Victorian Style and African Style Architecture

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English

English Gothic Architecture

This style was predominant in England. One can recognize English Gothic architecture from the

pointed arches, the very large windows, and the conical structures on top of the buildings known

as spires

also called "Lancet" and "First Pointed" style

~ Covers the period 1180-1275

~ pointed arches

~ quadripartite ribbed vaults

~ lancet windows

~ clustered shafts of tall, narrow piers

If one can generalise about a style which spanned almost a century, we can characterise Early

English by saying that it emphasized simple, almost austere lines, prefering fine proportion to

elaborate decoration.

Early English emphasizes height, as if the builders were reaching for the sky. In a sense, they

were, as church building was a symbolic expression of religious aspiration. Church architecture

in particular had to symbolise Christian thought to a largely illiterate population. Thus even

decorative touches such as carvings and statues of saints had to tell a story to people who could

not read.


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The major distinction between the Early English and the

Norman, orRomanesqueperiod, which preceeded it, is the

use of the pointed arch. The pointed arch allowed a whole

range of new building expression to take place; arches could

span greater distances, allowing vaults to be taller and

wider. The arch could support greater weight, allowing

walls to be thinner and pierced by wider window openings. This in turn encouraged the use of

stained glass.

The simple butresses of the Norman period gave way to flying butresses,

which distributed the weight and thrust of roofs and walls right down to the

ground. These flying butresses may be visible over the aisles, but just as often

were concealed in the aisle roof. Another variation on the Early English

butress is the "Oxford butress", set diagonally at corners (see illustration).

Towers were topped with steeply pitched roofs, often surmounted with very slender towers

emerging from a broach, or pyramidal base.

The massive columns of the Romanesque period were replaced with thin clusters

of shafts, often built of dark Purbeck marble. The capitals of shafts were often

richly carved, with highly styalized foliage designs being popular. The richness of

these carvings was due in part to the introduction of the chisel in stone carving.

Previously, carving had been done with axes, necessitating low relief and fairly

simple designs.

Early English church elevations.

Note the flying butresses on the

right

"Oxford"

butress

Early

English pier
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The introduction of the chisel allowed a great deal more artistic control and we see undercutting

become extremely popular. Carvings stand out from the underlying stone and are much more

three-dimensional than in the Norman Romanesque period.

Early in the 13th century windows were primarily of a simple, untraceried

(lancet) design, either single or grouped together. Later designs favoured two

or three lights grouped under a single dripstone.

Where the hood moulding (dripstone) followed a pointed

design, echoing the lines of the windows, the architects put

small ornamental holes in the space between the moulding and the lancets. This

approach is called Plate Tracery (see drawing). As plate tracery developed, the

small holes became more elaborate, evolving into ornate trefoil and quadrifoil

designs.

Major Early English buildings to visit in England:

The most complete example of Early English is without a doubt to be seen at

Salisbury Cathedral. Salisbury is unique in that it was built within a short time

span (c1200-1275), thus its architectural style, with the exception of the 14th century tower and

spire, is fairly uncluttered by later additions and alterations.

Other Early English buildings to visit includeWells Cathedral(interior),St. Bartholomew's

(London),Lincoln Cathedral, andWestminster Abbeynave (1245-1270).

Early English

foliage carving

Window

showing

twin lancets

with plate

tracery
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Victorian Architecture1830-1910

Victorian architecture refers to many types of architectural styles that belong to this category.

This includes the following - Gothic Revival, Jacobethan, Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival,

Romanesque etc. Victorian architecture refers to the styles that were seen in the Victorian Era

This style of architecture is one that prevailed in the era of Queen Victoria of England. Inspired

by the style and characteristics of Gothic architecture, the Victorian style gave birth to numerous

variations of this style, including the Queen Anne and the Italianate styles. The main element of

the Victorian style was beauty rather than practicality. The key features of the Victorian

architectural style are as follows.

Victorian houses often sported either a wooden or a stone exterior, spanning two to three stories.

This exterior was further enhanced with decorative metal or wooden trim.

Victorian style houses were built on asymmetrical lines, meaning they had huge bays, different

wings, and round or octagonal towers with steep roofs (another important feature of this style).

A one-story porch was an essential in a Victorian home, embellished with ornamental spindles

and brackets.

The Victorian architectural style brought with it a variety in terms of color. While pre-Victorian

homes were usually painted in light colors, brightness and vibrancy was added with the use of

colors such as mustard yellow for a house.


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African Architecture

General characteristics

African architecture reflects the interaction of environmental factorssuch as natural resources,

climate, and vegetationwith the economies and population densities of the continents various

regions. As stone is the most durable of building materials, some ancient stone structures

survive, while other materials have succumbed to rain, rot, or termites. Stone-walledkraals

from earlySothoandTswanasettlements (South Africa and Botswana) and stone-lined pit

circles with sunken kraals for pygmy cattle (Zimbabwe) have been the subject of
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archaeological study. Stone-corbeledsheltersand circularhutswith thatched roofs were also

recorded in the 20th century among the southern Sotho. Rectangular and circular stone

farmhouses, unusual in being two stories, have been built by theTigreof Eritrea and Sudan for

centuries, while in Niger someTuaregbuild square houses in stone.

Such exceptions apart, the overwhelming majority of Africas thousands of peoples in rural areas

build in grasses, wood, and clay. Because of the impermanence of many of these materials,

existing buildings, though based on forms many centuries old, are of relatively recent date.

Where vegetation is largely confined to thin grazing cover, peoples are often nomadic, using

tents of animal skins and woven hair for shelter. In theveldand less-forested areas, grasses

are used as building material as well, being employed widely for thatch and mat roof

coverings. Hardwoods in forest regions are used for building, as are bamboo and raffia palm.

Earth and clay are also major building resources. Characteristic soils of Africa include

semidesert chestnut earths andlaterites(reddish residuals of rock decay), which are often low
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in fertility but easily compacted. Earth-sheltered houses are made by the Iraqw of Tanzania, and

a number of peoples in Mali and Burkina Faso have partly sunken dwellings.

Ecological and demographic factors play an important part in building design. Soil erosion and

overgrazing, as well as pressure on land as a result of population growth, have also contributed to

migratory movements. The growth of urban centres led to wide-scale migration in the 20th and

21st centuries, and these migrations have had a profound effect on the dispersal of house types.

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Victorian Style and African Style Architecture