Renaissance Architecture

Renaissance architecture spanned from 1350 to 1500 A.D. around different parts of Europe. In this period geometry was commonly used in the construction of buildings. Symmetry and proportion were both commonly used to produce a more regular look, then some past styles. This geometry can be seen with the arches, columns, domes, pilasters, and lintels. A very proportional and symmetric building is the Santa Maria Novella, found in Italy, seen below.

Some basic characteristics of this architecture are windows paired with semi-circular arches, doors with square lintels, and opening without doors would be arched(seen below in the Spedale degli Innocenti), roofs fitted with flat ceilings, moldings and decorations common on the exterior of buildings, and the common use of arches, columns, domes, pilasters, and lintels throughout the structures. The Roman orders of columns was used in Renaissance architecture, this can be seen below:

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Gothic Architecture

Romanesque: (900-1150 A.D.)-A major feature of this type of architecture includes semi-circular arches. Romanesque architecture is known by its huge quality, its thick walls, round arches, sturdy piers, groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcading. These types of buildings are very symmetrical. An example of this type can seen below in the Tournai Cathedrial, in Belgium.

Gothic: (1120-1500 A.D.)- Gothic architecture evolved from Romanesque styles. Its main characteristics include ribbed vaults, pointed arches (amongst other arches), and the flying buttress. Many examples can be found in cathedrals, abbeys, castkes, palaces, town halls, guild halls, universities, and churches throughout Europe. Materials used included different types of stone, like limestone, sandstone, and marble, along with material such as brick. A very popular example from this period is the Reims Cathedrial, in France, seen below:

Classical Architecture

Greek (1200 – 30B.C.): This architecture used materials ranging from wood to mud-brick or clay, metal such as bronze, and rocks including limestone and marble. Architects in this time period would use these materials to make five main types of buildings: religious, civic, domestic, recreational, or funerary. Some features of buildings in this time period include columns and the upper parts of public buildings, which would be made of rock. Another feature is beams and supports inside of the buildings that would help make the building stronger, these beams would be made of wood. For roofing metal would often be used for roof tiles. Since these buildings were made from this type of materials there are very few remaining structures left standing. A building that was restored from this time period is the Stoa in Athens (seen below).

Roman (200B.C. – 500 A.D.): This type of architecture adopted many aspects from Greek architecture. In this type often used were the arch and the dome, which became very popular and are still used today. The dome was very useful for allowing vaulted ceilings and by allowing there to be large public space that was covered. The Segovia Aqueduct shows a good use of Roman arches (seen below). An example of a domed building is the Pantheon, which has a dome made of concrete. Concrete is considered the most useful contribution of architecture from this time period.

Augustus is a famous architect from this period and is known for building a lot of brick and marble buildings. His stepson Tiberius also rebuild The Temple of Castor and Pollux in Roman forum.

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Egyptian Architecture

This period of architecture stretched out from the years 3000-30B.C. This is the time period where the first architect was thought to have lived, Imhotep, who also served as an engineer, and physician. He served under the third dynasty king, and is known as being the first person to use columns in architecture. Due to the fact that this type of architecture was made in mainly dessert settings there was a shortage of lumber. This caused the builders to use other materials such as sun-baked mud bricks and stones (limestone, granite, and sandstone). The near by Nile was a very useful tool for the architects. Houses would be created from the mud of the Nile River that was set in molds and left to dry.

Religion played a large role in the construction of large structures and monuments. These impressively built structures are "characterized by thick, sloping walls with few openings, possibly echoing a method of construction used to obtain stability in mud walls. In a similar manner, the incised and flatly modeled surface adornment of the stone buildings may have derived from mud wall ornamentation. Although the use of the arch was developed during the fourth dynasty, all monumental buildings are post and lintel constructions, with flat roofs constructed of huge stone blocks supported by the external walls and the closely spaced columns." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_architecture)

Another common feature was the hieroglyphics that were painted in a variety of colors. These were used in structures as not only decoration, but as a written record as well.

There are many famous monuments and structures made during this period; perhaps the most famous are the Pyramids of Gaza, which still stands today.

Another famous structure was also created in Giza, the Great Sphinx of Giza. Many facts such as who created this, when it was created, and who the face was supposed to portray are not completely known, and are still being debated.