Modern Architecture » Gothic Revival

Architecture Designs

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:38:02 +0000

Architecture design is a scientific and artistic concept of building structures and understanding various building materials and forms. Generally the architect works in coordination with the internal and external environment of the structure, but when designs go against human tastes and cultural preferences the result is disastrous. An example of this are the drab and indistinguishable cities lined with uniform box structures – such as identical houses, office complexes and high rises.

Design in architectural language means the sum total of plan of building, the elevation, section, figure, proportion, ground, scale, ratio to external unit measure and grids. Even though we regard architecture as an art form, an indispensable principal in architectural design is a keen mathematical and analytical understanding of forms. Without mathematical hypothesis to guide us, we would have skewed designs and patterns.

Beginning with Romanesque architecture, design was defined in strong, simple, massive forms graduating into the ribs and piers of the 11th century and on to the perfect form of 13th-century Gothic architecture. With each century the concepts and designs changed, ranging from Baroque (17th century), Georgian (18th century), Classical and Gothic revival (19th century) to expressions of technology and modernistic art (20th century), giving credence to Victor Hugo’s prophecy of doom that ‘the word will kill stone’.

The reason for these strong words was that before the popularity of visual media it was art and architecture that gave expression to our creative sensibilities. The history of a city or country could be gleamed from the structures and buildings. With World War II the ground rules were being regulated by omnipresent media, mobility and economic wealth, making us witness architecture designs ranging from burlesque to grandiose to just plain simple. The environmental degradation of natural resources turned our focus to environmentally-sensitive or sustainable designs even as architects turned towards eco-friendly material. Architecture designs became case-sensitive – appealing to nature as a metaphor for cities, buildings or residential complexes.

By: Kristy Annely

Understanding Queen Anne Architecture

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:44:43 +0000

Queen Anne style homes are often easy to spot, but hard to define. It’s partially that elusivity combined with distinctness that makes the style so attractive to buyers and preservationists across the nation. Queen Anne homes are often referred to as the most ornate buildings of the Victorian era, and combine a variety of aesthetics and building methods from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

One of the reasons Queen Anne architecture looks so different from other styles is that it was generally only used on houses. While other styles like Gothic Revival and Federal were being adapted for commercial buildings, churches, and public institutions, Queen Anne architecture was specifically made for upscale houses and mansions, using the latest materials and methods of the machine age. Another developmental difference between Queen Anne and other styles is that it didn’t tend to draw on past eras, but instead produced a new building school that helped set the stage for 20th century homes.

The defining characteristics of the Queen Anne style are many and not always consistent, but there are a few key elements. In general, Queen Anne homes use high-pitched, irregular roofs, spindles and lookouts, decorative structure elements such as columns, and covered balconies. Many Queen Anne homes also employ stained glass, turrets, half timbering in the gables similar to the Tudor style, and patterned masonry. Different sub-styles of the Queen Anne movement include Spindled, Free Classic, Half-Timbered, and Patterned Masonry.

While generally very attractive, Queen Anne homes are often derided as being excessive, or “ginger-bread” like. It’s true that Queen Anne architecture was the product of a rapidly changing era, and many of the homes included features never seen before, so the criticism holds some weight.

The name for the Queen Anne style is often attributed to an 1852 novel by William Makepeace Thackeray entitled “The History of Henry Esmond, Esq., A Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne,” which was popular for decades in the English speaking world. By contrast, stylish and modern furnishings from the historical reign of England’s Queen Anne, came to be classified in a style known as “William and Mary.”

By: Gary Ashton

Manchester’s Stunning Architecture

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:21:16 +0000

If you’re a big architecture fan, you’re probably always on the lookout for incredible buildings that, for many of them, it’s a real task to work out just how construction workers managed to put them up. The UK has some of the most astounding examples of architecture dotted all across the country, with Manchester being a fine example of just what British architects can do.

From Victorian structures straight through to the ultra modern, Manchester has many different buildings set to wow visitors, as well as to provide ample opportunities for taking some fantastic holiday snaps – so which buildings are most worth visiting?

A good starting point is always the middle of town – and what better place to begin your exploration of Manchester architecture than by visiting Manchester Town Hall? This stunning building is an excellent example of the Gothic revival that occurred during Victorian times and you’ll discover that the interior is just as imposing as the exterior. With murals by the esteemed artist Ford Madox Brown staring down at you inside the building, it’s not hard to immediately glean the Gothic sentiment the building has – or snap a few pictures of some awe-inspiring architecture. Complete with its own clock tower, Manchester Town Hall is well worth a visit and is a Grade I listed building, a title it has held for nearly 60 years.

