Theory of Architecture

18AATC205
IV Semester

ANDREA PALLADIO

Ar. Divya Sharma

Assistant Professor
School of Architecture
  Italian architect, considered as the most influential person in the
history of Western architecture.

ANDREA PALLADIO (Andrea di Pietro della)

( 1508 – 1580 )
Padua, Venice
 Apprenticed as a stonecutter at the age of 13.

ANDREA PALLADIO
( 1508 – 1580 )
Fled to Vicenza, became the assistant in a workshop
of stonecutters and masons.

Learnt skills from Bartolomeo Cavazza

 His talents recognized in the early 30’s by Count
Gian Giorgio Trissino, who gave him the name
Palladio, an allusion to the Greek goddess, Pallas
Athene.

Pallas , Athene
He learnt the principles of Vitruvius, the classical Roman architect & of Leon Battista Alberti.
 His Palladian style named after him adhered to the
principles of
 Roman architecture
 Styles of Early and High Renaissance.

Palladian Architecture
His works became well known after the publication of “I
Quattro Libri ‘dell Architectura” (The Four Books of
Architecture).
Rules mentioned in his book are:

Loggia or porch to allow visitors

space to gather before entering.

LOGGIA or PORCH
 Smaller rooms or chambers
should flank the hall.

Smaller room flanking hall

 The stairway to the upper level should be prominent
with good lighting & a view to an impressive space

Stairway
 Palladio’s 3 part Solutions

Based upon the treatise of Vitruvius,

 Writings of Alberti & Serlio
 The works of Raphael, Falconetto & Sansovino,

Palladio devised a solution based on 3 principle Elements

1) Dramatic Exterior Motifs

2) Economic Materials

3) Interior Harmony & Balance

 1) Dramatic Exterior Motifs

3 Primary types of exterior

elevation were developed as
the Palladian style

3 Exterior elevations
  a) Loggia Pierced by 3 Openings

3 Exterior elevations
  b)Double columned Loggia

3 Exterior elevations
 c) The pediments & columns adapted from the Greek temple front.

3 Exterior elevations
 2) Economic Materials

 Generally the Venetian palaces were built of

stone brought from distant, mainland quarries &
clad with marble from Istria.

Economic Materials
 2) Economic Materials

Since Palladio had achieved his visual impact through his design motifs, he could build
Villas with

Bricks instead of stone and clad them with stucco instead of marble.

Economic Materials
 The ornate capitals were made of terracotta

Economic Materials
 The architraves supporting these pediments were made of Wood covered with straw
lathing & then stucco

Economic Materials
 The walls decorated with frescoes replacing the tapestry.

Economic Materials
 3) Interior Harmony & Balance

Interior Harmony & Balance

Palladio has stated that the parts of a house correspond to the whole and to each other.

Interior Harmony & Balance

 Palladio varied the volumetric sizes of his rooms

Interior Harmony & Balance

 With respect to the shapes of individual rooms, he
provides a wide variety ranging from squares, circles to
rectangles in a variety of ratios of width to length

Interior Harmony & Balance

 The Need for Villas

The aristocracy needed magnificent homes which reflected their magnificence and virtue.

It was not feasible to build a

Venetian palace at the countryside.
 The Need for Villas

It would not suite the supervision of an

agricultural establishment, storing of grains, or
facilitate communication with nature for repose
and contemplation
 The Need for Villas

The aristocracy needed magnificent homes which reflected their magnificence and virtue.

Thus there was a need for a structure that is

 Magnificient

 Inexpensive

 Comfortable

 Functional
Architectural work

Location : Vicenza , Italy

Date : 1566 - 1567

Construction system: Bearing Masonry

Style : Italian Renaissance

Villa Rotunda (1566-67)

Architectural work

 Situated on top of the hill just outside the town of

Vicenza.

Villa Rotunda (1566-67)

  It is called the Villa Rotunda because of its
completely symmetrical plan with a central circular
hall.

Plan for Villa Rotunda

  Square plan with loggias on all 4 sides

Plan for Villa Rotunda

  The 2 storey circular hall with overlooking
balconies was intended to be roofed with a semi
circular dome

Cross section for Villa Rotunda

  The proportions of the rooms are mathematically
precise according to the rules described in the
‘Quatro Libri’.

Double storey hall

  The building is rotated 45 degrees
to the south on the hill top, enabling
all rooms to receive sunshine.

It is asymmetrically sited in the

topography.

Landscape
 The NW loggia is recessed into the hill above
an axial entry from the front gate
 Each loggia although identical in design,
relates to the landscape in the front through
variation of
Wide steps
Retaining walls
Embankments

Plan for Villa Rotunda

Villa Barbaro

 Also known as Villa de Maser.

 It was built for his patrons Barbaro who were an

old Venetian family documented as holding high
office in the republic.

 Planned the Villa on low lines extending to a large

park.
Villa Barbaro

 Complex ground floor plan: rectangular with

perpendicular rooms on the long axis

 Central block projects and contains the principle

reception room
Villa Barbaro

Central block resembles the portico of a roman

temple & is decorated by 4 Ionic columns

Inspired by temple Fortuna of Virilis.

Villa Barbaro

Central block surmounted by a large pediment with

heraldic symbols of Barbaro family in relief.
Villa Barbaro

The central block is flanked by 2 symmetrical wings

of 2 floors recessed being an open arcade.
 Villa Barbaro

The interior of the central block is painted with frescoes.

Villa Barbaro
Villa Barbaro
Villa Cornaro
Villa Cornaro

Square: the preferred shape for the central

core.
 Villa Cornaro

Fugal variations of Room sizes achieved by modulating their heights.

The ratio of length to width in the long rectangular rooms is 3:5, ratio of 2 perfect numbers.
Villa Cornaro

The central living area is 6 repetition of the module

of perfect room. Thus achieving harmony &
balance
Villa Cornaro
Villa Cornaro
 SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE

Gloriously situated on the island of San Giorgio, gleaming white

façade faces across the basin of San Marco to the great piazza .
SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE
 SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE

Build as part of the Benedicitine monastery on the island , the church’s

façade is scaled to present a public face to the town of Venice.
 His Success

 His success as an architect is not only based on the beauty of his work but also for its harmony with the
culture of his time.

 His works are an integration of extraordinary aesthetic quality with expressive characteristics that
resonated with his client’s social aspirations

 His buildings served to visually communicate their place in the social order of their culture.

 This integration of beauty and deep meaning is apparent in three major building types:
the urban palazzo
the agricultural villa
the church.
 His Success

 The Villa configuration: centralized block raised on an elevated podium, accessed by grand steps &
flanked by lower service wings.

 The configuration of the roman catholic church: two interlocking architectural orders, each clearly
articulated, yet delineating a hierarchy of a larger order overriding a lesser order.

 The rustication of exposed basement walls of Victorian residences are a remnant of the Palladian
podium.

 Palladio, through his works & books has made an impact on architecture that is almost eternal
THANK YOU…

References:
1) Andrea Palladio : The Architect in his Time : Bruce
Boucher
2) Andrea Palladio : Unbuilt Venice