Le Corbusier once said, ìArchitecture is the masterly, correct
and magnificent play of masses brought together in light.î This definition
can be broken down into parts to give one the true definition of architecture.
The term architecture comes from the Greeks: ìarchiî meaning master
builder, ìmassesî referring to oneís work with volume and the manipulation
of materials, and ìlightî is the way one perceives an object in light by
the use of shadows and other various factors. Architectureís most
basic function is to create shelter, but great architecture expresses communal
ideas. One of the leading critics of Victorian architecture was John
Ruskin. The Stones of Venice is partially responsible for the revival
of Gothic architecture in America. ìThe Nature of Gothicî defines
the elements of Gothic. Savageness or rudeness is the first characteristic
Ruskin lists. It is the ìroughness of the work: this look of
mountain brotherhood between the cathedral and the Alp,î confessing ìthe
imperfection of the workman.î Secondly, there is a love of change
with a ìperpetual variety of every feature of the buildingÖgreat art, whether
expressing itself in words, colours, or stones, does not say the same thing
over and over again.î The third element is the love of nature, ìthat
is to say, the love of natural objects for their own sake, and the effort
to represent them frankly, unconstrained by artistical laws.î Next,
the disturbed imagination shows ìthe tendency to delight in fantastic and
ludicrous, as well as in sublime, images.î The fifth element of Gothic
is obstinacy and rigidity which is the ìelastic tension and communication
of force from part to partÖexpression of energy in the framework of the
ornament itself.î Finally, generosity is expressed through ìredundance;
the uncalculating bestowal of the wealth of its labourÖaccumulation of
ornament.î
John Ruskinís primary interest was seeing how a society was linked
to a great form of architecture. Churches have always been
reflections on the communitiesí most basic values. Church structures have
changed throughout the centuries emanating the period which they represent.
This is apparent in the architecture of St. Paulís Cathedral, London; Grace
Church, New York; St. Maryís Cathedral, Texas; and First Baptist Church,
Texas.
St. Paulís Cathedral; London, England
The St. Paulís Cathedral in London was built by Christopher Wren
from 1675 to 1710. A stone slab reads: ìBeneath is laid the
builder of this church and city, Christopher Wren, who lived more than
90 years, not for himself but for the good of the state. If you seek
a monument, look around you.î This is the only major cathedral in
Europe to be built by one architect. Ruskin would not have believed the
Church the expressed the elements of Gothic architecture. It does
not illustrate a feeling of savageness, the building is almost symetrical
with its twin towers and there seems to be no imperfections of the workman
because the building is too uniform. Also absent is a love of change,
ìthat strange disquietude of the Gothic spirit that is its greatnessî as
Ruskin put it. There are no ìgrotesqueî or ìsublimeî figures present
on the building that would disturb oneís imagination. Finally, the
Church is a refinement of accuracy of form, there are no spirals jutting
out on the side to give the structure a feeling of momentum. Instead,
it is a dominating piece of architecture that is weighted down by
its pillars and heavy exterior mass.
Opposing Ruskin, Wren built a central-type church based on the Greek
cross. The Cathedralís most prominent feature is the dome which unifies
the entire structure with the side turrets, or ornamental towers.
The dome is a Roman contribution to architecture, best exemplified by the
Pantheon. The ornamental towers were designed after 1700. One of
the most noteworthy aspects of the towers are the figures that adorn them.
The figures give the structure an appearance of strength, the male ideal.
The structure is divided into two separate stories, one of the
Corinthian order and the other Composite. The Composite order, another
Roman contribution, is the combination of the Ionic and Corinthian capitals,
tops of columns. The Corinthian columns are taller with more ornate
capitals. ìThey go from simple to exuberant, an example of progression
through the culturesî(Dietz). Ionic columns originated from the Ionians
in Turkey. The columns are characterized as being more slender and
elegant with scroll type capitals, the female ideal. Drawing the
eye to the capitals are the flutes which create texture by way of light.
Columns are not always uniform in width as shown in the St. Paulís Cathedral.
The entasis, where the column swells at the bottom, is more evident in
the columns on the first level. The capitals on the second level
support the gable. The triangle space within the gable is the pediment
which is encased by sculptures.
Finally, the steps leading to St. Paulís Cathedral enhance the
greatness of the structure. This was important in making the worshippers
feel as if they were entering a place of prominence.
Grace Church; New York, USA
Moving across the sea, Grace Church embodies the style of the
Medieval Period. It was constructed in the mid-19th century by James Renwick.
Grace Church exhibits Gothic architecture which gained momentum from the
Gothic novel in literature. In the romantic rebellion, ìartists exalted
emotion over intellect, mystery over reason, passion over restraint freedom
over rules, and the supremacy of the individual over that of the crowd.
The romantics felt a need to rise above the boundaries and limitations
imposed by reasonî(Fleming, 511). These beliefs, along with Ruskinís,
are evident in the architecture of the period, for architects were often
called upon to build dream castles. For example, one of the most
striking aspects of Grace Church is the lone, castle-like tower which becomes
the focus of the church. Ruskin would have called this savageness
or rigidity. The tower makes the building asymmetrical, while it also gives
the structure motion. The purpose of the Gothic spire is to promote
a feeling of height.