While you’re looking at Grade I listed buildings, a trip to medieval church Manchester Cathedral is another excellent opportunity to take in some excellent examples of artistic building work. Built over a period of 600 years, it’s fascinating to observe the discrepancies in style of the building, though its overall style is that of Perpendicular Gothic, where a building’s height is as important as any other aspect.

The height of buildings in Manchester is one thing you’re bound to notice about them, because the city is packed with many skyscrapers. Many were constructed during the skyscraper boom of the 60s and 70s, though a revival in this interest has just begun recently. Notable new skyscrapers include Beetham Tower and the upcoming Piccadilly tower, a massive 58 storey skyscraper that will sit alongside Manchester’s Piccadilly Station.

There are vast amounts of buildings of architectural interest in Manchester – including many Manchester hotels – so, if you’re a big building fan, the capital of the north makes for an excellent opportunity to take some of this in.

By: Adam Singleton

Understanding Cape Cod Architecture

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:53:23 +0000

Americans have always loved a good Cape Cod home. In 1938 when Life magazine asked families to choose their ideal place to live, the Cape Cod design was among those few selected, even when compared to an original modern home by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The design visionary may have had great ideas and some very attractive sketches, but he didn’t have hundreds of years of building tradition and a classic form recognized by everyone. Cape Cod designs are just as popular today, and will likely continue as one of the nation’s most enduring building styles.

The Cape Cod style dates back to the earliest period in American and Atlantic Canadian colonial history. These first homes in the 1600s were un-adorned and practical, built for year-round comfort in the windy, cold Eastern Seaboard climate. Scarce natural resources for building also helped keep these homes simple and small, with little deviation in design, and typically rock or plaster exterior walls.

Early Cape Cod homes had a narrow rectangular shape, with a steep pitched roof to keep winter snow from accumulating. Rarely built with upper floor dormers, these homes tended to have a stark, impenetrable look, which became fashionable during the Gothic Revival period of the early 19th century. Cape Cod windows were generally double paned with wooden shutters, and placed symmetrically on either side of a central door, as well as in the gable on either side of the house. The first Cape Cods, also known as Colonial Capes, were usually one or two rooms deep at the most and just a single story with a large attic, contrasting with many 18th and 19th century styles that featured large two and three story designs. Colonial Cape floor plans tended to max out at 1-2,000 sq ft, and were typically furnished with all hardwood floors.

Cape Cod architecture was less common in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as other styles predominated, but it enjoyed a widespread revival in the 1920s, when builders in other parts of the nation started using the style. The family awarded a new Cape Cod style home in the 1938 Life Magazine project chose to build in Edina, Minnesota, far from the coastal Massachusetts region for which the style is named. Colonial Revival Capes introduced a variety of new features to the classic form, including upper-floor dormers for extra light, bay and picture windows, front entrance pilasters, and more modern floor plans that sometimes included a kitchen extension at the back of the house. But revivalists were careful to remember the Cape Cod’s original appeal rooted in classic design, practicality, and affordability, and designed their new homes as traditionally as possible.

By: Mike Magner

The World of Architectural Designs

admin — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:45:52 +0000

Architectural interior designing has existed since the time human beings began building houses for themselves. They made crude houses from stone, wood and whatever else they could find useful for making their houses. Those structures were not at all comfortable or stylish compared to the sophisticated interiors that architects design nowadays. But they were the earliest steps that man took in the field of architectural interior designing.

As humans gained mastery over various elements, they started building better houses with improved interiors. Once they had succeeded in achieving a satisfying comfort level in their interiors, our architect ancestors started paying attention to beautifying them. This led to the creation of various styles of architectural interior design.

Architectural interior designing first got recognition during the Roman and Gothic ages. Since then it has explored a variety of styles across different ages. The concepts of architectural interior designing have been seen to be influenced by prevailing economic and social conditions. For example, the economic crisis that resulted from World War II played a defining role in making the architectural interior designing of that era quite plain and simple. Architectural interior designing reflects its times, the World War bought misery and financial difficulties to the masses. Consequently some people at that time did not care about the beauty of their interiors or could not afford to beautify their homes. Similarly other significant periods in the history of mankind have been associated with unique styles of architectural interior designing.

Some of the most historically significant forms of architectural interior designing are –

Gothic (13th-century)

Baroque (17th century)

Georgian (18th century)

Classical and Gothic revival (19th century)

Modernistic art (20th century)

Modern Architectural Designs:

Unlike their ancient predecessors who worked with rocks and metals like iron, modern architects use concrete and steel to create marvelous interiors.

Architecture goes green:

A concept of architectural interior designing that has become very popular among present-day architects is that that of a green home. Green homes are built using materials and methods that are friendly to the environment. Much of the materials used in the construction of such homes are environment-friendly, and can be re-cycled. This is very important, because with the threat of global warming looming large over us, we need to do everything that can be done to prevent further damages to our environment.

By: orsondixon