The Overcorrection of Renaissance Architecture

The Overcorrection of Renaissance Architecture

1. Renaissance architecture is a style that emerged after Gothic architecture. It originated in Florence under the influence of Renaissance ideas, with its most obvious feature being the rejection of the medieval Gothic style and the promotion of the revival of ancient Greek and Roman architectural forms. Although Renaissance architecture did overcorrect in its revival of ancient Greek and Roman styles, failing to form a completely self-consistent system, it was a period of exploration. Many scientific and technological achievements of the time were applied to architecture, making significant contributions to the development of architectural technology and the formation of architectural theory.
2. The development of Renaissance architecture is closely tied to economic growth. As cities grew larger, the urban landscape was no longer dominated by a single church with people living in straw huts. The demand for secular buildings increased, with the government requiring office buildings, and large financial groups like the Medici family emerging, further diversifying architectural needs. In opposition to Gothic architecture, new demands were placed on artists, leading to the birth of Renaissance-style secular buildings.
3. One of the key architects who laid the foundation for Renaissance architecture was Alberti (1404–1472), whose full name was Leon Battista Alberti. A lawyer by training, Alberti studied ancient Roman architecture, particularly Vitruvius’ Ten Books on Architecture. By combining artistic imagination with rigorous logic, he became one of the most representative architects of the Renaissance.
4. Alberti not only designed and participated in the construction of buildings like the Church of San Sebastiano, the Palazzo Rucellai, and the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, but he also elevated Renaissance architecture to a theoretical level. His book On Architecture was the first detailed treatise on architecture since the Middle Ages, summarizing contemporary classical architectural proportions and urban planning theories and experiences. It can almost be said that Alberti single-handedly laid the foundation for the entire style of Renaissance architecture.
5. Renaissance architecture’s overcorrection in the revival of ancient Greek and Roman styles is first evident in the use of columns. These columns are square and embedded in walls with no functional purpose. While the columns in ancient Greek architecture had a significant influence, they were originally used to support the weight of roofs. By the Renaissance period, when modern buildings began to take shape and roofs were supported by four walls, columns were no longer necessary for structural support. However, in the spirit of revival, columns were embedded in walls as decorative elements.
6. Another characteristic of Renaissance architecture is the absence of sharp angles in places where circles could be used. In reaction to the spiky Gothic style, Renaissance buildings are filled with rounded arches and no sharp corners. Interestingly, this complete absence of sharp angles even influenced Gothic architecture in the North. Realizing that they were falling behind the more fashionable Renaissance style, Gothic architects awkwardly incorporated circular arches into their designs.
7. A distinctive feature of Renaissance architecture is the special doorframe design. These doorframes are made of interlocking, overlapping stones arranged in a way that gives the impression of a fortress or stronghold, with a rough, almost crude aesthetic, far removed from elegance or refinement. A typical example is the Pitti Palace in Florence, one of the Medici family’s residences, which has a fortress-like doorframe.
8. The Renaissance period of architecture was relatively short-lived in architectural history, with a more self-consistent system only emerging in Baroque architecture. Due to its relentless pursuit of ancient Greek and Roman styles, Renaissance architecture often mimicked them even when it was impractical, resulting in a style that was not self-consistent in terms of functionality or aesthetics. As an exploratory period, its achievements were not very high, but it was an important transitional phase.
9. Within the framework of the Renaissance, in terms of artistic achievements, painting was considered greater than sculpture, and sculpture was greater than architecture. This was due to the different “burdens” in each field. Painting had the lightest “burden,” as the ancients left few art works to reference, forcing artists to “start from scratch” and develop their own artistic styles. Sculpture, on the other hand, had some statues that had been unearthed, but many were damaged, providing fewer references and constraints for artists, which stimulated their creativity. Architecture, however, had the most ancient ruins to learn from. The remains of ancient Roman cities provided architects with plenty of material to study and contemplate. Thus, it is clear that when the work of predecessors is simply mechanically imitated, it becomes a burden rather than a source of wealth.