Mannerism has marked the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque in painting, music, literature, sculpture and architecture.
The sculpture of Mannerism is an expressive, naturalistic, but at the same time very artificial, moving sculpture that is worked in an all-round view. Numerous small-format bronze sculptures for the collections of European princes, but also equestrian statues and fountains. Most artists worked in Italy: B. Ammanati, G. da Bologna, who originally came from Douai, A. de Vries from The Hague, B. Cellini, V. Danti, A. Vittoria, V. de Rossi, B. Bandinelli. The artists active in the north were also oriented towards Italy, but their works show elements of late Gothic and early Baroque in addition to Mannerist features: B. Goujon, G. Pilon, J. ZĂźrn.
With Raphael‘s death in 1520, the High Renaissance in Italy ended and so-called Mannerism emerged. Italian works of art created between this time and the turn of the century are described as Mannerist. Mannerism did not begin until the middle of the 16th century in France, Flanders, the Netherlands and Germany and continued until 1610. Starting from the High Renaissance, their stylistic elements are taken up and partly completely transformed. The historical and social causes lie in the religious and political tensions and upheavals of the time (Counter-Reformation), in the change of the world view, in the criticism of Classicism and the antique, harmonizing style of the High Renaissance. The ideal beauty and harmony was replaced by the tendency to over-twist and overextend the figure, to complicated room and intense colour design, to special light effects and to an unusual, fantastic subject. The emphasis on artistic ability was often in the foreground.
The Mannerist style is most pronounced in painting. The structure of the picture and the space are profoundly changed compared to the High Renaissance: Asymmetry, abrupt perspectives, deformation of the model of nature, complicated figure constellations in concave spaces are characteristic of Mannerism. The figures are often elongated, with small heads. The colours are unstable and show strong variations of light and dark. Sacral themes are profanized or ecstatically elevated. The main representatives of Mannerism in Italy are Bronzino, J. Pontormo, Parmigianino and G. Vasari. The Spaniard El Greco developed his very own, characteristic style. The painters north of the Alps can only be assigned to Mannerism to a limited extent; however, Mannerist style features can be found in many painters of the 16th century. In France F. Clouet worked, in the Netherlands C. Cornelisz and P. Bruegel the Elder, in Germany B. Spranger, H. von Aachen, J. Rottenhammer and J. Heintz.
ARCHITECTURE In architecture, the Mannerist style is characterized by complicated groupings, decorative (often symbolic and allegorical) elements, by dissonant combination of various formal elements and partly overgrowing ornamentation, while the basic Renaissance elements are retained. The starting point of Mannerist architecture in Italy was the late Michelangelo. G, among others, tied to him. Romano, G. Vasari, B. Ammanati and B. Buontalenti
left: Medici chapel in Florence, Italy right: Villa Guilia in Rome, Italy
In France, P. Lescot (French classicism) and P. Delorme are among the most important architects of Mannerism. The Netherlands developed its own style with the Floris style, masterfully implemented at Antwerp City Hall.
PATTERN
TIME
PEOPLE
19TH CENTURY
SPANISH COLONIES LATIN AMERICANS
CITY
ARCHITECTURE
COUNTER-REFORMATORY WARS OF INDEPENDENCE
MONUMENTAL WALL PAINTINGS ELONGATED NAVE SHORT TRANSEPT LAVISH DECORATION FRESCOES STUCCO ORNAMENTATION HIGH ALTARPIECES
BAROQUE IN MEXICO
INTRODUCTION Baroque is a style of fine arts and architecture in Europe and the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Latin America in the 17th century. It was not until the 19th century that the concept of baroque became established as an epochal term. Today the term is used as a general term for the cultural-historical epoch of the 17th and 18th centuries with a pronounced claim to representation. Starting from Italy, the Baroque came into its own as a means of expression, a counter-reformatory and absolutist need for representation on the part of the Catholic Church and feudal nobility, especially in the Catholic countries of Europe. In the course of the Catholic Church‘s missionary efforts, the Baroque came as far as Latin America.
