Italy: Living in a Temple

Villa la Rotonda in Vicenza, Northern Italy, was designed by Andrea Palladio. Built in the Renaissance style, but with an understated simplicity, the exterior is devoid of any palatial embellishments. 

The majestic Villa Rotonda, Italy, the most celebrated work of Andrea Palladio. 

Source: Stefan Bauer

The Ionic Columns give the villa temple like grandeur,
Source: www.flickr.com

Service Corridoor leading to the Villa.
Source: http://olivialeaves.blogspot.in/

The interiors of the Villa come alive with art previously restricted to decoration of Cathedrals,
Source: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/

The building was created at a time when architecture was all about overt and elaborate decoration and ostentatious buildings. It was commissioned by bishop Paolo Almerico and went on to become a salon for wealthy gentleman to read, write and discuss art. Modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, the design brings together the grandeur of Roman temples and ancient art.

The Pantheon in Rome, the perfect symbol of Greek arhitecture,
Source: http://blog.bt-store.com/

The interiors of the salons are gorgeously adorned by intricately detailed statues, frescoes, trompe l'oeil and stuccoes.

Frescoes adorn the ceilings of the Villa
Source: http://theredlist.fr/

Trompe-l'oeil is an art technique involving realistic imagery meant to create an illusion of 3D objects,
Source: http://theredlist.fr/

Inside of the central circular hall surmounted by the dome
Source: http://theredlist.fr/

Ornamental Door Pediments, Source: http://ziyena.hubpages.com/

The Marble carved Fireplace, Source: Dogears at en.wikipedia

The completely symmetrical square plan has four identical temple like elevations surmounted by a circular dome. Overlooking the countryside, each facade has a projecting portico with six Ionic columns. The building has no structural variation to differentiate the entrance. Differentiation has been brought out in the decoration and landscaping. 

The identical facades, designed with the grandeur of a Greek Temple,
Source: http://theredlist.fr/

The symmetric square plan of Villa Rotonda

Aerial View of the symmetrical plan. Landscaping is a crucial part of the design.
Source: http://s2.hubimg.com/

Located atop a small hill, the four corners of the building are oriented to the four compass points.

Overlooking the countryside, Source: http://www.boglewood.com/

Palladio was born as Andrea di Pietro della Gondola in Padua, Italy in 1508. A stone-cutter by training, he went on to study ancient architecture in Rome. He was nicknamed Palladio, probably after the Greek goddess of wisdom, Pallas Athene or after a divine fictional character, Palladio, who saved Italy. 

He was the single most influential architect who reinvented Classical Architecture for the Modern Age. He translated pure geometry (the circle, square, rectangle and golden rectangle) into simple, yet graceful buildings. The timelessness and simplicity bring about a calming, elevating feeling.

Villa Godi at Lugo di Vicenza, Italy, another prominent work of Andrea Palladio, noted for its lack of ornamentation, Source: http://www.classicaladdiction.com/

Frescoes in the interior of Villa Godi, Source: Stefan Bauer

From modest working class houses to majestic farmhouses and state buildings, Palladio's influence can be seen across hundreds of buildings for centuries to come. Practical but unpretentious, his designs have been reproduced several times, the most prominent of them being the White House in Washington D.C.by James Hoban. 

The North Facade of White House, a prominent example of Palladian Arhitecture,
Source: http://carnegie.org/ 

A palatial white classical house in Palladian style, Source: http://www.tfigblog.com/

Color in Architecture

The Greeks built some of the most important structures that set the tone and proportions of prominent buildings and structures that we see around us today. Interestingly, the most iconic architectural ruins from that era are all 'color-free' - be it the Parthenon at Athens or the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. They are made of stone or concrete in shades of white, picking on beige and brown as they aged. Built against dramatic green swathes of hilly landscape, complemented by the lovely blue Aegen Sea, these white structures went on to be considered the ultimate expression of "rich and classic" architecture.

Greek monuments, as we see them today:

Temple of Nike, a symbol of luck atop the Acropolis at Athens, © Janani Rajagopalan

But did they always look that way? I recently came across an interesting theory that suggests that the Greeks did use colors to adorn their structures - bright, vibrant hues such as copper blue and terracotta red, derived from natural stones and coloring pigments available at the time. Think about it - these structures were built in the 4th and 5th century B.C. while the Athenian empire was at its peak. They have withstood centuries of rain, storms and floods, in addition to wars that were fought after the fall of the Greeks and later Romans. What are the chances that all the color got washed away early and somehow never got highlighted in the descriptions and recordings about these buildings. We do know that the Greeks knew how to make color - The Acropolis museum provides a detailed reference list on the 9-10 colors that they knew how to make.

Artistic Renderings of how Greeks may have used colors:

Nevertheless, most architects from the Classical Era refused to acknowledge that the white Greek monumental remains may have looked bright and colorful. While Classical architects still favors white and beige, modern architects introduced primary colors into their palette. Things are changing today, with many architects collaborating with artists in projects where they wish to explore the potential of color in architecture.