History of Architecture

Architecture in Prehistoric Times
Before recorded history, humans constructed earthen mounds, stone circles,

megaliths, and structures that often puzzle modern-day archaeologists. Prehistoric
architecture includes monumental structures such as Stonehenge, cliff dwellings in
the Americas, and thatch and mud structures lost to time.
Ancient Egypt
3,050 BC to 900 BC In ancient Egypt, powerful rulers constructed monumental
pyramids, temples, and shrines. Far from primitive, enormous structures such as the
Pyramids of Giza were feats of engineering capable of reaching great heights.
Classical
850 BC to 476 AD From the rise of ancient Greece until the fall of the Roman
empire, great buildings were constructed according to precise rules. The Classical
Orders, which defined column styles andentablature designs, continue to influence
building design in modern times.
Byzantine
527 to 565 AD. After Constantine moved the capital of the Roman empire to
Byzantium (now called Istanbul) in 330 AD, Roman architecture evolved into a
graceful, classically-inspired style that used brick instead of stone, domed roofs,
elaborate mosaics, and classical forms. Emperor Justinian (527 AD to 565 AD) led
the way.
Romanesque
800 to 1200 AD As Rome spread across Europe, heavier, stocky Romanesque
architecture with rounded arches emerged. Churches and castles of the early
Medieval period were constructed with thick walls and heavy piers.
Gothic Architecture
1100 to 1450 AD Pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, flying buttresses, and other
innovations led to taller, more graceful architecture.
Gothic ideas gave rise to magnificient cathedrals like Chartres and Notre Dame.
Renaissance Architecture
1400 to 1600 AD A return to classical ideas ushered an "age of awakening" in Italy,
France, and England. Andrea Palladio and other builders looked the classical orders
of ancient Greece and Rome. Long after the Renaissance era ended, architects in
the Western world found inspiration in the beautifully proportioned architecture of the
period.
Baroque Architecture
1600 to 1830 AD In Italy, the Baroque style is reflected in opulent and dramatic
churches with irregular shapes and extravagant ornamentation.
In France, the highly ornamented Baroque style combines with Classical restraint.
Russian aristocrats were impressed by Versailles in France, and incorporated
Baroque ideas in the building of St. Petersburg. Elements of the elaborate Baroque
style are found throughout Europe.
Rococo Architecture
1650 to 1790 AD During the last phase of the Baroque period, builders constructed
graceful white buildings with sweeping curves. These Rococo buildings are elegantly
decorated with scrolls, vines, shell-shapes, and delicate geometric patterns.
Neoclassicism in Architecture
1730 to 1925 AD A keen interest in ideas of Renaissance architect Andrea
Palladio inspired a return of classical shapes in Europe, Great Britain and the United
States. These buildings were proportioned according to the classical orders with
details borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome.
Art Nouveau Architecture
1890 to 1914 AD Known as the New Style, Art Nouveau was first expressed in
fabrics and graphic design. The style spread to architecture and furniture in the
1890s. Art Nouveau buildings often have asymmetrical shapes, arches and
decorative surfaces with curved, plant-like designs.
Beaux Arts Architecture
1895 to 1925 AD Also known as Beaux Arts Classicism, Academic Classicism, or
Classical Revival, Beaux Arts architecture is characterized by order, symmetry,
formal design, grandiosity, and elaborate ornamentation.
Neo-Gothic Architecture
1905 to 1930 AD In the early twentieth century, Gothic ideas were applied to modern
buildings. Gargoyles, arched windows, and other medieval details ornamented
soaring skyscrapers.
Art Deco Architecture
1925 to 1937 AD Zigzag patterns and vertical lines create dramatic effect on jazzage, Art Deco buildings. Interestingly, many Art Deco motifs were inspired by the
architecture of ancient Egypt.
Modernist Styles in Architecture

1900 to Present. The 20th and 21st centuries have seen dramatic changes and
astonishing diversity. Modern-day trends include Art Moderne and the Bauhaus
school coined by Walter Gropius, Deconstructivism, Formalism, Modernism, and
Structuralism.
Postmodernism in Architecture
1972 to Present. A reaction against the Modernist approaches gave rise to new
buildings that re-invented historical details and familiar motifs. Look closely at these
architectural movements and you are likely to find ideas that date back to classical
and ancient times.

History of Architecture

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History of Architecture

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Architecture in Prehistoric Times

Before recorded history, humans constructed earthen mounds, stone circles,

Modernist Styles in Architecture

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