Towers at San Gimignano, Tuscany. It is said to have had more than 70 towers during the Middle Ages.
In architecture the form, function and material of a building are closely connected. The purpose of a building determines its form, and this form is also dependent on the materials and techniques available.
Some Notable architects:
- Le Corbusier – Modernist architect and one of the founders of Modernism. He wrote ‘Five Points of Architecture’ that revolutionised modern design. He emphasised functional design and open spaces and designed standardised housing.
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – Architect and director of the Bauhaus. Under the nazi regime he fled to America, taking his modernist ideas with him. He is known for championing minimalism with the phrase “less is more”.
- Frank Gehry – Designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. He was known for deconstructivist buildings using unconventional shapes and materials.
- Antoni Gaudi – Was considered art nouveau but his unique style couldn’t necessarily be placed into any genre. He integrated natural forms and colours into his designs.
Stone
- Advantages – stone is durable, weather-resistant, carvable, and has a strong load-bearing capacity.
- Disadvantages – expensive (therefore prestigious), there is not always a local supply, takes a long time to build and requires a specialist workforce.
- It is also extremely heavy so its load-bearing properties needs to be taken into consideration – building solid over solid and void over void (windows placed in vertical rows with columns of stone in-between).
- Sedimentary – is easily cut and chiseled. It is common to find limestone and sandstone. It is softer therefore vulnerable to weathering.
- Metamorphic – has a crystalline structure that is prone to cracking, but is stronger than sedimentary. Marble is often used depending on availability and cost.
- Stone was used in Italian cities during the Middle Ages to build towers as fortification against rival families. The towers could be built high, but the inside space would be very narrow due to the thickness of stone needed to maintain their structural integrity. The towers were also a display of wealth and status.