Early Modern Era - Innovations in Science and Technology

Introduction

During the early modern era, we saw some great innovations in science and technology. According to, “Great 20th Century Invention Timeline 1900 to 1949”, this time is known as, “the beginning of a century of innovation.” So many things were invented during this time, there is no way to list them all. Something that was affected by the innovations of science and technology during this time was architecture. In this blog, I will be displaying three pieces of architecture from the early modern era that highlight the innovations of science and technology. 

Chrysler Building

Photo from chryslerbuilding.com

The first famous piece of architecture that we will be taking a look at is the Chrysler Building, which if you have seen Spiderman, you may be familiar with it. According to the Chrysler Building’s website, “The story of the Chrysler Building began in 1928, when automotive titan Walter P. Chrysler, founder of Chrysler Corporation, bought the property from Coney Island developer William H. Reynolds for $2 million. Chrysler hired architect William Van Alen, who had previously designed a skyscraper for Reynolds on the site, to create the world’s tallest tower. Construction on Chrysler’s project began in 1929 and was completed in 1930” (History: Chrysler Building). The Chrysler Building was known to be the tallest building in the world until 1931 and is located in New York. This era's advances in science and technology must have played a part in designing and building a building of this size and detail. 

The Hoover Dam

Photo from hoover.archives.gov

The next amazing piece of architecture that we will dive into is The Hoover Dam located on the Nevada-Arizona border. The Hoover Dam is an incredible work of architecture and certainly displays this era's innovations in science and technology. According to the Hoover Dam’s website, “Appropriations were approved and construction began in 1930. The dam was dedicated in 1935 and the hydroelectric generators went online in 1937. Hoover Dam was built for a cost of $49 million (approximately $760 million adjusted for inflation). The power plant and generators cost an additional $71 million. The sale of electrical power generated by the dam paid back its construction cost, with interest, by 1987” (The Hoover Dam). The Hoover Dam has been incredible, it controls the Colorado River flooding, provides water to land and people, and it also provides energy. (The Hoover Dam) This was certainly not an easy design, and it serves many great purposes which make this piece of architecture even more impressive. 

Einstein Tower

Photo from archdaily.com

Last but not least, we will be reviewing the Einstein Tower, located in Potsdam, Germany. According to Arch Daily, “The Einstein Tower, designed by the German architect Erich Mendelsohn, is one of the best-known examples of German expressionist architecture. Designed as an amorphic structure of reinforced concrete, Mendelsohn wanted the tower to represent as well as facilitate the study of  Einstein’s radical theory of relativity – a groundbreaking theorem of motion, light and space” (Merin, Gili). This is an interesting piece of architecture that was built in 1921. The design is very different from anything else we have viewed, and it is an observatory. The use of reinforced concrete is incredible during this time, surely this tower is able to withstand anything nature may throw at it. 

Art Elements

The art elements seen in all three of these pieces of architecture are line, space, and three-dimensional form. We see lines used greatly in the Chrysler Building, it has line work seen throughout the building, as it towers over New York. The Hover Dam is also very large, showing its three-dimensional form and line work throughout. The way the Hoover Dam was designed is incredible and the architects had to have paid a lot of attention to detail in perfecting this work. The Einstein Tower also showcases line work throughout, especially around the windows and entrances. Notice all the details in the Einstein Tower, everything has a curve to it.

Discussion

All three of these pieces are very different to analyze. The Chrysler Building as a giant tower, the Hoover Dam as a large dam, and the funny-looking Einstein Tower. I enjoy each of these pieces in their own way and they all follow the theme of innovations in science and technology from the early modern era.   

Works Cited

Bellis, Mary. “Great 20th Century Inventions from 1900 to 1949.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 29 May 2024, www.thoughtco.com/20th-century-timeline-1992486#:~:text=The%20Zeppelin%20was%20invented%20by,Owens.

“History: Chrysler-Building.” Chrysler, chryslerbuilding.com/history/#:~:text=Chrysler%20hired%20architect%20William%20Van,and%20was%20completed%20in%201930. Accessed 22 July 2024.

