MAIN Art & Culture Architecture History of Western Architecture

Rising out of the Neolithic mud and stone buildings of prehistory simply built to human scale, the basic principles of architecture ultimately reached their height with Greek and Roman religious and other structures, which were principally designed to awe and overwhelm.

The Greeks were first to utilize the golden mean of proportion, employing subtle and sophisticated style tricks to fool the eye, i.e., tapering their columns at the top (with a slight bulge in the middle) to make them seem even taller and grander than they actually were. While Greek architecture was largely religious in nature, the Romans later adopted similar principles as a platform to boast of Roman might and power.

Following Rome's fall, the less subtle form of Romanesque architecture was typified by thick stone walls, small semicircular windows, and cruder stone carvings, but it was a style that later became the basis for the revolutionary gothic style. With the readoption of more sophisticated geometric principles, medieval architects still built in stone, but also introduced the flying buttress, which enabled them in effect to build the world's first skyscrapers, as seen in towering cathedrals and even some civic structures. Colorful stained glass and highly decorative stone carvings also typified the medieval gothic style.

In response to the freer, more decorative style of the gothic period, the art and science of architecture came full circle when Renaissance architects reintroduced the classical ideals of geometry and proportion. A few centuries later, the pendulum swung again when the 17th century Baroque period became, in turn, a reaction to the strict adherence to the classical allowing more latitude in the form of elliptical arches, splashes of vivid color, and more highly decorative stone carvings.

The 19th century once again saw a return to the basics with the rise of the Neoclassical and Greek Revival movements, followed closely by the industrial revolution which gave rise to the simplicity and efficiency of the modern movement. The use of electricity over steam power (along with the invention of the elevator) played no small part in building rising higher and sleeker than ever before.

Architecture's radical break with the past in the latter half of the 20th century later witnessed a complete shedding of any form of decoration. The "form follows function" directive resulted in glass-sheathed boxes favored by corporations and big business that in some ways echoed the desire for power and prestige first favored by the ancient Romans.

Today, the ebb and flow of architectural history continues as the postmodern movement of the late 20th century has helped reintroduce buildings built to a more human scale, along with reinfusion of color, creativity, and sensitivity to the environment to commercial architectural design.

More about architectural history around the Web:

SPIRO: Architecture Visual Resources Library - A huge, generous and searchable database of annotated images, pre-historic to 20th century, from the University of California Berkeley.

World Heritage - Discover why architectural preservation is relevant and important in this heartfelt collection offering tours to fascinating sites around the world. QuickTime required.

History of Western Architecture - Leo Masuda's encyclopedic knowledge of architecture, together with his stable of photo correspondents, allows for a virtual history tour from Egyptian, on up to European Baroque (with a side trip to Meso-American) with a chronology, photos, commentary.

The Digital Archive of American Architecture - Award winning site by Boston College's Professor Jeffrey Howe presenting a photographic tour on the topic from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

The Digital Archive of European Architecture - An even more extensive photographic survey by Professor Jeffrey Howe from Prehistoric Europe up to the 20th century.

The Museum of Reconstructions - Computer models of Greek architecture providing a you-are-there feel.

Architecture Through the Ages - A clear, concise ThinkQuest project by American middle school students who ask...'Where on earth do you want to go?' Virtual tours, links, bibliographies.

also in Architecture -> Architectural Styles

also see in History -> Ancient Egypt