Architecture as a Symbol

In the war, when the invaders got a victory, they burnt historical artifacts, such as Bibles, Architectures. They want to erase that particular culture or belief out of the history. Then, They would build their new architectures or sculptures to celebrate or to emphasize the glory. Architecture can be the symbol of powerful nations, fallen nations or it can be rebellious of other architecture. Frankly speaking, I deem Barque architecture as a statement that the new era has come. Because Baroque architecture is initially use for representing the power of the Catholic Church.

The insurrection of modernism is post modernism. When modernism introduce the idea of function and forms without the ornamentation, it raised the post modernism idea. If we were to compare Renaissance  and Baroque with Modernism and post modernism. Renaissance would be modernism and Baroque would be post modernism. The idea the derived from Renaissance to Baroque is the use of the classical elements. Baroque architecture adds more ingredient to the receipt. The classical elements used in the Baroque architecture is more expressive in ornamentation and arrangement. Indeed, They are emphasize in more three dimension, which dynamic movement as if in Baroque painting.

One of the great master of Baroque architecture was Borromini. His totally different in architectural style even differ from Bernini,who gave birth to Baroque style. "He had been sent to destroy architecture" "Borromni rejected the serene conception of architecture as a reflection of the proportions of the human body" (Watkin,290)which those ideas are used by all classical architects. He also said that "he architecture was base on nature, Michelangelo and the antique"(Watkin,291).

I think that his rebellion of classical elements is shown on his architectures. As can be shown on S. Ivo della (1642-60). Looking at the plan, we can see that it use two equal-side triangle to construct the dome.  Also it creates the star shape form, which symbolize wisdom. In the centre of the dome, it creates a hexagon shape which is flanked by circles, those circles are crating the three apes. Combining the elements together create a very unique from. On the contrary, in Renaissance, the construction usually use the Golden ratio, circle with rectangle and vitruius man to construct.

From here we can the see that even though Baroque architecture use the same element used in the Renaissance and Classical architecture, the way the those element are arranged is change in to more expressive symbol.

---------------
REF:
Watkin, David. A history of western architecture. 3rd ed. London: Laurence King, 2000.