TYPES OF ARCHITECTURE
ROMAN ARCHITECTURE is some of the most famous architecture of
all. They mastered a number of important architectural techniques, including the arch,
the dome and the vault, as well as the use of concrete. Using these methods, Roman
engineers designed and built some of the greatest public buildings in the history of
architecture, including temples, basilicas, amphitheatres, triumphal arches,
monuments, and public baths. But they also made a lot of improvements to their city:
aqueducts, roads and sewers. Outside of Rome, people also began to build stone
amphitheaters for gladiatorial games. The first Roman emperor, Augustus, made more
changes: he built a lot of brick and marble buildings, including a big Altar of Peace and
a big tomb for his family, and a big stone theater for plays. Augustus' stepson Tiberius
rebuilt the Temple of Castor and Pollux in the Roman forum. Augustus' great-greatgrandson Nero also did a lot of building in Rome, including his Golden House.
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE is the architecture of the Byzantine
Empire, also known as the Later Roman or Eastern Roman Empire. This terminology is
used by modern historians to designate the medieval Roman Empire as it evolved as a
distinct artistic and cultural entity centered on the new capital of Constantinople rather
than the city of Rome. The empire endured for more than a millennium, dramatically
influencing medieval architecture throughout Europe and the Near East.
BYZANTINE STYLE in the mid sixth century began to change. The long, narrow basilica,
which had been Constantine's favored form of church, continued to be the dominant form of church in
the West, while rounder, domed, central-plan styles of churches, like the early Christian circular
baptistries, became more popular in the Byzantine East.
MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE during the Middle Ages saw many
innovative changes from the Romanesque style of architecture to the Gothic style of
architecture. Romanesque architecture was the name given to the style of architecture
used in very early Middle Age. Romanesque Architecture was succeeded by Gothic,
architecture of the later Middle Ages.
MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE – ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE can
be defined as having the following features: Stone cut with precision, the use of the
Roman arch led to the stone being supported in the middle by the arch construction,
Buttresses were introduced as a means of support to the basic design, the vault was
developed to enable the construction of stone roofs, Barrel or Tunnel Vaults consisted of
a continuous surface of semicircular or pointed sections resembling a barrel or tunnel,
Vaults were produced by the intersection, at right angles of two barrel vaults, and the
arches of groin vaults were either pointed or round.
MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE – GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE can be
defined as having the following features: the use of the Gothic arch led to the
construction of light and airy structures, Wider window openings, Gothic Rose Windows,
Flying buttresses, An increased number of towers, Decorative designs and sculptures
including Gargoyles.
RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE followed Gothic architecture and
was succeeded by Baroque architecture. Renaissance style places emphasis on
symmetry, proportion, geometry and the regularity of parts as they are demonstrated in
the architecture of ancient Rome, of which many examples remained. Orderly
arrangements of columns, pilasters and lintels, as well as the use of semicircular arches,
hemispherical domes, and niches are visible in renaissance architecture.
BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE architecture can include:
broader
naves, oval forms, fragmentary or deliberately incomplete architectural elements,
dramatic use of light, luxurious use of color and ornaments, large-scale ceiling frescoes,
an external façade often characterized by a dramatic central projection, the interior is
a shell for painting, sculpture and stucco, illusory effects like trompe l'oeil (an art
technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion
that the depicted objects appear in three dimension), and the blending of painting
and architecture.
MODERN ARCHITECTURE characterists are:
lack of ornament,
emphasis of rectangular forms and horizontal and vertical lines, flat roofs, emphasis on
horizontal planes and broad roof overhangs, use of modern materials, use of traditional
materials in new ways, relationship between interior spaces and site, generous use of
glass and natural light, and the use of sun and shading to enhance human comfort.