“The Hoover Dam.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, hoover.archives.gov/hoover-dam. Accessed 22 July 2024.

Merin, Gili. “Ad Classics: The Einstein Tower / Erich Mendelsohn.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 14 July 2013, www.archdaily.com/402033/ad-classics-the-einstein-tower-erich-mendelsohn.

Neo-Gothic & Neo-Classical - Romantic Era

Introduction

Today, we will be taking a look into the Romantic Era, where we will see some more impressive works of architecture. The two styles that we will be focusing on are the Neo-Gothic style and the Neo-Classical style. 

Neo-Gothic Style

The first piece of architecture that we will be focusing on from the Neo-Gothic style is the Houses of Parliament which is also known as the Palace of Westminister, in London, England. According to the UK Parliament, “One of the most recognised buildings in the world, the Palace of Westminster owes its stunning Gothic architecture to the 19th-century architect Sir Charles Barry. Now Grade I listed, and part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace contains a fascinating mixture of both ancient and modern buildings, and houses an iconic collection of furnishings, archives and works of art” (Architecture of the Palace - UK Parliament). The Palace had to be rebuilt after a fire and the construction of the new Palace, designed by Charles Barry, began in 1840, and the construction of the new Palace was not complete until more than 30 years later. (Architecture of the Palace - UK Parliament).

Photo from parliament.uk

The second piece of architecture that we will be taking a look at from the Neo-Gothic style, is St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in New York. According to St. Patrick’s website, “The cornerstone of St. Patrick’s Cathedral was laid in 1858 and her doors swept open in 1879. It was over 160 years ago when Archbishop John Hughes announced his inspired ambition to build the “new” St. Patrick’s Cathedral” (History & Heritage | St. Patrick’s Cathedral). St. Patrick's Cathedral was designed by the very talented architect, James Renwick Jr. (The Building of Saint Patrick’s Cathedrals)

Photo from stpatrickscathedral.org

Art Elements

The Houses of Parliament and St. Patrick’s Cathedral have a lot of differences but also a lot of similarities. It is very clear that both works have used the Neo-Gothic style from the Romantic Era. For these works, we will be taking a look at their uses of lines, space, and texture. Firstly, the use of lines is a big part of architecture, and the Houses of Parliament take the use of lines to another level. The main lines to note are the vertical lines all through the exterior. With both the Houses of Parliament and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the use of lines is used very strongly in their towers. For their use of space, both pieces of architecture are very large with incredible detail, especially in their towers which makes them impossible to miss. The texture to notice in both of these works are the points, with St. Patrick’s Cathedral, we see them mainly in the towers, but in the Houses of Parliament, we see them at the top, across pretty much the entire building adding to their great detail.

My Neo-Gothic Opinions

I love Neo-Gothic architecture and it is something that you could sit and admire. The details are incredible. Every bit of space, all the way to the top of St. Patrick’s Towers, was utilized. These are two more buildings that I will have to take the time to see in person, thankfully St. Patrick’s Cathedral is not too far away!

Neo-Gothic Intentions

“An architectural style that drew its inspiration from medieval architecture and competed with the Neoclassical revivals in the United States and Great Britain” (Mozaik). Neo-Gothic architecture without a doubt makes you think “medieval”. All the points and tall towers, when I hear Neo-Gothic, these buildings are exactly what I pictured in my head without knowing for sure what they looked like.  

Neo-Classical Style

The first piece of architecture that we will be going over from the Neo-Classical style is the United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C. The United States Capitol was designed by Dr. William Thornton. (Architect of the Capitol) “Construction of the Capitol began in 1793. In November 1800, Congress, along with the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court, moved into the newly completed north wing. The south wing was completed by 1807, but in 1814, the British burned the Capitol during the War of 1812. What is now the center portion of the Capitol was completed in 1826” (The Capitol). 

Photo from washington.org

The second piece of architecture that we will take a look at from the Neo-Classical style is the British Museum, in London, England. “The core of today's building was designed by the architect Sir Robert Smirke (1780-1867) in 1823. It was a quadrangle with four wings: the north, east, south and west wings. The building was completed in 1852” (British Museum).

