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How Important Was Proportion in Palladio's Architecture?

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How Important Was Proportion in Palladio's Architecture? How important was proportion in Palladio’s architecture? What other factors were also important, and how important were they? There is an architectural period named after Palladio and his style of architecture. This style has been used all over the world.1 It will be interesting to see why Palladio has been such an influence and to see how important the factors he used in his architecture were in making Palladio and his architecture so important. Palladio wrote a book titled ‘Quattro Libri dell’Architecttura’, published in 1570 which brought him a lot of fame as an architect.2 ‘He is the most imitated architect in history, and his influence… probably has been greater than that of all other Renaissance architects combined.’3 This book discussed the way he worked including the factors in his work. It is a very popular book and has been used as an influence for architecture after Palladio’s time. The factors in Palladio's architecture including symmetry, use of classical forms, as well as proportion will be discussed. The factors will be weighed up and a conclusion on what the most important factor in Palladio’s architecture is, will be made. Examples of these factors in Palladio’s work/s will be shown. A ‘..combination of classical forms, mathematical harmonies, and symmetrical disposition is what makes Palladio’s architecture perennially fascinating…’4 So, “How important was proportion in Palladio’s architecture? What factors were also important, and how important were they?” Palladio’s use of proportion was completely different than anything that had been seen before. The majority of the buildings at the time in Italy lacked proportion in comparison with Palladio’s architecture. The use of proportion was mainly only seen in Italy before Palladio with the heights of the floors. An example of the lack of proper proportion or the logical mathematical proportion that Palladio used is clearly shown in ‘Pallazzo Farnese, Rome’ (‘see fig.1’). In the facade of this 1 Pape, T., Wundram, M., Andrea Palladio1508-1580 Architect between the Renaissance and Baroque (Italy,2004), p. 6. 2 Beyer, A., ‘Palladio, Andrea [Gondola, Andrea di Pietro della]’, in Grove Art Online https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T064879 3 Ackerman, J., Palladio (London, 1991), p. 19. 4 Murray, P., The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance (New York, 1986), p. 214 building there is a clear use of axis and symmetry. Despite this, the building was “one big rectangle” which was interrupted and made more complex through the addition of windows. The addition of rooms on the floors of the building was decided based on what they were needed for which meant they ranged in size and height.5 The way this building was designed showed that proportion was not carefully considered and was not a major factor in the architecture at the time. Fig. 1 - Palazzo Farnese, Rome The architecture of Palladio completely changed the lack of proportion used and made it a key factor and consideration in his architecture as well as influencing the architecture in later years. In Palladio’s architecture he was able to consider the way width, depth and the height of a building worked together in order to create a perfect proportion system. It is said that, ‘The evolution of this truly three-dimensional approach to design is related to contemporary developments in mathematics’6 This quote shows that the proportion used in Palladio’s architecture was highly influential not only in architectural terms but also in that of mathematics. The importance of Palladio’s use of proportion is also clear in the publication of the book, ‘On Proportion and Proportionality’ by Sylvio Belli, 1573. In this publication it is stated that Palladio had a strong use of proportion in terms of ‘arithmetical principles’. It is said by James Ackerman author of ‘Palladio’ that, ‘Palladio applied a similar aesthetic to designs that give much more importance to proportional relationships than those of earlier renaissance architects’7 showing that Palladio was a stand out architect of his time and was innovative. Proportion was an extremely important factor within his architecture, evidenced by this statement. Palladio's, Villa Foscari at Malcontenta, built 1559-1560, in Brenta Canal outside Venice (‘see, fig 2.) uses the system of proportion that was used throughout Palladio’s architecture. Ratios were 5 Ackerman, Palladio, p.160. 6 Ackerman, Palladio, p. 161. 