Architecture as art is a historically developing phenomenon. At each stage of its development, architecture has its own canons, which can be used to determine the style of building architecture. Look closely at it, it will tell you a lot.
Instructions
Step 1
In ancient times, architecture was associated primarily with the construction of temples. Their main feature was free-standing pillars - columns. By their capitals it was possible to determine the era of construction.
The earliest were Doric capitals (stone cushion and square slab).
It was replaced by a capital of the Ionic order, more refined, decorated with roundings in the form of ram's horns (volutes). The capital of the Corinthian order was the latest. Lush, spectacular, it resembled a flower basket.
The buildings of this era have hardly survived to this day. However, during the Renaissance and Classicism, architects made extensive use of these columns.
Step 2
Romanesque temples can be recognized by their large size. They used vaulted structures. They are characterized by the monumentality of the composition, and a distinctive feature was the grandeur. The heavy and gloomy grandeur of Romanesque architecture was reflected in the construction of feudal castles, monastery ensembles and temples.
Step 3
The leading achievements of the Gothic style were the construction of cathedrals. Unlike Romanesque cathedrals, they evoked a feeling of lightness, special airiness and spirituality. This feeling is created by the pointed arches, which emphasize the aspiration of the entire building upward.
An important detail of the Gothic cathedral is the huge windows, which were decorated with colored stained-glass windows.
Outside, the cathedral has two towers on the facade, and between them there is a round window. It got the name "Gothic rose".
Step 4
During the Renaissance, architecture had its own characteristics.
Antique columns did not serve as the basis for the building structure, but as an ornament, decor.
A giant dome was erected over the cathedrals.
Both secular and religious buildings had a clear harmonious composition, light, graceful and simple.
The walls were divided by pilasters, semi-columns, cornices.
Step 5
Baroque architectural forms are the opposite of strict geometry. The centric is replaced by an extended one, a circle is replaced by an oval, a square is replaced by a rectangle. The polyphony of architectural volumes dominates. The buildings are becoming picturesque.
The façade line bends. Columns, pilasters, cornices, platbands, medallions, cartouches, volutes appear from the thickness of the walls.
The pediments end with statues, and there are sculptures in the niches.
Step 6
The architecture of classicism is the complete opposite of the baroque. It is characterized by strict lines, clear volumes, slender composition. The basis of the architectural language is the order, close to antiquity. The principle of the architecture of this style was based on the harmonious balance of forms and ideal proportions. Buildings were clearly divided by floor by order. A ledge, balcony or pediment should correspond to the central axis. The façade wings are enclosed by pavilions.
