What Style Is It? |
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| Georgian Revival? Queen Anne? Italianate? Naming an architectural style isn't always easy. Here's why. Article by Jackie Craven |
My house has an identity crisis. The twin chimneys look Georgian. The bay windows suggest a popular American style known as Queen Anne. There are even hints of Italianate styling in the wide, bracketed eaves.
Houses, like people, are complex and often contradictory. They may begin with a single vision, but an architect's whim or a builder's eagerness to display his talents can lead to unexpected flourishes. Also, many homes are reshaped over the years as owners add rooms, raise roofs, move doors and change details.
Even towering public buildings are not immune to stylistic confusion. New construction techniques can conflict with deep-seated ideas of how a building ought to look. Styles from by-gone eras are often superimposed on otherwise modern structures.
Pulitzer Building, New York City
For example, take a look at this photo of New York's Pulitzer Building. Architect George B. Post used modern materials and techniques... and then topped the twenty-six story skyscraper with a neo-classical dome.
Now consider another "modern" innovation: the 22 story Flatiron Building in New York. Designed by Daniel H. Burnham, the building has a steel structure, elevators, central heating, and electrical plumbing pumps. But the facade? Borrowed - from Renaissance Italy.
I used to think that mixed-up architecture was a purely American phenomenon. America is, after all, a melting pot of cultures and traditions. But on a recent trip to Thailand, I made a startling discovery. Here, in a land that has never been colonized, outside influences run strong.
Just look at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Begun by King Rama I in 1782, this vast walled complex has seen many transformations during the past 200 years. King Rama III introduced Chinese designs. King Rama V added Western touches. The result? Exotic hybrids such as the Chakri Maha Prasat building, which combines European arches and columns with a traditional Thai roof.
So, next time someone asks me about my house, I'll just smile and say that it's a hodgepodge -- a baffling mix of traditions, dreams, necessities, aspirations and vanities. Just like a royal palace!
For help in finding the style of your home, see:
Text copyright © Jackie Craven
Photos on this page copyright © ArtToday.com
