Spanish

The Spanish period was the brilliant era in Spanish history. It was during the final expulsion of the Moors. Ferdinand and Isabella acquired a New World. New voyagers and traders resulted in fabulous amounts of gold and silver. During the middle of the century they were at the peak of their power.  The Alambra was a significant piece of architecture during this period. It was plain on the outside but very detailed and extravagant on the interiors. It contained numerous gardens, fountains, and reflecting pools. Below are representations of the Alhambra.

Alhambra exterior



Alhambra Interiors

Alhambra court of pools

The largest cathedral in the world 15th century was the Cathedral of Seville. It is located in Seville- Andalusia, Spain. Copies the Gothic style of architecture and demonstrated the cities wealth. Occupied eighty chapels which held five hundred masses.

A very important element of architecture was the plateresco phase. This style of ornamentation was to represent that of a silversmith. It was very detailed and was used on exteriors, patios, churches, public buildings, furniture, and accessories.

Interiors during this time period included very detailed furniture, tile work, and iron grilles.

Plateresco Phase

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Other Student's Blog:

Looking at Katie's blog I really like how she compared the plateresco phase and desornamentado phase. She explained the vargueno puente very well in detail. I also liked her current applications.

This week I also looked at Emily N's blog. I really liked how she explain the historical setting during this time period. It was commonly accepted as the beginning of the Renaissance of Spain. In addition she did an excellent job of explaining the herrea style which was named after Juan de Herrea.



Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance was a breath of fresh air for Italy. This time period was a revolution in design. Classical forms were refined and adapted to new uses. The Roman Catholic Church had become very powerful and corrupted. Everyone was interested in art, literature, architecture and design. Starting with the home or in this time period it was called the Palazzo. Palazzo's were many units put together like as we see today apartments or town homes. There was many repetition, windows, and pillars. It was centered around a courtyard and there were three floors. The third floor was mainly for the wealthy were the interior was very lavish and elegant with extravagant furniture and detail. The second floor was for the middle class were it wasn't as lavish as the third floor. Below are images of the Palazzos.

Courtyard

 One famous home that is very elegant and lavish is the Medici home.  Michelozzo di Bartolommeo was their architect for their home.


 





People were getting more involved and interested in art and one of the most famous artist and architect during this time period was Michelangelo.  His most famous pieces include the Sistine Chapel and the sculpture of David. His work is very detailed and phenomenal.






The interior of this time period was very lavish with decorative moldings, elaborate ceilings, tapestries, the doors and archways. Even their furniture was detailed as you can see below.
 






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Other Student's Blog: 
Looking at Emily's blog I like how she discussed the Palazzos. They portrayed repetition, alteration, and progression. Shops and businessness were held on the main floor while the second and third floors were living areas. I also liked her current applications.
Another classmate Justine discussed how this time period was a rebirth starting from the 24th century to the 16th century. It took place in Tuscany and then later spread to Florence, Siena, and Venice. She also talked about the town square where many facades stood.

The Americas

The Americas were a very interesting time period because there are still alot of things unsolved. There were several different empires but there was one thing that really intrigued me about this time period were the Incas. This time period started in 1200 C.E and ran til 1572 C.E. The Incas were the largest empire of the Pre-Columbia America. You can tell that they were very advanced in their ways with architecture from looking at the Machu Picchu. The Machu Picchu was located on top of a mountain in Peru and was built for the royal estate for the Incan emperor Pachacuti. It was made of stone and was said that the stones were so compacted that you coudn't even slide a credit card inbetween them. Their entryways were trapezoid shaped made out od stone as well. There were many levels of the Machu Picchu as well as open concepts like we see today. Pictures below are of Machu Picchu.

 

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Other Student's Blog:
I found Chanel and Kristina's blogs very interesting and full of important information about The Americas. Chanel talked about the Olmec's who used rubber as many aspects of design. I thought this was very intriguing and I liked how she showed how rubber was an important element of design to the Olmecs. In Kristina's blog she talked about the Aztecs. I liked how she explained how their religious centers were made. I also liked her current applications.