On the tower, the large pointed arched windows called lancet
windows with a small circular window above ìallows for a maximum of open
space for the glass and a minimum for the masonryî(Dietz). The large
windows on the second level of the church make the structure seem top heavy
because of the asymmetry between the two levels of windows. This
is an example of Ruskinís love of change because the windows on the ground
level are much smaller and less ornate. Renwick was obviously not
trying to create a feeling of lightness with the contradiction of the windows.
If he had wanted to make the building have an air of lightness, he would
have put the smaller windows on the second level, giving it a false sense
of height. Differing from these windows, those on the spire add to
the elongation of the tower. The sharp points force oneís eyes to
move up to the peak of the spire. The many small ornamental spires which
decorate the entire Church express Ruskinís sense of generosity. They are
located everywhere from the ground floor to the top of the spire.
St. Maryís Cathedral; Austin, Texas
Northern Gothic as displayed in Grace Church inspired the architecture
of Texas. This influence can be seen in Downtown Austin at St. Maryís
Cathedral. It was constructed of native limestone by Nicholas Clayton
from 1873 to 1884. This Church also exhibits the elements of Gothic
outlined by Ruskin. One of the central focuses of the Cathedral is
the main door. The Gothic arches that encase the door leads oneís
eyes to it, and the overlapping arches create a sense of depth. The
missing raking cornice of the triangular gable further adds to the sense
of asymmetry of the structure. A raking cornice is the horizontal
piece that would complete the triangular shape of the gable. The
border of the gable is decorated with floral lattice work which exemplifies
the love of nature occurring during this time period.
Appearing on both sides of the door are stained glass lancet
windows from Germany and France which were added in the 1890ís. ìIn
the Gothic period the art of stained glass replaced the mural paintings
and mosaics of the early Christian and Romanesque churchesî(Fleming, 214).
They allowed for sunlight to take control over the interior lighting and
cast arrays of colors within the structure. The rose type window
above the gable is another among the many prominent features. It
is characterized by columns with Composite order capitals that encircle
a central window. This central window appears to form a halo around
the head of the statue of Mary that stands at the peak of the gable.
The abundance of many different windows from different time periods is
implicative of Ruskinís love of change. There is also a row of six
lancet windows on the west side of the Cathedral that also apply to Ruskins
idea of generosity. Along with the repetitive windows, there are
six small gables that emerge from the roof in a linear fashion.
St. Maryís Cathedral also exhibits a sense of obstinacy and rigidity
with its overbearing tower on the left and shorter spire on the right.
These asymmetrical features add character to the Gothic structure.
The spire has a cross on its peak as well as the gable above the rose type
window. Throughout the Cathedral there are implications of the Catholic
religion. Crosses are intertwined in the floral lattice work and
encompassed in the circular windows. The statues of Mary, Joseph,
and Jesus are also reflective of this particular religion.
First Baptist Church; Austin, Texas
The architecture of churches has changed dramatically over the
past century. Modern day churches are no longer adorned with the
elements of Gothic. For example, First Baptist Church just a few
blocks away from St. Maryís Cathedral is characterized by its sterility
and simpleness. Modern day churches are built to serve society without
the abundance of decorative work. The Church used to be the site
of Austin High School which was founded in 1881. Affectionately referred
to as ìOld Red,î it featured a dome rotunda. As the school grew,
additions were made to the original structure. The buildings could
no longer house the growing student body at Austin High, so it was then
turned into a junior high school in 1925. The school was used until 1956
when it was destroyed by a fire. First Baptist Church now stands in its
place, aware of the history it holds.
Though the Church itself is quite plain, the bell tower standing on
the corner of the street gives strength to the building. An iron
cross is suspended in the center of the tower reflecting modern day art.
Unlike St. Maryís Cathedral, the roof of First Baptist Church is flat,
there are few windows, and the entry doors are a style that one could find
in an office building. Besides the bell tower, there are not any
ornamental features such as statues, pointed arched doors and windows,
gables, or floral lattice work. The structure reflects its time period
in which buildings were constructed by architects to serve a purpose
and not to display their wide variety of architectural abilities.
Absent in modern architecture are the fundamental principles of Gothic
that Ruskin believed to help enhance the character of a structure.
The great Gothic spirit is characterized by its wide variety of
characteristics and holds true from England to Texas. Grace Church
and St. Maryís Cathedral display many elements of Gothic described in John
Ruskinís from The Stones of Venice, unlike St. Paulís Cathedral and First
Baptist Church. Because our society is ever-changing, so must the
arts. The change in architecture between the periods is most evident
because it is the most public of all the arts. Architecture creates
controlled space, places, and an ethnic domain. And as Le Corbusier
once said, ìArchitecture is the first manifestation of man creating his
own universe.î
Bibliography
1. Dietz, Hanns-Bertold. Discussion of Gothic Cahtedrals.
Fine Arts Library, Austin.
21 Jan 1998 to 11 Feb 1998.
2. Fleming, William. Arts and Ideas. 9th ed. Florida: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1995.
3. Ruskin, John. ìFrom The Stones of Venice.î The Norton
Anthology of English
Literature. Ed. M.H.Abrams. Vol. 2. New York:
W. W. Norton and Co., 1993.
1280-1290.
