HISTORY OF

ARCHITECTURE-III
R E N A I S S A N C E A RC H I T E C T U R E

RENAISSANCE
rnes()ns,-s/
A R E V I VA L O F O R R E N E W E D I N T E R E S T I N S O M E T H I N G .

COMMERCIAL CENTRES IN EUROPE

CAUSES OF RENAISSANCE EUROPE IN THE EARLY 14TH CENTURY

THE 100 YEARS WAR

THE BLACK DEATH AND THE

TRANSFORMATION OF THE WEST

CAUSES OF RENAISSANCE
EUROPE IN THE EARLY 14TH CENTURY
EUROPE WAS ENGULFED BY WARS ENGLAND
AND FRANCE/ ROMAN EMPIRE(BYZANTINE)AND
PERSIA.
THE BLACK DEATH(1346)
EUROPE EMERGED FROM THE DARK AGES UNDER
THE RULE OF CHARLEMAGNE AND IN THE EARLY
14TH CENTURY THERE WAS A SEARCH FOR A NEW
SET OF ARTISTIC VALUES AND A RESPONSE TO
THE COURTLY INTERNATIONAL GOTHIC STYLE

CAUSES OF RENAISSANCE
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION AND THE EMERGENCE OF
HUMANISM

MAN- THE MEASURE OF ALL

THINGS

CAUSES OF RENAISSANCE
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION AND THE EMERGENCE
OF HUMANISM
THERE APPEARED TO BE A GENERAL DESIRE TO EXPLORE ALL ASPECTS OF NATURE AND THE
WORLD.
EUROPEAN EXPLORERS DISCOVERED NEW SEA ROUTES,NEW CONTINENTS AND STABLISHED
NEW COLONIES.
EUROPEAN ARCHITECTS, SCULPTORS AND PAINTERS DEMONSTRATED THEIR OWN DESIRE FOR
NEW METHODS AND KNOWLEDGE

THERE WAS THUS A GROWING DESIRE TO IMITATE NATURE.

THINKERS BECAME INSPIRED BY THE IDEAS AND FORMS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
HUMANISM HAD BEEN THE FOUNDATION FOR MANY OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ANCIENT
GREECE.
HUMANISM- ATTACHED THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE TO THE DIGNITY AND WORTH OF THE
INDIVIDUAL AND DOWNPLAYED RELIGIOUS DOGMAS.

WHY DID THE RENAISSANCE START IN ITALY- ITALYS STATUS AS

THE RICHEST TRADING NATION WITH EUROPE AND THE
ORIENT.

ENGLAN
D
FRANC
E

BYZANTIN
E
ITAL
PERSI
Y
A

ITALIAN CITY - STATE TRADE

ROUTES

INCREASED PROSPERITY IN
TRADE- RISE OF CITY MERCHANTS

WHY DID THE RENAISSANCE START IN ITALY- ITALYS STATUS AS

THE RICHEST TRADING NATION WITH EUROPE AND THE
ORIENT.

FLORENCE AND ITALIAN URBAN CENTRES HAD

GROWN PROSPEROUS FROM THE TRADE WITH
THE ORIENT.
THERE WAS AN EMERGENCE OF AN ARTCONSCIOUS TRADING FAMILIES (EG: THE MEDICI
FAMILY OF FLORENCE).
THE INCREASING WEALTH PROVIDED THE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF
NEW PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COMMISSIONS.

WHY DID THE RENAISSANCE START IN ITALYITALY A REPOSITORY OF CLASSICAL KNOWLEDGE ART AND
ARCHITECTURE

THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE

TO THE OTTOMAN TURKS

ITALIAN REPOSITORY OF
CLASSICAL RUINS

WHY DID THE RENAISSANCE START IN ITALYITALY A REPOSITORY OF CLASSICAL KNOWLEDGE ART AND
ARCHITECTURE
THE DECLINE OF CONSTANTINOPLE CAUSED MANY GREEK
SCHOLARS TO EMIGRATE TO ITALY BRINGING WIT THEM
IMPORTANT TEXTS AND KNOWLEDGE OF GREEK
CIVILIZATION.
ITALY WAS DOTTED WITH THE RUINS OF CLASSICAL ROME
AND GREEK ART AND ARCHITECTURE WHICH FORMED A
CONSIDERABLE REPOSITORY FOR THE STUDY OF
CLASSICAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE.
TRADE ROUTES THROUGH NEW CITIES AND THE
INVENTION OF PRINTING HELPED TO SPREAD THE NEW
IDEAS AND IN SPREADING THE ARTS MOVEMENT.

