Week 9: Spanish Renaissance

• Historical Setting
• The 16th Century was the most brilliant era in Spanish history
• Ferdinand and Isabella sent Columbus on a voyage and found the New World 
• Successful navigating and traders led to large amounts of gold and silver
• by the end of the century they were completely bankrupt
• Influenced by the Moorish, Early Christian, Medieval, and Italian Renaissance
• Italian Renaissance influenced Spanish and French
• Italian craftsmen in great demand influence other countries
• Alhambra, Granada was the last of the Spanish palaces completed before the expulsion of the moor in 1354. 
• There were numerous courtyards
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• Court of Lions                                                  Court of Pools
• La Mota Castle
• Medina del Campo 15th century
• Castles built by noble Christian families 
• More castles in Spain than any other European country
• Built of Concrete walls faced with brick
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• Granada Cathedral
• Traditional five-aisle building
• columns are gothic in proportion and classical in detail, including gothic vaulting. 
• Cathedral of Seville
• Located in Seville Andalusia Spain
• It is the largest cathedral in the world in the 15th century, even larger than Hagia Sophia
• it contained 80 chapels and helped around 500 masses daily
• it demonstrated the city's wealth in its gothic style and space
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• Plateresco Phase
• Gothic or Renaissance in its construction
• Spanish silversmith was a Platero
• minute and delicate ornament resembled the work of a silversmith
• This was used on exteriors, patios, churches, public buildings, furniture, and accessories
• Disarmament Phase
• powerful style characterized by austerity
• applied to court, ecclesiastical, and public buildings
• this was the reaction to the Plateresco Style with carefully designed proportions
• El Escorial built by Hapsburb ruler Philips the Second of Austria
• Herrera Architecture
• focused on classic forms, plain surfaces, and sparse decoration
• Baroque style: churrigueresco
• replaced the Desornamentado with something more passionate
• Residential Design
• Aristocracy moved from feudal fortresses to build palaces in Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona
• it was influenced by Moorish design
• elaborate decorations in patios, galleries, doorways, and windows in contrast to plain walls
• Interiors 
• the most artistic features we make with superb iron grilles in windows, openings, and wrought iron handrails
• there was a big use of colored tiles
• ceilings were pine paneled, painted and carved
• The plasterwork was white decorative border or frame around doors and windows
• oil paintings richly carved in massive gold frames
• hand made cut pile carpets, rugs and mats
• there were many fringes, braids, cords, tassels, and decorative nailheads. 
• Furniture 
• cabinetmakers used inlay work, carving, paining, and gilding
• Inlay work was one of Spain's finest artistic achievements
• minute pieces of bone, ivory, exotic woods, mother of pearl, and metal work were all used for inlays
• it was highly stylized with leaf and floral designs
• some of the characteristics include
• simplicity and boldness
• heavy proportions
• crude carvings
• rectangular shapes
• panels that were repetitive to create a pattern
• walnut wood and mahogany were very common. 
• Chairs were the favorite characteristic of the Spanish Renaissance
• Sillon de frailero or the monk's chair had
• walnut armchair
• Simple rectangular form
• leather seat and back
• broad front stretcher
• decorative nail heads
• prototype for the mission chair
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• Tables
• were frequently made from wrought iron
• had legs that slanted outward and were braced with wrought iron underbrace
• thick, massive, and movable tops
• had square edges on the table
• Spain is still incredibly well known for its castles and cathedrals today and is the focus of the architecture there. The architecture of residential homes has not changed much either. Many houses still have open courtyards, smooth stucco walls, and iconic red roof tiles. 
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• Santiago Calatrava
• Born in Valencia Spain, he was a Structural engineer, architect, and sculptor
• he had an undergraduate degree in architecture at the Polytechnic University of Valencia
• He completed independent projects with fellow students and published two books on the vernacular architecture of Valencia and Ibiza
• He enrolled in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland for graduate work in civil engineering
• He completed his doctoral thesis on "the foldability of space frames"
• He designs futuristic bridges and train stations but is criticized for his projects being late and over budget 
• He covers a lot of different concepts and execute them incredibly well. For example, his building called the Turnign Torso, or the Chord Bridge both have an initial concept that was followed through.
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• The initial sketch of the turning torso can be seen in architectural form and was followed throughout the entirety of the building
  

  

  
  
• I was unable to find the concept sketches of the Chord Bridge, but I found an article talking about how it took Calatrava many sketches to find one that looked enough like a chord and was also structurally sound. The final design looks like a musical instrument that one would play chords on.