Photo from britishmuseum.org

Art Elements

The United States Capitol and the British Museum both use the art elements of line, space and focal point. The use of lines is best noticed in both buildings' use of pillars, the Capitol uses pillars throughout the exterior and even on the dome, with the British Museum, the use of lines in their pillars is seen throughout the front of the building. For space, both buildings are very large and have their own sets of unique details seen on the top of their exterior fronts. The focal point of the Capitol is the dome in the very center, it is difficult to avoid letting your eyes go straight to the dome, and with the British Museum, the focal point is above its main entrance right in the center.

Neo-Classical Intentions

“Neo-classical aimed to strip away the excesses of Baroque monuments and returns to a purer and more authentic classical style” (Moziak). I can see how in Neo-Classical architecture, where they were trying to make it simpler. Compared to Neo-Classical architecture, you could say many other styles are crazy detailed with a lot going on. While still being detailed and impressive, the Neo-Classical style offers a more “relaxed” design.

Neo-Classical Opinions

Neo-Classical architecture is impressive, and it took a lot to design and build these buildings, but I am not the biggest fan. I love the use of pillars/ columns in this architecture, and they make these buildings look big and strong. I just don't enjoy it as much as the Neo-Gothic architecture. I guess I can say that I am glad that we have a strong-looking Capitol though!

Works Cited

Architecture of the Palace - UK Parliament, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/architecture/. Accessed 16 July 2024.

The Building of Saint Patrick’s Cathedrals, New York - Florida Construction Connection, www.floridaconstructionconnection.com/the-building-of-saint-patricks-cathedrals-new-york/. Accessed 16 July 2024.

“The Capitol.” The Capitol | U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center, www.visitthecapitol.gov/explore/the-capitol#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20Capitol%20in,nation’s%20legislature%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Congress. Accessed 15 July 2024.

“History of the Architect of the Capitol.” Architect of the Capitol, www.aoc.gov/about-us/history. Accessed 15 July 2024.

“British Museum.” Architectuul, architectuul.com/architecture/british-museum. Accessed 15 July 2024.

online, Mozaik. “Neo-Gothic vs Neo-Classic Architecture.” Medium, Medium, 19 June 2022, mazoghby.medium.com/neo-gothic-vs-neo-classic-architecture-3ba4e41d88cd.

History & Heritage | St. Patrick’s Cathedral | New York, NY, saintpatrickscathedral.org/history-heritage. Accessed 16 July 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palace of Versailles, Orangery Garden - Baroque Blog

Introduction

Now it is time to dive into a piece of architecture from the Baroque era. The piece of architecture that I have found is the Palace of Versailles which is located in Versailles, France. According to the Palace of Versailles museum website, “The history of the Palace of Versailles starts in the 17th century. It was first a hunting lodge, then a seat of power, and finally, from the 19th century onwards, a museum. Composed of the Palace, the gardens, the Park, the Trianon estate and several buildings in town, today the Estate of Versailles spreads over more than 800 hectares” (The Estate). The Palace of Versailles is a piece of incredible architecture that would probably take me 10-plus pages to fully discuss. For this blog, I will be focusing on the Palace’s Orangery Garden.

Photo from twoinfrance.com

According to the museum’s website, “The Orangery parterre covers no less than three hectares. During the reign of Louis XIV it was adorned with several sculptures which are now kept in the Musée du Louvre. It consists of four grass sections and a circular pool. In summer there are 1055 containers with orange trees, palm trees, oleander, pomegranate trees and Eugenia bushes that are kept inside the building during winter” (The Estate). The Orangery Garden was designed by the architect named Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1684 and 1686 (The Versailles Orangery). The Orangery would be a sight to see from up in the Palace, I cannot imagine the amount of care and attention to detail it must take to keep it looking this good. 