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

-CHARACTERISTICS

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

-CHARACTERISTICS
REVIVAL OF CLASSICAL ART FORMS AND STYLES
PRIMACY OF
APPROACH)

HUMAN

FIGURE

IN

RELIGIOUS

ART.(

EMPHASIS ON THE PROMOTION OF VIRTUOUS ACTION

HISTORY PAINTINGS

HUMANISTIC

THROUGH

GREATER REALISM AND CONSEQUENT ATTENTION TO DETAIL

MASTERY OF ILLUSIONISTIC PAINTING TECHNIQUES SUCH AS - LINEAR
PERSPECTIVE, FORESHORTENING, QUADRATURA AND SFUMATO.
IN KEEPING WITH THE AIM OF PRODUCING THOUGHTFULL CLASSICAL
ART THE RENAISSANCE RAISED THE PROFESSIONS OF PAINTING AND
SCULPTURE TO A NEW LEVEL

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE -INFLUENCE ON

THE CITY STRUCTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

A MEDIEVAL MAP
OF THE WORLDIllustration of
Christian belief

A 15TH CENTURY MAP OF THE

WORLD- Geometrically
correct
TH
A 15 CENTURY
INTERPRETATION OF THE
UNIVERSE

THE TWO APPROACHES TO DEFINING

SPACE
THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOMETRY AND CARTOGRAPHY
IN THE RENAISSANCE AGE LED TO THE GEOMETRICALLY
CORRECT REPRESENTATION OF THE WORLD.
HOWEVER THE IMAGE OF THE COSMOS REMAINED
UNCHANGED- THE CENTRALISED COSMOS WITH THE
EARTH AT THE CENTRE WAS STILL MAINTAINED UNTIL
COPERNICUS(1543).
THESE TWO APPROACHES UNIFIED EMPIRICAL ,
HOMOGENEOUS SPACE AND THE IDEAL,
CENTRALISED FORM.

THE CONCEPT OF HOMOGENEOUS

SPACE

DEFINITION OF HOMOGENEOUS SPACE

1) ALL ELEMENTS OF SPACE (POINTS OR A SET OF
POINTS) ARE MERE DESIGNATIONS OF POSITIONS
.
2) FROM EVERY POINT IN SPACE IT MUST BE
POSSIBLE TO DRAW IDENTICAL FIGURES.
THEY BELIEVED THAT THE SAME SHAPES WERE
REPRODUCIBLE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.

URBAN CHARACTER- THE IDEAL CITY- THE

RENAISSANCE CITY AIMS AT IDEAL FORM
The piazza

The palace of the

Signore

The city of Palma Nova, Italy

THE FIRST PLAN FOR AN IDEAL CITYFilaretes Sforzinda, Italy

THE IDEAL CITY

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES WERE MADE OF TOWN DESIGN.
OF ALL THE CITIES THE MOST CAPACIOUS IS THE ROUND ONE.
(LEONE BATTISTA ALBERTI- THE FIRST URBAN THEORIST )
THE PLAN OF IDEAL CITY IS BASED ON A CIRCLE WITH A STAR INSCRIBED .
THE IDEAL CITY OF THE RENAISSANCE NO LONGER EXPRESSES COMMUNAL FORM OF LIFE,
INSTEAD IT FORMS THE CENTRE OF A SMALL AUTOCRATIC STATE.
AT THE CENTRE OF THE IDEAL CITY IS THE PALACE OF THE SIGNORE CONNECTED TO A LARGE
PIAZZA.
THE PLACEMENT OF THE CHURCH COULD BE ANYWHERE THIS FEATURE ILLUSTRATES THE
IDEAL SELF SUFFICIENCY OF MAN-MADE FORMS OF THE RENAISSANCE CITIES.
NEW CONCEPT OF URBAN SPACE- GENERAL GEOMETRIZATION .
STREETS AND SQUARES WERE DEFINED BY BUILDINGS CONSISTING OF IDENTICAL UNITS.

