Neoclassical Architecture in England - Essay Example

Neo icism - its architectural influence on Europe The essay examines the neo ical influence on British architecture through the work of JohnSoane, one of the prominent names of the era. The essay also explores the impact of the neoclassical movement in Europe. Neoclassical era, one of the more significant periods in the history of British architecture, was prevalent during the 1750s-1850. The era marked an attempt to revive the glory of the classical era by incorporating the salient features of the age such as logic, rationale, restraint and adherence to form. The neoclassical style is well reflected in the works of Sir John Soane (1753-1837), one of the popular names of the neoclassical movement. Soane's style is marked by clean lines, adherence to form, detail, excellent sense of mood and light in the interior, which can be attributed to his influence to classical architecture. His creations, which came to be known by the end of the Georgian era were overshadowed by the Romantic period and it was only in the 19th century that he was duly acknowledged for his contribution. Though Soane's life is marked by controversies, his creations have left their mark and have been a source of inspiration for many. Born in 1753, this son of a bricklayer, trained under George Dance the Younger and Henry Holland before entering the Royal Academy Schools in 1771. His hard work was rewarded when he won a gold medal for his design for a triumphal bridge and a scholarship to France and Italy. This trip was significant since it not only shaped his opinions on architecture but also enabled him to form valuable contacts that would be of use to him in later years. It was during this study tour that he studied classical architecture in minute detail and worked on designs for many public buildings. He drew influence from the work of Ledoux, Boullee and Goindoin and got the chance to meet Piranesi in Italy. He later moved to Ireland in search of good prospects but had to return to England and set up a practice. His early career comprised renovations and additions to country estates and in publishing his designs. The turning point of his career occurred when he took over as the architect and surveyor of the Bank of England. A major task, which set the tone for his later creations, he was entrusted with the responsibility of enlarging and rebuilding the entire structure of the bank, a complicated task because of its form and structure. He reconstructed the edifice using the Roman Corinthian, a variety found in the temple of Sibyl at Tivoli, which, despite its shortcomings, was considered a great innovation in that era. His most popular work, The Bank of England embodies the values of Greek architecture and had a profound influence on commercial architecture of that time. Soane served many posts many of which were controversial and it has been argued that his unconventional style flourished largely due to the security of his position. He undertook many public and private commissions such as public galleries and renovating country homes. He faced a lot of ridicule for his designs because though they were carefully planned, his later creations had a lot of faulty elevation details and ostentatious ornamentation. This did not affect Soane who gained membership to the Royal Academy in Britain and seven years later was elevated to first class, where he replaced late William Chambers. In 1806, he became a professor of architecture with a commitment to deliver series of lectures annually. He then began collecting various forms of art and books for the benefit of students of architecture, which were later, offered to the nation after his death. A quiet and a withdrawn person by nature, his architectural affiliations were based on French theory and exuberance combined with the formal opulence of the English picturesque theory. He was deeply influenced by classical architecture as his lectures laid emphasis on "good taste" and "sound judgement". But along with these values, he also stressed on the need for character and expression in design. His reputation as an innovative architect is largely due to his originality and control. His particular emphasis on detailing of internal spacing and lights is yet another factor that distinguishes him from others. Soane has been credited for a novel aspect of window design where he introduced light into the interior from exterior walls by subtle grading of light, through deep chamfered reveals to vertical windows (Phillips, 2000). He brought in daylight into a deep interior through the use of variety of domes and other forms of overhead daylight. This is marked by structures that have shallow domes, segmental arches and clerestories, emphasised through light ornamentation and colour. His house, now known as the Soane museum, epitomises the use of daylight in domestic architecture. Among his more notable works are Number 10, 11 Downing Street for the Prime Minister and Chancellor of Britain and also the Dulwich Picture Gallery, which is termed as one of Soane's most original creations and was one of the first public galleries of England. His country home Pitzhanger Manor- House in Ealing is said to be a portrait, which reflects his architectural style. His house in Lincoln Fields inn, which