Italian Renaissance - Neoclassic

Summary:

    This week's reading for Hinchman's "History of Interior Architecture" I read about the Italian Renaissance - Neoclassic design. This period was extremely influential in the history of architecture and design. The Renaissance is known as a "rebirth" of Greek and Roman styles. The idea of religion and God shifted to cojoin was humanity and their ways of thinking. 

Current Designs and Applications: 

    One design from this period that stuck with me is the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. This takes inspiration from older Greek structures and combines them with new needs for the people. This specific palazzo combined aspects from old watchtowers and Tuscan farmhouses to create its form. A modern day application of this typology is the guard towers seen at prisons. 

Palazzo Vecchio | Florence, Italy

Illinois | Modern Day Watchtower at Prison 

    A second design from the Italian Renaissance is the Capitoline Hill designed by Michelangelo. He had to work with an existing structure and revise it until he created what we have today. There is an oval slightly raised in the center with lines radiating out of it. A varying but similar idea can be seen in the downtown square of Jacksonville, Illinois (my home town). The statue in the middle is slightly raised in a circular manner, and lines extend out from it. 

Capitoline Hill | Rome | Michelangelo

Jacksonville Illinois | Downtown Square

    Another design that stood out was again one from Michelangelo: the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. This plaster ceiling was painted to represent different Biblical characters. It was a formative piece in the Renaissance and affected the ways that people viewed art, architecture, and space for hundreds of years to follow. It is also famous for the illustration that showcases God reaching out his hand to Adam. This is one of the most discussed pieces of art in the world. Today, this idea of ceiling art is still used but in a different way. Instead of showcasing Biblical characters, it is used as another way to play with space, color, and design in the home. 

Sistine Chapel | Vatican City | Michelangelo 

Modern Day Example of Ceiling Artwork | Represents the Sky 

One Step Further: 

    One designer from this era is Filippo Brunelleschi. He is very influential to understanding how proportions work within buildings, designs, furniture, and other aspects. He is often accredited with one-point perspective, which is a fundamental idea in today's world of design. One of his famous pieces is the Florence Cathedral. This structure was influential because it broke way from main Gothic design and transitioned into what we know call Italian Renaissance. Another significant one of his works was the Hospital of the Innocents. This was the blueprint for many Renaissance buildings to follow with its rounded arches, columns, and little ornamentation. A third design is the Pazzi Chapel. This structure uses circles and squares to translate the concept, and Brunelleschi is said to have contributed largely to the interior design. 

Florence Cathedral | Florence, Italy | Brunelleschi 

Hospital of the Innocents | Florence, Italy | Brunelleschi

Pazzi Chapel Interior | Florence, Italy | Brunelleschi

Conclusion: 

    Renaissance art was influential not only because there was a shift in design style, but also in the focus of the style. While religion was still very important to everyday life and culture, there began to be more emphasis on the science behind compositions and structures. Today, we still reference designers and architects from this period. The addition of one-point perspective and other tools founded during this time continue to influence our process and designs today.