THE EMERGENT TYPOLOGY- THE PALACE

AND THE RENAISSANCE CHURCH

Palazzo Medici - Riccardi,Florence

Italy

Leon Battista Alberti: Santo Andrea,

Mantua, Italy

TYPOLOGICAL PRECEDENTS
THE CITY PALACE WAS
AN ENTIRELY NEW
TYPOLOGY.
THE CHURCHES WERE
A DEVELOPMENT OF
THE CENTRALISED
PLAN OF THE
BYZANTINE
CHURCHES

THE PALACE- SPATIAL CONCEPTION

2
3

Palazzo Medici - Riccardi,Florence

Italyc

Residence

Arcades

THE PALACE- SPATIAL CONCEPTION

THE PALACES WERE A GEOMETRICIZED AND
HUMANISED VERSIONS OF THE MEDIEVAL CASTLE
INTENDED TO BE PRESENTED AS A
MANIFESTATION OF THE CULTURE.
THE FUNDAMENTAL TYPE HAS THE FOLLOWING
CHARACTERISTICS:
1- A SQUARE ENCLOSED VOLUME
2- CENTERED ON A CORTILE
3- SURROUNDED BY TWO OR THREE STOREYS OF
ARCADES

THE RENAISSANCE CHURCH- SPATIAL

CONCEPTION
Steriometri
c units of
the plan

Dome
above

Extended arm of the cross

forming the nave

VARIATIONS ON THE BYZANTINE CENTRALISED CHURCHES - ALL

POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS OF CIRCULAR , POLYGONAL, AND GREEKCROSS PLANS WERE ATTEMPTED.

Temple of Malatesta ,Rimini,

Italy

Santa Maria delle Carceri,

Prato,Italy

THE RENAISSANCE CHURCH- SPATIAL

CONCEPTION
THE INTEREST OF RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTS WAS TO
IMPROVISE THE CENTRALISED PLAN OF CHURCHES.
THE CENTRALISED CHURCHES OF THE ITALIAN
RENAISSANCE SHOW A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF
VARIATION THAN THEIR BYZANTINE PREDECESSORS.
AS A RESULT OF THE NEW SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
TOWARDS THE PROBLEM OF SPACE ALL POSSIBLE
COMBINATIONS OF CIRCULAR , POLYGONAL, AND
GREEK-CROSS PLANS WERE ATTEMPTED.

THE PRINCIPLE OF SPATIAL COMPOSITION ADDITION EVERY

SPATIAL ELEMENT CONSERVES A HIGH DEGREE OF
INDEPENDENCE WITHIN THE WHOLE

Church of San Lorenzo, Florence,

Italy

ARTICULATION

ARTICULATION HAS TWO BASIC AIMS

1) GEOMETRIZATION -THROUGH THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF
ELEMENTARY GEOMETRIC FORMS AND SIMPLE MATHEMATICAL RATIOS
Palazzo Vecchio , Florence,
ItalyMedieval castle

The Palazzo Pitti, Florence,

Italy Renaissance palace

ARTICULATION HAS TWO BASIC AIMS

2) ANTHROPOMORPHIZATION -THROUGH THE REINTRODUCTION
OF CLASSICAL ORDERS

Square
pilasters

Use of classical
columns
Dimensions of various
elements follow a
proportioning system with
human dimensions as the
basic units

THE CONCEPT OF CENTRALISED

BUILDING IN A LANDSCAPE

Santa Maria Della Consolazione,

Todi,Italy

Piazza SS Annunziata,
Florence,Italy

EXTERNAL ARTICULATION- PALACES

Rusticated wall
Built form
defining streets
Square pilasters
Use of classical
columns
Palazzo dei Diamanti Palace,Ferarra , Italy

EXTERNAL ARTICULATION- PALACES

BUILDINGS WERE PART OF THE STREETS AND THEREFORE
NEEDED TO BE TREATED ACCORDINGLY.
EXTERIORS APPEAR RATHER RESERVED.
THE EXTERIOR IS MATHEMATICAL COMPOSITION OF
PERFORATIONS ON A RUSTICATED WALL.
CLASSICAL ORDERS WERE SUPERIMPOSED ON THE RUSTICATED
WALL
THE VARIOUS STOREYS OF THE BUILDING STAND OUT LIKE
INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS ADDED TOGETHER IN A GEOMETRIC
PROPORTIONING SYSTEM.

