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The History of Style, Decoration, and Architecture

My Favorite Architectural Styles are:

Gothic 1150 - 1400

Baroque 1590 - 1725

Art Nouveau 1890 - 1914

Modernism 1900 - 1950

Art Deco 1920 - 1930

Sustainability - present

modernism building -Villa Dirickz (Marce

ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS

Famous Places And Their Architecture - An Indepth Look

BASILICA OF SAINT-DENIS

Building Name: Basilica of Saint-Denis

Building/Architectural Style: Gothic

Location: Saint-Denis, Paris, France

Date: originally founded in 7th century; the current Basilica of Saint-Denis was built the 12th century (1135 AD)

Architect: François Debret and Jacques Moulin; the 12th century version was designed by Abbot Suger

Historical Influences: The building references Roman architecture.

Characteristics:

Roof: The roof of the Basilica is low, and horizontal. The height of the roof is 28 metres. The steeple on the roof is vertical and pointed. Originally, there were two steeples, but in 1836, the steeple on the north tower, which rose to a height of 86 metres, was struck by lightning. That meant that this building was originally 114 metres high. The steeple on the south tower remains. The original roof was made of lead, but it was stripped away during the French Revolution.

Building Materials: The materials used to build the Basilica are strong and heavy materials including; heavy stone masonry and heavy, thick lumbar (wood). Stones are used to create the columns and the façade, and lumbar is used for the roof. The walls of the gothic era are thinner than previous eras.

Windows: The walls in this building are devoted to many, many windows, to let the natural light in. The Basilica has massive stained glass windows. The two main stained glass windows, one on the building and one on the roof, are circular and were designed in the shape of a rose. The other stained glass windows are vertical with curved shapes. Today, when you visit the Basilica all that remains in Saint-Denis are five original windows. The rest have been replaced.

Doors: The cast and guilded doors were made of bronze and decorated with ornate wrought iron strap hinges. Curved arches are used to frame the entrance doors. The lower part of the facade was designed in “trios” = three doors, and three vertical strata.

Structural and ornamental/decorative features: The exterior of this building is famously known to be lopsided. The Basilica of St-Denis is clearly designed in gothic style and is famous for being the first example of Gothic architecture with its use of decorative iron straps and hinges, pointed arches, windows with tracery, ribbed vaulting, and flying buttresses

THE NATIONAL PANTHEON

Building Name: The National Pantheon

Building/Architectural Style: Baroque

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Date: Originally built in 1568, but it collapsed. The building was rebuilt and became the Church of Santa Engrácia in 1682. The dome was added and the building became the National Pantheon in 1966.

Architect: João Antunes, one of the most important baroque architects of Portugal.

Historical Influence: The building references Renaissance styles. The architect, João Antunes, was heavily inspired by Italian trends.

Characteristics:

Roof: The building has height of 77 metres. The roof consists of a flat terrace and two domes, parabolic in shape. The terrace is one of Lisbon’s most beautiful viewpoints. Visitors can access the roof and get an amazing panoramic view of the Tagus River and the city skyline.

Building Materials: The Pantheon is made of stone masonry, granite, and the dome is made of reinforced concrete. The exterior is symmetrical in design and in each corner of the building there is a square tower, but the pinnacles were never completed. The roof was originally made of wood but was replaced when the domes were built in 1966. The domes are clad in lithium stone. The building itself was built in the shape of a Greek cross. This structure underwent many different stages of construction, making it the monument that took the longest to complete in all of Portugal.

Windows: The Pantheon has fairly small, simple, portal windows that allow light in. The use of many dark windows contrasts with the light colour of the building.

Doors: The main façade has an entrance hall and three niches with statues. Above the entrance door rests the coat-of-arms of Portugal held by two angels. Four grand columns stand out as part of the main façade. As you enter the doors, coloured marble is used to decorate the floors and walls.