Santa Prisca church in Taxco, Mexico
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the modern nation states of Latin America emerged in resistance to Spanish and Portuguese colonization, often combined with the development of their own national styles in artistic production. Especially after the political and social upheavals, often associated with armed conflicts (wars of independence and guerrilla), a sophisticated Latin American culture developed, led by Brazilian architecture, which became an innovative component of modern international architecture (as did modern Mexican architecture). A specific part of Latin American architecture are monumental wall paintings (Mexican artists: JosĂŠ Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros) with revolutionary content.
left: Santa María Tonantzintla, Mexico right: Ex Convento de Tecali, Mexico
ARCHITECTURE Early manifestations of Spanish colonial architecture are fortified churches (mendicant orders) such as the Dominican church in Tepoztlán, Mexico (1588). The Baroque sacral architecture of Latin art is characterized by monumentality. The main type of Baroque church building (built on the large square) in Latin America is an elongated nave with a short transept, side extensions (baptistery or similar), a twotowered façade, a dome (over crossing) and lavish interior and exterior decoration (high altarpieces, frescoes, paintings, painted and glazed ceramic tiles (Azulejo, stucco ornamentation). This typical Spanish type of Latin art can be found in the church of Santa María de Tonantzintla in Mexico.
PATTERN
EX CONVENTO OF SANTIAGO DE TECALI
TEMPLE OF SANTA MARIA TONANTZINTLA
In pre-Hispanic times, Tecali was one of the most important cities of the ToltecChichimeca nobility. Its name comes from the Nahuatl words tetl: stone and calli: house; and it means „where they have the stone houses“. There is a record of this locality from the Tax Registration Number issued in the time of Montezuma, in which they call it Tecalco. Given the importance of this place, the Franciscan missionaries began the construction of their convent and a temple dedicated to St. James the Apostle in 1540. Due to its majestic proportions and Renaissance characteristics, the design has been attributed to Claudio de Arciniega, the designer of the plan of the Cathedral of Mexico and architect of Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco. The religious architecture of the time is rich in iconographic elements, and through images it was intended to teach the Indian peoples the word of God. The presbytery where the main altar is located gives the impression of a stage, and in a way it is, because through it the religious message was intended to reach all the senses; at the center, there were magnificent altarpieces, which came to life through the movement of the candlelight on the colors, images, scents of incense, the senses of the choir and the organ. Today you can admire the original altarpieces in the new parish church of Tecali. The side niches and masonry monuments are posterior; the latter are tombs that were built when the enclosure was abandoned and used as a cemetery. For little more than a hundred years, this convent complex was one of the most impressive in the region, however, when the secular parish was erected, the religious had conflicts with the Bishop of Puebla,´por and decided to abandon the building in 1643. The roof was a gabled roof, built with gigantic beams and covered with clay tile. Now, only the ornaments remain to adorn the interior.
The Temple of Santa Maria Tonantzintla. Located in the heart of the town of the same name and only 15 minutes from the city of Puebla is one of the most beautiful temples in Mexico: Tonanzintla temple, the chest which contains one of the richest jewels of Mexican baroque. In the Church of Tonantzintla live two religious interpretations, the indigenous and Christian brought by the Spanish. Santa Maria Tonantzintla is a small municipality of San Andrés Cholula, 10 minutes from the capital of the state of Puebla, Mexico. The main attraction is the church considered the ultimate expression of indigenous baroque. Tonantzin in Mexican culture was a goddess identified with the Earth. Tonantzintla word comes from Nahuatl and means place of our dear mother. With the arrival of the Spanish was added to the name of Santa Maria in honor of the Virgin Mary. The great value of this church is the only temple where the Franciscans, who evangelized the old Mexico, allowed the Indians realize their artistic and religious. The Indians wanted Tonantzintla represented at the dome of the chapel the sky of Tlaloc, the god of rain. And every face you see, is not an angel, but an Indian who was killed by lightning or drowned and reincarnated in the sky. One could argue that there is