The Amiens Cathedral is inspired by the gothic period as architectural details such as pointed arches, ribbed faults, and flying buttresses are seen throughout the building. The use of geometric shapes are additionally incorporated throughout the structure and the linear plan stays true to gothic influence. The Amiens Cathedral of Notre Dame however did not stop with these elements in the design of the building. The architects incorporated repetition and the use of stacking to a new extreme. The intense verticality of the structure that reached towards the heavens was used to transport viewers into a whole new spiritual realm. The Amiens Cathedral in turn became a model for cathedrals to come. Architects looked to what was already standing and successful and repeated similar characteristics in their structures and were additionally able to avoid mistakes that were previously made.
Again the idea of borrowing from what was already established and successful is seen in the Villa Capra designed by Andrea Palladio. He looked back to the classical period and copied from antiquity something that was rare and precious and transformed it into something common and secular. While the Amiens Cathedral was built during a time where the primary focus was on religion and the church, Villa Capra transitions to a period where the focus is taken off the church and put on man being in measure of all things. Careful attention to proportions are seen again, and the central plan of Villa Capra is used to help draw attention to man being in the center of the universe.
In France, the Chateau Chambord is built during the renaissance and is a good example of looking at both medieval and classical architecture and meshing the two movements into one building. The renaissance period was about reviving the classical period and recreating what was already established long ago. In the Chateau Chambord the classical detailing is seen on the lower half, but the architects put their own twist to the classical style by altering the top to reflect gothic characteristics as well.
The different periods in themselves are examples of alterations of one another. Beginning with the classical period, it transitions into the gothic period, and proceeds to the renaissance where antiquity was revived once again. The movement proceeding the renaissance was the baroque. During this time, it similarly reflected that of antiquity but exaggerated classical elements into a style all its own. The baroque period ties in theater to all aspects of life and uses drama to show movement and transport viewers to another realm. It was about masking, creating illusions and breaking outside of the boundaries. New innovations took place. The difference between the renaissance's take on classicsm and baroque's is seen through the statue of David. Contrary to Michaelandelo's statue created during the renaissance, Bernini's statue comes alive as it bends, moves and challenges.
What I gained most from this section was the realization of how much architecture is copied, repeated, and altered to this day. Those that do not study what was in the past are susceptible to repeating past mistakes, or recreating something that was better accomplished previously. All architecture is different interpretations of the principles that were established long ago. It is imperative to understand the principles for what makes good design so that those lessons can be built upon and expanded into new ideas and alterations.
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