Art Elements

Two art elements in the Orangery that are very apparent are the use of space and lines. The Orangery is very large, and the space is used very well, the influence of royalty is very apparent. Not just anyone would have this garden. In this space, every tree, bush, shrub, and even the grass is trimmed and placed strategically to give us this impressive view. It is hard to miss the use of lines in the Orangery Garden, there are a lot of long, straight lines, or rows of trees in a specific, repeating pattern. Take a look at the patterns used for the grass sections inside the trees, they are incredibly designed and must take a lot of time to maintain.   

My Opinions

The Orangery Garden at the Palace of Versailles is of course, incredible. I cannot imagine being able to sit in the Palace and admire that view, I also cannot imagine being part of the team having to maintain it. Overall, I am very impressed with the Orangery, and it is very cool to be able to see this type of landscape art that was designed so long ago and that it is still beautifully maintained today.

Works Cited

“The Estate.” Palace of Versailles, 30 Nov. 2023, en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate. 

Ricki. “The Versailles Gardens.” Two In France, 26 Dec. 2022, twoinfrance.com/places/versailles gardens/#!jig[1]/FL/16455209466.

“The Versailles Orangery.” Orangeries UK, 9 Nov. 2020, www.orangeries-uk.co.uk/the-largest-orangery-in-europe.html. 

Palazzo Medici Riccardi - Renaissance Blog

Introduction

I do enjoy seeing art from a long time ago, but when it comes to the art in their architecture, I am blown away. After doing quite a bit of research, I came across the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, Italy and it was a part of the Italian Renaissance. At first glance, it did not impress me very much, but thankfully I stopped scrolling and looked into it more. Every little detail in the Palazzo is incredible and I cannot believe that I almost overlooked it. 

Ph. Associazione Mus.e

The Palazzo Medici Riccardi was “the first palace of the Medici family, where Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent lived, and artists such as Donatello, Michelangelo, Paolo Uccello, Benozzo Gozzoli, and Botticelli worked” ("Where It All Began"). The Palazzo was commissioned in 1444 by Cosimo de’ Medici the Elder, and was completed in 1460 (Rebecca Marks, MA). “Scholars and architecture enthusiasts will know that Palazzo Medici Riccardi is something of a prototype for all Renaissance architecture to come, designed by Michelozzo to represent the emerging ideals of this new era” (Vaughn, Samantha). This was the Medici family’s primary residence until the mid-16th century, the Riccardi family purchased the Palazzo in the 17th century and then after that, the building went to the city, it is now a museum (Rebecca Marks, MA).

Art Elements

The actual texture, contrast, and space are the first things to notice with the outside of the Palazzo. The three different levels show us three different contrasting textures. Samantha Vaughn with "The Forentine" explains it greatly, "The first level is immense and decorated with rusticated blocks of stone, while the second level is characterized by a smooth ashlar surface. The third level is both the shortest and the most elegant, its ashlar blocks nearly free of all visible cracks between each one of them." The space is so well designed with well-thought-out details in every part. Notice the arches and design in and around every door and window, to think of the time that was put into perfecting it.

My Opinions

I could go on and on about the Palazzo Medici Riccardi and it continues to get better as you go inside. For this blog, I wanted to focus on the exterior architecture because it is easy to overlook the exterior details and go right inside. I will add a video tour link that I have found on YouTube at the end of this post for anyone who may be interested. Some things have changed in the Palazzo, starting with when the Riccardi family bought the Palazzo as seen in the courtyard (Vaughn). Modern architecture today is awesome, but I prefer older architecture like seen in the Palazzo. I would be able to spend a long time admiring all the different parts of the Palazzo if I got the chance to go to Italy. I am going to have to start selling all of my stuff so I can travel and experience all of the art!

Tour of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi

Works Cited

“Where It All Began.” Palazzo Medici Riccardi, www.palazzomediciriccardi.it/en/. Accessed 11 July 2024.

Rebecca Marks, MA. “A Brief History of Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence.” Urbs, Urbs, 4 Dec. 2023, www.urbstravel.com/post/history-of-palazzo-medici-riccardi.

Vaughn, Samantha. “Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence.” The Florentine, 13 Dec. 2022, www.theflorentine.net/2019/01/09/palazzo-medici-riccardi/.