Architecture History - Schinkel, Pugin,

Architecture History - Schinkel, Pugin, and Jefferson

According to David Watkin, "The time period in which an architectural work of art is created has everything to do with the way it looks. In other words, the style of an architectural work is a function of its historical period." 1 Thus, works of architecture, much like sculptures and paintings, are arranged into specific stylistic classes based on their appearances and the times or periods when they were constructed. Also, as a fundamental hypothesis of architectural history, buildings and other structures created at about the same time and in the same basic geographical location generally share common stylistic traits, such as those constructed during the Romantic Period in England which generally exhibit traits linked to the Gothic style or in France during the Baroque Period with its Rococo style. Therefore, architects must consider the historical period in which they live when designing a building and then decide whether to adhere to modern architectural principles or those from the past.

In many instances, architects have their own ideas related to designing a building or structure, yet at the same time, they must consider their own personal viewpoints on history as it relates to style and architectural genres. As Joseph Rykwert points out, whether hundreds of years ago or in our modern age, architects "are heavily influenced by architectural notions from long ago which helps them to visualize what the past was like and then contemplate the present and the future" in relation to how a building or other structure will be seen by those today and those in the distant future. 2 in addition, architects almost always strive to reflect their own nationalism when it comes to designing a building or other structure, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Taj Mahal at Agra in India, or the great Houses of Parliament in London, England.

In the mind of German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781 to 1841), considered as the most important architect of the Neoclassicism style and a staunch proponent of Greek Revivalism, 3 the historical past of ancient Greece played a major role in determining how Western society came about and from the viewpoint of an architect, ancient Greece manifested "a noble simplicity and quiet grandeur." 4 Schinkel also uncompromisingly designated Greek art and culture as "the most perfect from the hands of man and the only architectural model to be followed," 5 particularly in Prussia, his native land. As an architect, Schinkel also felt that the Gothic style, so evident in his Friedrichswerder Church, represented the summit of achievement for unified Christendom in Europe, symbolized the synthesis of religion, philosophy and art and made possible the first firm formation of the various European states that brought about modern history. As to nationalism, Schinkel "accounts for the origins of Gothic as the fusion of universal Christianity and native Germanic genius;" thus, the Gothic style "is not only specifically Christian, it is also specifically German." 6 in essence, the art of the remote past was now appreciated as a product of racial and national genius, not only in Germany but also in England, France and the emerging United States.

Similarly, English architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812 to 1852), best-known for his designs for the Houses of Parliament building of 1835, considered the Gothic style as the cornerstone of European Christianity and saw moral purity and spiritual authenticity in the religious architecture of the Middle Ages while also "glorifying the Medieval craftsmen who produced it." 7

Clearly, Pugin saw the historical past through the eyes of an idealist who clung to ancient Greek architectural ideals and principles with great vigor; he was also convinced that Greek Revivalism would play a significant role in all future buildings constructed in Great Britain and America. At the same time, Pugin was quite disillusioned by the Industrial Revolution and firmly believed in the necessity of restoring old craftsmanship which had "honesty and quality." 8 Obviously, Pugin's vision of history, much like that of Schinkel, was based upon the slow but persistent emergence of styles which reflected not only the thoughts of the architect but also the positive and negative conditions of society.