19th Century Arc
The Dilemma of Style In the Nineteenth Century and How It Was AddressedArchitecture, since large-scale construction began, has always been a means for establishments to represent and emanate the style and image that they wished to convey. Be they for government, the monarchy, religion, industry or for wealthy individuals, the buildings would reflect a combination of what the commission outlined, and what the architect codified within his or her own technique and vision.To an architect, style is the technique of building, which encompasses a contemporary or historical approach and which is both fashionable and aesthetically pleasing. At the same time style should be regarded as the subtle division between the building as a service, and the building as a piece of art.Much of Nineteenth century architecture has its roots within the Classic style of ancient Greece and Rome, but much of what this essay will discuss, is how the architects of the Nineteenth century were torn between the disintegration of the classical tradition and the rise of the Modern Movement. Architects were faced with of a dilemma of choice between alternative systems of design.The main styles, which encompassed architecture arou
Although this began during the eighteenth century, it was not until the period between 1820 and 1900 that its effects snowballed to create the immense trek from countryside to town, producing new centres of population. The strength that it provided was a picturesque version of the strength and simplicity that classically built buildings offered. A faster way of building was needed, and changes began to be seen, moving away from the traditional handmade elements of construction, to machine or mould made materials, which sped up the building process, which was needed to deal with the expanding population. John Nash, a contemporary of Sir John Soane (who built the Bank of England in the city of London late in the Eighteenth century) displayed heavy use of classical design in his development of the areas around Regents Park, notably Cumberland Terrace and the surrounding buildings of Regent Street. nd the modern world during the Nineteenth century, were Neo-classical and Gothic revival, with modern style constructions emerging more towards the end of the century. Figure 1Classicism was not just confined to France. The learned architects of this time were not presented with a dilemma as more of a choice of which techniques or style of revivals should be implemented, and the choices made were strongly dictated by common opinion and social and industrial change. The broad surfaces reflect Chalgrin's interest in geometric forms and the grandeur is further enhanced by the reliefs, which express the highest qualities of the Romantic sculpture of Rude, Etex and Cortot and which now symbolise the very power and prowess that Paris and France represented as an institution in the Nineteenth century. So whether or not the architects were faced with a dilemma was not necessarily the issue. Alongside this, the development of the potential of steel, iron and glass in construction led to the erection of great bridges and stations and, notably, Sir Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace (1850 - 1851) (Figure 3). The Eiffel Tower was France's symbolic gesture towards her own industrialisation. Gaudi's Gothic approach to buildings such as his famously unfinished cathedral follow the same fundamental principles of the importance of the supportive skeletal frame. During this stage, there were few historical styles which Nineteenth century architects did not emulate and adapt to their use. Although there were no concrete rules, classical forms were preferred for civic and public buildings such as government offices, town halls and university colleges. Neo Classic buildings were often intended to represent a certain grandeur and stature, resulting in imposing institutional ramifications but at the same time, reducing the structure itself to its basic geometric elements.
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