Structural and ornamental/decorative features: The National Pantheon is an impressive building, made with curves and geometric forms, and crowned by a large dome. It is clear that the exterior of the National Pantheon is a beautiful and opulent structure showcasing a symmetrical pattern, use of irregular shapes, ornate finishings, and unfinished architectural elements, typical of the Baroque movement.

THE CHRYSLER BUILDING

Building Name: The Chrysler Building

Building/Architectural Style: Art Deco

Location: Manhattan’s East Side (Midtown), New York, USA

Date: 1928 - 1930

Architect: William Van Alen

Historical Influence: The building references parts of Art Nouveau and has eagle gargoyles from the Gothic era.

Characteristics:

Roof: The highest floor in the Chrysler Building is the 77th floor at 858 feet high, and the highest occupied floor is at 828 feet. The building’s roof height is 282 metres. With the metal spire, the building’s roof height is 318 metres. The most recognized feature of the Chrysler building is its terraced crown composed of seven radiating arches in a sunburst pattern (that look like wedding cake-like layers). Another iconic feature - the metal eagle statues placed on the exterior, near the top of the building - 2 in each corner to represent the bald eagles that overlook the city. The building and its crown are illuminated at night and for special occasions using 10,000 light bulbs. The 71st floor used to be an observation deck, but closed in 1945. Rumour has it, the observation deck may make a comeback very soon, this time on the 61st floor.

Building Materials: The Chrysler Building was constructed using masonry with a steel frame and stainless-steel cladding. In total, 391,881 rivets and 29,961 tons of structural steel were used, and approximately 3,826,000 bricks were manually laid. 750 miles of electrical conductor wire was also used. The crown is clad with Nirosta steel, ribbed and riveted in a radiating sunburst pattern with many triangle vaulted windows. The building's Nirosta steel elements, include the needle, crown, eagle gargoyles, and entrance doors. Metal hubcaps, radiator caps, car fenders, flared ornaments and metal shafts used are parts from Chrysler automobiles used to symbolize the machine age and pay homage to the Chrysler family.

Windows: The Chrysler building has 3,862 windows. Some floors, like the 71st floor and each of the seven terraced arches, have triangle windows. Below the 16th floor, windows do not have window sills. Each of the building's four sides have windows framed by bricks and marble.

Doors: There are two main entrances and one smaller side entrance. Each of the main entrances are three stories high with polished black granite floor surrounding each entryway. Each entryway also has revolving doors. The ground level houses storefronts with large windows. As you enter the revolving doors, you will notice the triangle shaped lobby. The lobby is open to the public, but the rest of the building is off-limits. The lobby is decorated with amber, onyx, steel, blue marble, red Moroccan marble walls, African red granite, sienna-coloured floor, art deco light fixtures, and painted murals on the ceiling. The Chrysler Building Lobby is possibly the most ornate and expensive lobby in the entire city.

Structural and ornamental/decorative features: It is clear that the outside of the Chrysler Building is a unique and beautiful building representing Art Deco style with its elaborate and bold ornamentation, symmetry, rectangular and triangle shapes, sunbursts, details, and machine-like forms. This modern and luxurious building is a work of art and a symbol of the city’s progress and innovation.

THE FALLINGWATER HOUSE

Building Name: The Fallingwater House

Building/Architectural Style: Modernism

Location: Mill Run, Pennsylvania, USA

Date: Main house completed in 1938.

Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright, a pioneer in American Modernism

Historical Influences: This home is inspired by Romanticism and the Arts and Crafts Movement. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was also inspired by organic architecture (bringing nature inside).

Characteristics:

Roof: This home has flat roofs. The roofs have low ceilings which help direct your eyes towards the outdoors, encouraging the use of the open social areas and decks. The chimney towers over the roof. The home has three floors and uses 5,330 square feet (2885 sq. ft. interior; 2445 sq. ft. terraces). Each floor of the home projects in a different direction.

