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This lesson covers architecture from the years 1420 to 1487 in Florence, Italy, as highlighted in the timeline below.
The architect and artist Brunelleschi was the runner-up in the panel competition for the Florence baptistery doors. Later this accomplished artist was hired to solve a major problem with the final construction phase of the Florence Cathedral, shown below. There was a huge open span, some 140 feet in length, that needed to be covered. It was an engineering nightmare, and it was up to Brunelleschi to create a solution by devising new building methods.
Rather than using a hemispherical dome, Brunelleschi turned to a previous generation for his solution. Essentially, he took an ogival, or pointed, arch and spun it around its axis to create an ogival dome.
The design by Brunelleschi was inherently stronger because the outward thrust was limited. To conserve weight, he designed the dome as a double-walled shell with a ribbed, semi-hollow interior. The eight primary supports can be seen on the outside, but there are 24 ribs all together. There is also a heavy lantern on top that anchors the entire structure.
Although Brunelleschi’s work on the Florence Cathedral was quite ingenious, it was essentially Gothic in its execution. The Church of Santo Spirito in Florence, Italy, (shown below) gave Brunelleschi the opportunity to incorporate the classic rationality found in the Renaissance, such as:
The term modular design refers to the way in which a defined mathematical constant is repeatedly used throughout the design, therefore creating a sense of mathematical harmony. This was similar to the classical, architectural temple designs of ancient Greece, such as the Parthenon, which used a similar approach.
Take, for example, the main arcade in the clerestory seen above. These are equal in height, and their combined height is twice that of the width of the nave. This was a marvel of classical influence, and the church stands as perhaps the greatest example of Brunelleschi’s Renaissance-styled architecture.
Although it wasn’t designed by Brunelleschi, the Palazzo Medici (shown below) by Michelozzo de Bartolommeo, was definitely inspired by his style. In the classic Roman house design, the house is centered around an open, colonnaded courtyard.
The exterior is hardly ostentatious, and yet it is far from plain. It expresses Michelozzo’s understanding of classical design while at the same time creating something that was uniquely modern.
Three distinct horizontal bands are combined to create a sense of visual weight that decreases as you move upwards, and this is partially accomplished by the use of finished and unfinished stone. Notice how the stone begins as unfinished on the bottom, and is progressively smooth as you move upward. Finally, to balance the overall appearance, a heavy cornice roof is affixed on the very top. A cornice is the ledge that you can see on the top.
Here is a view of the interior courtyard:
Notice the rounded arcade that goes around the central courtyard. This was a common feature in the housing designs in ancient Rome.
Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY IAN MCCONNELL FOR SOPHIA LEARNING. Please see our Terms of Use.