After some times, interesting architecture of the past came
back. Ornamentations of the elements,
beautiful facades, columns, arches, domes, could be found plenty in the
architecture of the 19th century.
It is refreshing to see the old styles like Renaissance and Baroque, or
even Gothic, returned, of course, with the improved technology of the
materials, such as steel-reinforced concretes, and constructions methods. It gives the nostalgic feelings like playing
remake video games from the old consoles.
Most buildings of the era would be public buildings such as
libraries, museums, universities or headquarters, so the style emphasized on
exterior appeal. The outside would be
flashy, caught the eyes of the passerby, and, again after a long time, shows
some degree of authority.
19th century was also the period of
experimentation. Materials that never
before been used to create such a large building were investigated, like the
Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, which were made solely out of steel and
glasses. It was truly a huge step
forward in the history of architecture. Who
would have imagined that something so light would be enough to upright the
whole palace?
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| Crystal Palace, London |
In my opinion the architecture of the 19th
century is basically the mixing of the past, tribute to the history, and the
new technologies available. Although it
might lack the strong purpose or the beliefs behind those elements like
humanism during the Renaissance or the will to connect to the god of the
Gothic, it helped us explore the newer possibilities of architecture. Experimentations done in these times are,
without a doubt, the strong foundation leading to the birth of the great
architectures the future brings.
