INTRODUCTION

▪ The term theory of architecture was originally

simply the accepted translation of the Latin
term ratiocinatio as used
by Vitruvius. To differentiate intellectual from
practical knowledge in architectural education, but it
has come to signify the total basis for judging the
merits of buildings or building projects.

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The historical evolution of architectural
theory is assessable mainly from:
▪ manuscripts and published treatises
▪ from critical essays and commentaries
▪ and from the surviving buildings of every
epoch.

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▪ On Architecture, published as Ten Books on Architecture
▪ It is divided into 10 books dealing with city planning and
architecture in general;
▪ building materials;
▪ temple construction and the use of the Greek orders;
▪ public buildings (theatres, baths);
▪ private buildings;
▪ floors and stucco decoration;
▪ hydraulics;
▪ clocks,
▪ mensuration, and astronomy; and civil and military
engines.

▪ Roman architect, engineer,

and author of the
celebrated treatise De
architectura.
▪ With his Philosophy of
(Vitruvian Triad):
▪ durability (firmitas)
▪ pleasantness (venustas)
▪ practicality or
"convenience" (utilitas)

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▪ Vitruvian Rule of Aesthetic:
▪ based on Greek traditions of
architecture
▪ teachings of Pythagoras =
applying proportions of
numbers
▪ observations of tuned strings of
instruments
▪ proportions of human body
▪ PLEASANTNESS = in
accordance of good taste
▪ parts follow proportions
▪ symmetry of measures

▪ Ten books on Architecture.

▪ One of the greatest works of
the theory of architecture.
▪ It argued that Architecture
was among the most notable
of art forms.
▪ Alberti's focus was on the art
of building, both in terms of
single buildings and entire
urban spaces.

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Fundamentals :
▪ First, is the stability and
usefulness of a structure.
▪ Next, are the aesthetic
elements of lines, angles,
and proportions.
▪ Finally, are the elements of
beauty and ornamentation.

In basic terms,
A great structure must be
stable/useful, aesthetically
pleasing, and decorated well,
and each element must work
with the others to create a
consistent and unified whole.
Therefore, building (and by
extension city-planning)
required a philosophical mind
as well as scientific precision.

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Was the prototype of the
Renaissance “Universal
Man”.
“Florentine Vitruvius”
Notable architectural writings:
1. De Pictura: Declares the
importance of painting as a
base for Architecture.
2. De Re Aedificatoria: His
Theoretical Masterpiece.

“Complete Works on
Architecture and Perspective”
This was the first architectural
handbook that emphasized
the practical rather than the
theoretical aspects of
architecture, and it was the
first to catalog the five orders.

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The last book of the treatise to
be published in his lifetime,
contained 50 fanciful designs
for doorways, which were
much copied in northern
Europe and decidedly
influenced the course of
Mannerist architectural
decoration.

Italian Mannerist architect,

painter, and theorist, who
introduced the principles of
ancient Roman architecture
into France.
he studied architecture
under Baldassarre Peruzzi
Serlio pioneered the use of
high-quality illustrations to
supplement the text.

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Serlio was also the first to
incorporate illustrations into
an architectural handbook,
using drawings of Peruzzi and
Bramante, as well as his own.

was one of the great Italian

architects of 16th century
Mannerism. His two
published books helped
formulate the canon of
classical architectural style.

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His notable writings:
Regola delli cinque ordini
d'architettura ("Canon of the
five orders of architecture“)
Due regole della prospettiva
pratica ("Two rules of
practical perspective“)
favours one-point
perspective rather than two-
point methods such as the
bifocal construction.

Canon of the Five Orders of

Architecture.
It is considered as "one of the
most successful architectural
textbooks ever written.”
The book tackles the five
orders, Tuscan, Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian,
and composite in separate
sections, each subdivided in
five parts on
the colonnade, arcade, arcade
with pedestal, individual
pedestals,
and entablatures and capitals

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It's one of the most influential
books in architecture history.
It contains Palladio's own
designs celebrating the purity
and simplicity of classical
architecture.

It is clear, concise prose is

enhanced by extensive
woodcut illustrations that
include plans and elevations of
the buildings discussed as well
as cross-sections and images of
details.
Figures and scales are used to
indicate proportions and to
provide a sense of the absolute
dimensions of each building,
giving the reader a new visual
ability to comprehend each
work.

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▪ The Father of Modern Picture
Books.
▪ is widely considered to be one of
the most influential individuals in
the history of architecture.
▪ his treatise I quattro libri
dell’architettura (1570; The Four
Books of Architecture) made him
one of the most influential figures
in Western architecture.

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