Lecture 11 Historicism and eclecticism.pdf

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1. Dr. Barbara Hiba
WELCOME TO
University Mohamed Khider. Biskra
Faculty of sciences and technology
Department of Architecture
Lecture 11
2024 -2025
2nd year -S3

2. LECTURE 10-11

4. The architecture of the
Engineers
What reaction to this new , so called
industrialization
What reaction to this MODERNISATION ?

5. Rapid urbanization → demand for new architectural
styles
New materials: iron, steel, glass
→ enabled larger and more complex
structures
A Shift from handcrafted to mass-produced building elements
What reaction to this form of MODERNISATION ?

6. The Industrial Revolution fueled technological advancements but also
a longing for tradition
Not having the ability to adapt to this rapid change led to
The refuge in the familiarity of the past
the return to the TRADITION

7. Despite new technology, architects still looked to the past for
inspiration, reviving styles like Neoclassicism, Gothic Revival, and
Renaissance Revival.
Historicism (Late 18th –19th Century)
and the Industrial Revolution
with the introduction of new materials, industrialization allows new and
bigger building possibilities for construction.
These remain elements , however, are hidden behind the
facades executed in one of the neo-styles.

8. Historicism: The use of historical styles in architecture, often
revivedor adaptedfor modern needs.
Eclecticism: The combinationof elements from different historical
styles in one building, rather than strictly following a single style.
DEFINTIONS

9. In art history, the term historicism refers to the movement that, from 1850,
led to the revival of various architectural and artistic styles.
Historicism in architecture led to the emergence of styles
called "NEO-STYLES":
Neo-romantic, Neo-gothic, Neo-renaissance, Neo-baroque….
HISTORICISM

10. Historicism found its origin in the finding that, around 1800, two
orientations coexisted(Neoclassicism and Neo-Gothic), architecture and
art being conceived for the first time as a series of different stylistic
developments.
Origins
Despite their apparent contrast, Neoclassicism and Neo-Gothic
flourished simultaneously in the 18th and 19th centuries, leading to
debates about the "correct" architectural style for different purposes.
This idea of a "bon style"(good taste) was shaped by:
Questions of : the right style /
le bon style

11. Neoclassicism (inspired by Greek and Roman architecture) was associated
with order, rationality, symmetry, and civic grandeur. It was favored for
governmental buildings, museums, and academic institutions.
Neo-Gothic (reviving medieval Gothic architecture) was seen as a style of spiritual and
national identity. It was widely used in churches, universities, and even some domestic
architecture.
Neoclassicism Neo-GothicNeoclassicism

12. The coexistence of these two major revival styles led to intellectual debates
about what constituted "good taste" in architecture. Some key points
include:
The Notion of "Bon Style"
Appropriateness of Style
The Role of Functionality
Cultural Identity
The coexistence of these two major revival styles led to intellectual debates
about what constituted "good taste" in architecture. Some key points
include:

13. The Notion of "Bon Style"
Appropriateness of Style
The Role of Functionality
Cultural Identity
Neoclassicism was deemed suitable for institutions representing state power and
enlightenment (parliaments, banks, universities), while Neo-Gothic was considered ideal for
churches, castles, and romanticized settings.
Figures like Viollet-le-Duc argued that Gothic architecture was structurally superior due to its
expressive use of materials, while others believed that the clear lines of Neoclassicism
represented the purity of reason.
Different nations adopted styles that aligned with their identity—France and Germany leaned
toward Gothic for nationalistic reasons, while England favored a mix of both styles depending on
the context.
The Role of Functionality
Cultural Identity

14. The 19th-century search for a goodstyle"
reflected a broader ideological struggle between
reason and emotion, modernity and tradition.
This debate later paved the way for eclecticism and
the eventual rejection of historicist styles in favor of
modernism in the early 20th century.

15. Eclecticism is a trend in architecture that consists of mixing the best elements
stylistic borrowings from different styles or eras of art and architectural history,
It appears in the West between the 1860s and the late 1920s.
ECLECTISIM
According to César Daly (1811-1894) :
“ For the eclectics, the past is a portfolio of Motifs”

16. Claude Mignot,a prominent architectural historian, has extensively
analyzed the principles of eclecticism and historicism in 19th-century
architecture
ECLECTISIM : An Analysis
He observed that architects of this period often adopted structural principles,
archetypal forms, layouts, or motifs from historical styles and adapted them to
contemporary needs.
The work of Claude Mignot
Mignotidentified two distinct phenomena within eclecticism:
Typological Eclecticism Synthetic EclecticismSynthetic Eclecticism

17. An Approach that reuses and adapts established architectural typologies from historical styles. It
emphasizes continuity with tradition by selecting and applying recognizable architectural forms and
structures to contemporary designs while maintaining their fundamental principles.In
ECLECTISIM : An Analysis The work of Claude Mignot
Typological Eclecticism
Focuses on reusing established
architectural typesand historical
models.
Architects select from a range of
existing typologies (e.g., classical,
gothic, baroque) and apply them
to contemporary designs.
The emphasis is on continuity with
architectural traditions and
maintaining recognizable forms.
Example:A modern building that
follows the proportions and
structure of classical temples but
with contemporary materials.