7 Ackerman, Palladio, p. 161. used to create the proportion in the building. Ratios of 1:1, 2:3, 1:2 or 3:4 were used in the creation of the rooms. The golden ratio of 5:8 is seen in the plan of this building’s measurements in consideration of the length to the width. The height is also the same as the width in this building.8 This is an example of Palladio’s careful consideration of proportion in his architecture and how important it was as a factor in his architecture. Fig. 2 - Plan of Villa Foscari at Malcontenta The use of classical forms in Palladio’s architecture is a constant feature in his work. Palladio studied the use of classical forms by going to Rome multiple times and surveying the buildings. He also received an education on classical forms of architecture form the Humanist, Trissino.9 An example of Palladio’s use of classical forms is in the recasting of Old Basilica, Vincenza (‘See fig. 3). The classical form of the use of orders is seen in this building through the doric orders on the bottom floor and the ionic on the second floor which follows the classical order of the columns which shows the clear influence of classical forms in Palladio’s architecture. The building is also in the setting of a large public space which is the classical idea of the basilica.10 Fig. 3 - Recasting of Old Basilica, Vincenza 8 Fazio, M., Moffett, M., Wodehouse, L., A World History of Architecture (London, 2013), p. 320. 9 Murray, The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance, p. 210 10 Murray, The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance, pp. 212-213 Various buildings by Palladio use the classical orders including the Palazzos and a few of the Villas.11 The Teatro Olimpico (see fig. 4) has a strong likeness to one of the amphitheatres in which he had studied on his various trips to Rome. This has however been adapted by moving it indoors to create a covered space.12 Although it still has a clear influence of the use of classical forms because of the shape of the theatre. Fig. 4 -The Teatro Olimpico Yet another example of the use of classical forms in Palladio's architecture is in II Redentive, Venice (see fig. 5) which is one of Palladio's churches designs. Here there is a use of columns creating a classical feel to the building. Despite the columns being a classical feature they have been changed to fit with the period of the time which was the Renaissance.13 Regardless of the changing of the style to fit the architecture period at the time there is still a clear influence from the classical period and the use of such a thing still fits in to the category of being a classical form. Fig. 5 - II Redentive, Venice 11 Wassell, S., ‘Andrea Palladio (1508-1580)’, Nexus Network Journal, Vol 10, no.2 (,2008), p.219 12 Ewing, N., ‘Andrea Palladio, 1518-1580: Architect and Humanist,’Mosaic: An Interdisciplinary Critical Journal, vol. 7, no. 4 (University of Manitoba, 1974), p. 63. 13 Ewing, ‘Andrea Palladio, 1518-1580’, p. 64. Palladio’s architecture features columned and porticoed facades which he believed to have taken from classical times. In his book, 'Quattro Libri dell’Architecttura’ he says, ‘The ancients also made use of them in their buildings, as is seen in the remains of the temples, and other public edifices and.. they very probably took the invention and the principles from private buildings…’14 He strongly believed that he was using classical forms in his architecture but this was not the case.15 This means that the use of classical features in his architecture was not actually as strong as he thought it was at the time. This can again be justified by the fact that modern day studies have proved that the classical forms that Palladio used in his work were not actually as classical as he may have thought.16 This disproves the importance of the classical forms within his work because it suggests that they weren’t actually used. This factor is not as important as proportion in Palladio’s architecture because of this. Proportion on the other hand was a common and repeated use in his work so was more important. Symmetry was used in Palladio’s architecture and had been since early on in his career and remained prominent throughout it.17 Hence indicating that symmetry played an extremely important factor throughout Palladio’s architecture from the start and to the finish. ‘Symmetry… was almost an obsession with Palladio’18 The symmetry in Palladio’s architecture was used for two functions one for the way the building looked, to make it look nice and easy on the eye. As well as, to make the structure stronger.19 A clear example of the use of symmetry in Palladio’s architecture is in Palazzo Porto. This Palazzo included blocks on each side of the courtyard which were the same in look. Only one of these blocks was built however the process of trying to create symmetry within the building was still there. These blocks were split in the middle into different rooms that were symmetrical.
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