was to become the place for storing his antiquities and artefacts, was built with various features to economise space. Initially divided into twin properties, one portion served as his abode where he entertained clients whereas the second section was exclusively reserved for his artefacts. Apart from being a storehouse of artefacts the house was also a means of experimenting with his architectural ideas. Consequently, Soane negotiated an act of the Parliament to preserve his house and collection for students and amateurs in architecture, painting and sculpture. Soane's idiosyncratic style comes to fore in the designing of his "dream house", as he called his country home in Ealing in 1800. Using the house to highlight his architectural style, Soane demolished many parts of the house but retained an extension by George Dance. He designed a faade behind which he created a sequence of functional rooms with stripped classical detail, radical colour schemes and inventive use of space and light. The house was used as a weekend retreat and housed many of his artefacts, which later formed a part of the collection to be displayed at Soane museum. He was knighted in 1831 and died in 1853. Even his death served as an inspiration since the vault in which his body was laid to rest, was Soane's creation, which had a deep influence on Scott's design of the red telephone box. In Europe, neoclassical architecture is distinguished by its anti-Rococo style more visible in the Palladian architecture of Georgian Britain and Ireland but also visible in the classic architecture of Berlin. Architecture during this era was modelled on self-restraint, selecting a few Roman models and then keeping them as points of inspiration. However, before archeological excavations could popularise the superiority of classical structures in architectural designs, students used to travel to Rome and Italy and gain firsthand knowledge about the structures. The Renaissance period had revived interest and promoted qualities like harmony, simplicity and proportion which was fueled by the great discoveries made by archeologists in Rome and Italy. British architects during this era came in direct contact with the glory of classical architecture during their Grand tour of Italy, a tour that was undertaken by people of wealth who went on these trips to learn about great classical works in the mid 18th century. British architects travelled to Rome to study key monuments like the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the temples and the triumphal arches of the forum. Their interaction with artists and architects like the French Charles-Louis Clerisseau and the Italian Giovanni Batista Piranesi expanded their vision and they returned to England with a vision of recreating the ancient glory of Rome. However towards the end of the 18th century more came to be known about classical structures and its designs through new survey methods and excavation. This created an excitement to recreate the glory of the classical structure by amalgamating it with the contemporary values of that era. Also it was perceived as an alternative to the restrained Palladian version of Classical architecture drawn from the treatise and villas of the 16th century Venetian architect, Andrea Palladio. These architects used the form, structure and magnitude of the classical structures and amalgamated it with rationale, restraint and harmony, thus shaping up what came to be known as British neo classical architecture. Neoclassicism was not only about antique revival but was also affected by contemporary political events. Artists wanted to replace the sensuality and triviality of the Rococo style with a more subdued and a uniform style. Besides when the revolutionary movements replaced governments in France and America, new governments opted for neoclassical art in order to establish their affinity with the democracy of Greece. Later on during the reign of Napoleon, architecture was modified to suit his propagandistic needs, which eventually rendered it repetitive and lifeless. Though neoclassicism swept Western Europe simultaneously, each country made its own definitive contribution to it. In England, neo classicism blended with the picturesque theory whereas in France, architects like Laugier laid the geometrical rules for architecture and Germany, based on its influence from England and France, developed a national style with cultural significance. Neoclassical style is said to have originated after the excavation of cities like Herculaneum in 1738 and Pompeii 1748 and after English archeologists published their findings. But before these discoveries, the architects were aware of only Roman classical architecture through their visit to historical monuments and based their designs on Greco-Roman models. Robert Adam, the Scottish architect and designer introduced the neo classical style to Great Britain through his designs for stately English houses. However, though his style showed inclination towards the antiquity style, it still emphasized Rococo style of surface ornamentation and scale refinement. The Greek style architecture is marked by Soane's construction of the Bank of England. John Nash's designs for Regent Street in London and Royal Pavillion at Brighton are other examples of neoclassical architecture. Yet