Building Materials: Wright used lots of natural materials: wood, brick, rock, and rough stone. He also used masonry, glass, and steel. Wright was a pioneer in using concrete which, at the time, was seen as dangerously modern. His use of reinforced concrete (made up of cement, sand, and rounded river gravel) on the balconies, floors, and terraces was revolutionary. The external walls of the home were made of local sandstone. The home's terraces were coated in stucco. And the foundations of the house were made of local rocks.

Windows: The home has lots of large, floor to ceiling, glass windows that allow lots of natural light and scenery in. Sliding glass screens are also used in the home. The house does not have walls facing the waterfalls, only windows; and the living room has a glass wall with a view of the woods, creating a continual connection with nature. Windows are set directly in stone, without vertical support beams, eliminating any visual barriers between the indoors and the outdoors.

Doors: The main entry is small and a bit hidden. It is on the opposite corner of the house, away from the waterfall view. There are two awnings that hang over the path that lead to the entrance. The balconies of the home reach out into the surrounding nature. There is also a staircase that takes guests from the living room directly to the stream below.

Structural and ornamental/decorative features: This house was built over an active waterfall, integrating the natural surroundings of water, trees, rocks, sky and nature throughout the house. Natural materials are used without using unnecessary details, creating harmony between man and nature, visually blurring the line between built structures and natural habitats. It is clear that this home represents a Modernist architecture especially in its materials used, lack of ornamentation, its human made structure, and its way of linking form to function. This modern home explores a new way in which people could live in a simpler environment.

THE SHANGHAI TOWER

Building Name: The Shanghai Tower

Building/Architectural Style: 21st Century Environmentally Friendly

Location: Shanghai, China

Date: 2015

Architect: Marshall Strabala

Historical Influences: The structure references the Roman era, taking into account the idea that this structure was built to increase people’s safety.

Characteristics:

Roof: The Shanghai Tower is 632 meters tall and has 137 floors; the structural height is 580 meters; and the highest accessible point is at 587 meters. The top of the tower is designed so it can slightly sway in heavy winds. The highest exterior part of the tower is a parapet, a structure with no floors. The parapet collects rainwater that is used for the building’s heating and air conditioning systems, irrigation, and toilet use. On the top of the building, located beneath the parapet, 200 wind turbines are installed to generate on-site power, providing 10% of the building’s electricity.

Building Materials: The Shanghai Tower has rounded corners, allowing the building to survive typhoon winds. The building is constructed like nine cylindrical buildings stacked one on top of the other. The 24% twist minimizes wind loads, which means that the building is 24% lighter when compared to a rectangular building of the same height. The outer glass wall is designed with 20,000+ curtain wall panels with more than 7,000 unique shapes. The core of the building is made of 30 square metres of reinforced concrete. The concrete core interacts with four columns of concrete encased steel. The foundation is made of 6 metres of thick mat supported by 947 bore piles. And the floor spanning is made of steel.

Windows: On the observation deck on the 119th floor, you can look through the floor-to-ceiling, 360° degree glass windows and see the streets of the city and the high-rise buildings below your feet. The highlight of the Shanghai Tower is that it’s wrapped in two layers of glass which let natural light in, minimizing the need for electricity. Nestled within the two glass layers are 24 sky gardens that work to create a thermal buffer zone that warms up the cool air in the winter and cools down the warm air in the summer (geothermal energy source), decreasing the load on heating and cooling systems, and saving energy. The building is curved and spiral.

Doors: Revolving doors were chosen because of their insulating properties, adding to the building’s energy efficiency. The basement of Shanghai Tower is connected to a subway station.

Structural and ornamental/decorative features: The Shanghai Tower is the perfect example of a 21st century environmentally friendly building. The tower uses 43 different energy-saving measures to reduce energy consumption by 21 percent, cutting 34,000 metric tonnes from its annual carbon footprint. The water pressure is maintained by gravity, allowing for a 38% water consumption reduction. The Shanghai Tower was awarded the green rating, LEED Platinum.