EXTERNAL ARTICULATION- CHURCHES

Volutes
join the
two
proporti
onal
masses

2
2

Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy

Square
pilasters

Use of
classica
l
column
s

EXTERNAL ARTICULATION- CHURCHES

THE ARTICULATION OF EARLY CHURCHES FOLLOWS A SIMILAR
CHARACTERISTIC AS THE PALACES.
1) GEOMETRIZATION - IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF
ELEMENTARY GEOMETRIC FORMS AND SIMPLE MATHEMATICAL RATIOS FOR
FAADE TREATMENT (EG1:2 RATIO MASSING OF THE FAADE)
2) ANTHROPOMORPHIZATION - IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE
REINTRODUCTION OF CLASSICAL ORDERS
IMPORTANCE OF THE FAADE REDUCED.
IDENTICAL FACADES INTRODUCED

INTERIOR ARTICULATION- PALACES

Doric
columns

Classical
Art and
architecture
as an
expression of
Culture.

Loggia
Corinthian
columns
supporting
the arcade

Cortil
e

INTERIOR ARTICULATION- PALACES

RENAISSANCE PALACES WERE TYPICALLY ORIENTED INWARD,
AWAY FROM THE NOISY STREETS. MANY CONTAINED OPEN
COURTYARDS.
INTERIORS WERE AN EXPRESSION OF CULTURE FOUNDED ON
THE CONCEPT OF COSMIC HARMONY
THE COURTYARDS HAVE A LOGGIA FRONTED BY AN ARCADE AT
THE GROUND LEVEL, CLASSICAL ELEMENTS PREVAILED HERE,
TOO.
THE PROGRESSION OF ORDERS FROM THE LOWEST TO THE
HIGHEST STORY MIRRORS THE APPEARANCE OF THE ORDERS IN
ANCIENT GREECE: DORIC, IONIC, AND CORINTHIAN.

INTERIOR ARTICULATION- CHURCHES

Arcade
Impost
Block

Clerestory
Windows

Corinthia
n column
Path and
centre

INTERIOR ARTICULATION- CHURCHES

REBIRTH OF PATH AND CENTRE THROUGH THE
INTRODUCTION OF A WELL LIT ARCADED NAVE
ENDING IN AN APSE.
DELIBERATE USE OF ROMAN MOTIFS TO SIGNIFY
THE REBIRTH OF CLASSIC CULTURE.
THE IDEA OF USING PROPORTIONS AS A MEANS
OF ORGANISING ELEMENTS IS ADOPTED IN PLAN
AS WELL AS IN ELEVATIONS

MEANING
CULTURE WAS THE PRIMARY SIGN OF RENAISSANCE AUTHORITY A HUMANIST
CULTURE FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF IN MANS MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL
POWERS.
THE RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTS DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN BEAUTY AND
ORNAMENT.
BEAUTY CONSISTS IN THE HARMONY OF ALL PARTS AND IS THE RESULT OF
PROPORTION AND CONNECTION
ORNAMENT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ADDED AND IS AN IMPROVEMENT TO
BEAUTY.
THROUGH THE CONCEPT OF HOMOGENOUS SPACE RENAISSANCE
ARCHITECTURE IT CONCRETISED THE SYNTHESIS OF GREEK ANTIQUITY AS WELL
AS CHRISTIAN BELIEFS.

CONCLUSION
THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE IS
AN ADDITIVE PRINCIPLE OF RELATIVELY INDEPENDENT
SPATIAL AND PLASTIC ELEMENTS.
RENAISSANCE SPACES SHOWS A NEW WISH FOR
HOMOGENEOUS , GEOMETRICAL ORDER , CONCRETIZING
A GENERAL BELIEF IN HARMONY AND PERFECTION AS
ABSOLUTE VALUES.
IN GREEK ART PROPORTIONS WERE RELATED TO THE
HUMAN BODY , AND THE RENAISSANCE ARTISTS THUS
FOUND A KEY TO THE HARMONY WHICH IS INTRINSIC TO
ALL CREATION.

ASSIGNMENT-03
Make detailed study sketches (plans, sections and views)of the
following buildings explaining their characteristic features and
meanings based on a reading of this session.

The S. Lorenzo church, Florence

The Sagrestia Vecchia, Florence
The S. Maria Novella church, Florence
The S. Spirito church, Florence
The S. Andrea church, Mantua
Palazzo Medici-Ricardi, Florence
Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Assignment to be submitted by 10:00 am on the 23 rd of July

2015.