another example is the architecture in Edinburgh, which earned it the title of 'Athens of the north'. In Berlin, Karl Schinkel's designs for Berlin's Royal theatre reflects the ethos of neoclassical architecture. In France, Charles Ledoux revolutionized architecture of his era by through the application of geometry. His creations were a combination of French classicism with the feel of antiquity. Works like series of barrier for Paris ushered him into the evolutionary role of heralding the neo classical era. One of his creations - Barrier de la Villette embodies all features of antique detail, geometry, simplicity, and formalism, combined with many columns. However his vision was waylaid after Napoleon took over. His official architects, Charles Percier and Pierre Francois Leonard Fontaine were given orders to turn Paris into the foremost capital of Europe by basing it on the Roman imperial architecture. The empire style architecture is reflected in the triumphal arches of Carrousal du Louvre and Champs Elysses, a far cry from Ledoux's vision. The source for this kind of architecture was the Roman triumphal arch with its tripartite division of four unevenly spaced columns. This became one of the main sources for many neo classical architects. The Temple model was another source of inspiration from classical architecture. This model with its rectangular portico and pediment in front with columns all around was the design for churches that were constructed in the 18th century. However, it was England, which is said to have reflected the archeological formation as a direct inspiration from classical antiquity. Many British architects used to change the context when designing gardens and interior space for example Soane. As Watkins in his introduction to John Soane: The Royal Academy lectures says it was Soane's aim to "not only describe and illustrate the masterpieces of the antiquity and of subsequent periods but to point out what he believed were the universal principles on which they were based." Soane's use of introducing light in the interior through varied forms of daylight like domes and arches, derived from classical architecture, reflects his beliefs. Lord Burlington was one of the initial architects who could foresee the emphasis on the antique. He derived his inspiration from Palladio's architecture and the set of drawings, inspired from the antique designs. However the later architects did not desire to seek inspiration in Palladio and aspired to look for other means of inspiration. James Stuart, William Chambers, Robert Adam who went to Italy and Greece to study architecture came back to London and ushered in a revolution in British architecture. Thus classical architectural models were recreated and amalgamated in forms such as temples, churches, gardens, houses, terraces and even interiors. Using the picturesque tradition of England, different kinds of structures are placed next to carefully picked plants in order to create the effect of a painting. Henry Hoare's Stourhead is a classic example of garden architecture inspired by Greek and Roman architecture. Picturesque theory offered a great deal of scope for architects to invent more and more of Greek and Roman models were incorporated in garden designs. Soon enough, Greek buildings began to be used as ornaments for English Parks. One such classic illustration is Stuart's creation of a Greek Doric temple at Hagley, which can be considered one of the finest examples of the accurate revival of Greek architecture because of its attention to form and detail. On the other hand, there were many who sought inspiration from Palladian architecture, Renaissance influence and also from Greek and Italian architecture. Robert Adam who drew inspiration from these sources was particularly interested in the Roman style interior decoration. His style consisted of his own interpretation of the antique combined with various sources. Adam who specialised in renovation of country homes once created a garden front which was based on the Roman triumphal arch, which ushered in a new style in domestic architecture. This manner of incorporating the antiquity in new contexts was one of the highlights of the neo-classical architecture. Yet another classical example is Adam's creation of Syon house where many geometrical shapes were used to contrast each other and have been derived from a classical prototype. Thus many architects began incorporating classical antiquity since it was genuinely believed that only classical works were sublime and were tuned to perfection. Despite its profound impact on European architecture, it did not last for long since it was overshadowed by the Romantic Movement, which emphasised on discarding the principles of art and architecture of classical antiquity in favour of a broader scope dominated by self-expression. REFERENCES: Derek Phillips, (2000) Windows for light, an excerpt from Lighting modern buildings (2000), Architectural Press Mallgrave Harry Francis (2006) Architectural theory Neoclassical art and architecture www.history.com Neoclassical architectural and antiquity www.geocities.com Watkins David, (2000) Soane: Royal Academy Lectures Ed by David Watkins, Cambridge University Press Wikipedia www.soane.org/next www.artinthepicture.com www.greatbuildings.com Read More