UNIT SUMMARY : Alternatives

Gothic Architecture

We begin seeing Medieval Architecture with many things changing from period to period. Beginning with little construction due to the falling of Rome. People would build little churches but other then that there would only be houses being built. However, eventually Romans began building bigger churches and palaces. As well as architecture, art had a lot to do in this period. It also had to do a lot with religion but they both played an important role where the paintings symbolized what people believed. Also throughout this alternatives unit, we learned about different characteristics that Romanesque Architecture copied from the Roman Empire. This was through proportion and pattern. One of the main characteristics that stood out were the rounded arches, columns and barrel vaults. These were seen mainly in door openings and windows. Romanesque Churches were heavy and solid. Also certain churches used different ornaments with weird designs such as snakes or people stacked on one another.

Another type of architecture during this period would have to be Gothic Architecture. Here we see how churches were more detailed in the front of the building. The only place you would see color would be in the façade of a building. This color would be found mostly on color glass, which would depict stories from the scriptures. Also the façade of a building would be covered from top to bottom with all sorts of materials. When looking at these two different styles you can tell that they are different in many ways; not just by color but also looking at the different sides of the churches. Gothic churches have a lot more windows then Romanesque churches, which allowed light to shine through. Also keeping in mind that gothic churches were a lot bigger, this was since people had more money. Therefore they could spend more on making bigger churches.

However the Gothic Period started to drift away and renaissance architecture started to take place. Architects and Artists started to work together. Now the building construction started including a lot of brick and the color red. Also the building started including statues and murals. Renaissance architecture started in Florence and from there started drifting to different places. Renaissance was very different in many ways, yet had similar characteristics that gothic did. Renaissance was able to be distinguished due to the domes. They make the circle and the square the main module in their designs. This was when the dome came into place. Many times the domes had painting on the ceilings. Also Renaissance Architecture didn’t focus on the different shapes with design but focused more on mathematical equations. Also being symmetrical on both sides. In Renaissance Architecture, painters focused more on the human figure and began drawing perspectives.

Due to the different changes in the Renaissance Architecture, it created an even more drastically changed period, The Baroque and Rococo Architecture. After focusing so much on symmetry this period decided to drift away from this. Now they had no symmetry at all. This era focused mainly on two architects, Bernini and Borromini. This period was where most rules were broken. They included curvilinear lines and sculptures and paintings in their buildings. They focused a lot on the interior. They were also the ones that introduced the oval structure.

Overall all these types of different medieval architectures alternate from time to time; keeping the same characteristics and also making drastic changes. However, this unit has showed me many things of the different periods and how each and every one of them transitions smoothly and creates changes towards the end.