18. ECLECTISIM : An Analysis The work of Claude Mignot
creatively merges diverse architectural elements from different styles into
a cohesive and innovative whole. Rather than strictly adhering to historical typologies,
Synthetic Eclecticism
Seeks to merge different
architectural elements into a new,
cohesive whole.s.
Rather than simply borrowing
from historical styles, it
combines them in innovative
ways to create something unique.
The result is often a hybrid
architectural language that
transcends traditional categories.
Example:A building that integrates
gothic arches, modernist glass
facades, and futuristic elements into
a seamless design.

25. Historicism was about reviving the past, often in a
purist way.
Eclecticism took Historicism further, combining
multiple styles creatively.
Eclecticism took Historicism further, combining
multiple styles creatively.

26. Historicism was about reviving the past,
often in a purist way.
Eclecticism took Historicism further,
combining multiple styles creatively.
Historicist Architecture
(Late 18th –19th Century)
Eclecticism
(Late 19th Century –Early 20th Century)
A revival of past architectural styles (Gothic
Revival, Neoclassicism, Renaissance Revival,
Baroque Revival, etc.).
Architects strictly adhered to historical
accuracy, imitating past styles rather than
mixing them.
Rooted in Romanticism and nostalgia for the past
Emphasis on historical accuracy and cultural
identity
A more flexible approach, freely mixing
elements from different historical styles rather
than strictly reviving one.
Often adapted to new materials and
functions, leading to highly decorative and
unique designs.
A reaction to strict historicism
→ freedom to mix styles
Architects combined elements from different
periods based on aesthetics rather than
historical accuracy

28. Impact:AdvocatedforGothicRevival,believingthat
medievalarchitecturereflectedtrueChristianvalues.
KeyWork:PalaceofWestminster(UK,1840s)
“The great test of architectural beauty is the
fitness of the design to the purpose for which it
is intended.”

30. Impact:Pioneeredhistoricalrestorationbutalsointroduced
modernstructuralinnovationsusingironwithinGothic
architecture.
KeyWork:RestorationofNotre-DamedeParis
DictionnaireRaisonnédel’ArchitectureFrançaise
“To restore a building is not to preserve it, nor to
repair it, but to reinstate it in a condition of
completeness that could never have existed at any
given time.”
Restoration is about "completing" a building, he believed that
when restoring a building, architects should not just preserve
ruins but instead recreate the building in a way that aligns with its
"true" historical essence—even if that meant adding elements
that never existed before.

31. Impact:Criticizedindustrialization’simpactonarchitectureand
advocatedforauthenticcraftsmanshipandhistoricintegrity.
KeyWorks:TheSevenLampsofArchitecture(1849)
“When we build, let us think that we build
forever.”
"Never restore, only preserve." Ruskin believed that buildings
should remain in their original, decayed state rather than be
"restored" because restoration, in his view, was a lie—it
destroyed the history embedded in the material.
TheStonesofVenice(1851–1853)–

32. •CriticizedIndustrialMassProduction:Believedthatmachine-
madegoodslackedsoulandcraftsmanship.
•SupportedMedievalRevivalism:Preferredhandcrafted,
Gothic-inspireddesignsoverpurelyhistoricalimitations.
•BridgedHistoricism&ModernDesign:InfluencedArt
Nouveauandmodernfunctionalistarchitecturebypromoting
beautyineverydayobjects.
ImpactonArchitecture:
“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know
to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
“History has remembered the kings and warriors,
because they destroyed; art has remembered the
people, because they created.”

33. Impact:Represented Eclecticism,combining Baroque,
Renaissance,andClassicalstylestocreategrand,dramatic
architecture.
KeyWork:OpéraGarnier,Paris(1861-1875)
“The decorative arts are the armature of an
architectural masterpiece.”

37. 1760s –1830s: Early Industrial Revolution begins; Neoclassicism
dominates.
1830s –1870s: Historicism (revival styles) flourishes; iron and glass
structures appear.
1870s –1900s: Eclecticism emerges, blending styles while using new
materials.
Late 19th –Early 20th Century: Art Nouveau and Modernism challenge
historic styles, using industrial materials in artistic ways.