not a free inch inside the church. Its lush decor with Indian motifs, flowers, fruits and plants presents a mix of pre-Hispanic world and the Christian world. The dome, is originally from 1600. Everything else was added by the local people through the years: four cedar wood altarpieces gold plated, images of Saint Antonio de Padua, Saint Francisco de Asis, paintings of Mexican fruits. Tonantzintla church is like a person, when viewed from the outside cannot imagine what’s inside. One of the traditions of the people is that girls whose orders the saints have been granted, cut their hair and wear it as an offering in thanks. In the courtyard you can see images of the saints with natural hair wigs. To complete the tour of the area can visit the churches of San Francisco Tlaxcalancingo and Acatepec, nahuatl word which means Hill of the
BAROQUE ARTWORK
Reeds. In this town is also the National Astrophysical Observatory Tonantzintla founded in 1942 by Luis Enrique Erro, amateur astronomer, politician and educator. With a qualified team, Erro built and installed a Schmidt type telescope one of the best instruments of the time, it would launch a Mexican astronomy to the world stage. Santa Maria Tonantzintla is the third most visited temple of Puebla and the only one in which indigenous religious beliefs do not succumbed to Spanish rule. Tonanzintla church contains a group of heritage sites worthy of being played, known and appreciated by visitors. This assertion is based on
the fact that one of the few churches in Mexico where the Mexican Baroque style is reflected in the art, grace and innocence of those Indians who built and decorated. Tonanzintla church is the axis along which the organized community life, and who with a grand spirit of devotion and faith, maintain not only the beautiful XVI century architectural work but also kept alive the traditions that have been inherited.
SIMILARITIES AND ARCHITECTURAL VALUES • • • • • • • • • •
Built between the 17th and 18th century Indigenous Baroque Iconographic elements Similar materials for construction (wood was very important) Paintings representing angels or indigenous people Columns Use of local materials like onyx and talavera for the decoration Majestic proportions Temple as a kind of teaching book Cultural heritage of Puebla and the nation
all images: Ex Convento of Tecali, Mexico right: Photoshop proposal
EX CONVENTO OF SANTIAGO DE TECALI In order not to change this magical place inside and to keep it as it is, it should instead serve as a place of coming together and cultural exchange. The idea is to build an outdoor cinema on the meadow behind the old monastery. Here people of all origins and ages can come together on warm summer evenings and watch films about the history of Mexico and talk about it. In the background, the majestic building stands out and reminds us of a time that we can only see in films nowadays.
all images: Temple of Santa MarĂa, Mexico right: Photoshop proposal
TEMPLE OF SANTA MARIA TONANTZINTLA This beautiful church, which is still very well preserved, should not be adapted to the present time, but remind of the old time. However, the large front garden can be used very well as a place of gathering and enjoying typical Mexican food and drinks. It is a perfect place to end the evening together after visiting the church.
CONCLUSION
“Those who do not know the past cannot understand the present and cannot shape the future.” (Helmut Kohl) As an architect, one does not have the task of imitating past style epochs and letting history repeat itself over and over again. It‘s about creating new styles, new patterns and movements. However, in order to be equal to this, it is important to know the past.
This book summarizes the most important architecture and design styles of recent years and tries to identify a pattern in them. Ultimately, a style epoch can only be recognized as one if a pattern is formed in it. Thanks to Luz Esther Rodríguez Escobar for giving me the chance to see the future by looking at the past. - Lena Reetz
REFERENCES
Islamische Kunst. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.goruma.de/Wissen/ KunstundKultur/BauKunststile/islamische_ kunst.html Gotik. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.goruma.de/Wissen/KunstundKultur/ BauKunststile/gotik.html Renaissance. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.goruma.de/Wissen/ KunstundKultur/BauKunststile/ renaissance.html Baustil und Formen der Vorromanik. (2017, September 27). Retrieved from http://www.paradisi.de/Freizeit_ und_Erholung/Kunst/Architektur/ Artikel/13562_Seite_5.php Romanik. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.goruma.de/Wissen/KunstundKultur/ BauKunststile/romanik.html Manierismus. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wissen-digital.de/ Manierismus