Neo-Gothic style in architecture: main features, history and modern examples. Gothic in Neo-Gothic architecture in Central Europe

The age of the rapid industrial revolution and the subsequent processes of urbanization, the scale of which no one could have predicted at the beginning, decisively changed the landscape of the city and the countryside. Maybe more so than any other form artistic creativity, the architecture reflected the controversial aspects of the time.

An urgent need and because of new needs, and as a result of the emergence of new materials and technical means provided by industry, however long time architectural thought was shackled traditional concepts. Even in the middle of the nineteenth century. projects in the neoclassical style were widely implemented, i.e. it was about the proposal of sought-after neo-Greek or neo-gothic architectural modules. Only in the second half of the 19th century, there were shifts in architectural design associated with the use of previously never used together.

Origins of neo-Gothic

During the nineteenth century. cultural phenomena of a retrospective nature repeatedly arose - with an appeal to the elements of Greek or Gothic architecture. One of the most notable among this kind of phenomena was neo-Gothic, which took off as a "Gothic revival", gothic revival.

Origins in the 18th century. in England, where this trend was not interrupted, as a trend of the picturesque and sublime, and then it spread throughout Europe.

Neo-Gothic Features

The aspects and factors of the formation of the Neo-Gothic direction seem diverse and complex, but its very statement is definitely connected with romanticism, which saw one of the tasks of art in expressing the spirit of the people, and the architecture of the Middle Ages was considered precisely as a symbol of history and national tradition in different European countries, in obvious connection with the revival medieval spirit historical novel (beginning with Walter Scott) and romantic melodrama.

Others important aspect there was a flowering - for the first time on a scientific foundation - of historical and critical studies of medieval art, with a close study of especially famous monuments, for the purpose of restoration practice, which was becoming increasingly widespread everywhere. But there were two countries where by the middle of the nineteenth century. Neo-Gothic reached the most bright results: This is England and France.

Gothic Revival in England

In England, ethical and social teachings played their role, which also affected the work of the London architect Augustus W. Pugin (1812-1852), the author, together with Charles Barry, of the Houses of Parliament in London (1836-1860), a masterpiece of English neo-Gothic.

Striving for an organic connection between architecture and society, Pugin emphasized the "moral" value of the Gothic and, at the same time, the dignity of its constructive system.

Neo-Gothic in France

In France, the architect, theorist and restorer Eugene Viollet-le-Duc (restoration of Notre Dame in Paris in 1845, the cathedral in Reims, the Abbey of Saint-Denis) considered the Gothic an example of constructive rationality, which is also important for the development of modern technology.

Viollet-le-Duc's widely used method of complementary, or interpretive, restoration, which is now considered unacceptable, emphasized his desire to give Gothic relevance to modern society.

In Italy, the strong position of the Classical and Renaissance traditions made it almost impossible for the Neo-Gothic style to spread, which is scarcely represented by a few examples.

Gothic Revival in the USA

in the United States in the 19th century. Neo-Gothic revival was a manifestation of familiarity with European romanticism. Neo-Gothic (revivalism) was especially liked and influenced all of American secular and religious architecture. Main representatives: R. Upjohn, J. Renwick, A. J. Downing.

Romanticism succeeds the Age of Enlightenment and coincides with the industrial revolution, marked by the appearance of the steam engine, the steam locomotive, the steamboat, photography, and factory outskirts. If the Enlightenment is characterized by the cult of reason and civilization based on its principles, then romanticism affirms the cult of nature, feelings and the natural in man. It was in the era of romanticism that the phenomena of tourism, mountaineering and picnics were formed, designed to restore the unity of man and nature. The image of the “noble savage”, armed with “folk wisdom” and not spoiled by civilization, is in demand.

Romanticism (French romantisme), an ideological and artistic direction in the European and American spiritual culture of the end. 18 - 1st floor. 19th centuries Romanticism is a kind of reaction to French Revolution(Karl Marx).

The great French bourgeois revolution ended the Age of Enlightenment. Writers, artists, musicians witnessed grandiose historical events, revolutionary upheavals that unrecognizably transformed life. Many of them enthusiastically welcomed the changes, admired the proclamation of the ideas of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

Romantics often idealized a patriarchal society, in which they saw the kingdom of kindness, sincerity, and decency. Poetizing the past, they went into ancient legends, folk tales. Romanticism has received its own face in every culture: among the Germans, in mysticism; for the British - in a person who will oppose himself to reasonable behavior; the French - in unusual stories. What united all this in one trend - romanticism?

Before the revolution, the world was ordered, there was a clear hierarchy in it, each person took his place. The revolution overturned the "pyramid" of society, a new one has not yet been created, so the individual has a feeling of loneliness. Life is a flow, life is a game in which someone is lucky and someone is not

The painful discord between the ideal and social reality is the basis of the romantic worldview and art. Reflecting disappointment in the results of the French Revolution, in the ideology of the Enlightenment and social progress, romanticism opposed utilitarianism and the leveling of the individual with the desire for unlimited freedom and the "endless" thirst for perfection and renewal, the pathos of personal and civil independence.

Consider the difference between romanticism and classicism. We will see that classicism divides everything in a straight line, into good and bad, into black and white. Romanticism divides nothing in a straight line. Classicism is a system, but romanticism is not. The main task of romanticism was the image of the inner world, mental life, and this could be done on the material of stories, mysticism, etc. characteristic of romanticism inner world man was expressed in the cult of the subjective, the craving for the emotionally intense. It was necessary to show the paradox of this inner life, its irrationality.

The affirmation of the inherent value of the spiritual and creative life of the individual, the image of strong passions, spiritualized and healing nature, for many romantics - the heroes of protest or struggle are adjacent to the motives of "world sorrow", "world evil", the "night" side of the soul, dressed in the forms of irony, grotesque poetics of duality.

Interest in the national past (often - its idealization), the traditions of folklore and culture of one's own and other peoples, the desire to create a universal picture of the world (primarily history and literature), the idea of ​​art synthesis found expression in the ideology and practice of romanticism.

Characteristic features of the style of romanticism

The creative problems of romanticism compared with classicism were more complex and not so unambiguous. Romanticism at its very beginning was more of an artistic movement than a doctrine of a particular style. Therefore, it is only possible with great difficulty to classify its manifestations and consider sequentially the history of development up to late XIX- beginning of XX century.

Romanticism at first had a lively, changeable character, preached individualism and creative freedom. He recognized the value of cultures that were significantly different from Greek - Roman antiquity. Much attention was paid to the cultures of the East, whose artistic and architectural motifs adapted to European taste.

There is a reassessment of the architecture of the Middle Ages and the technical and artistic achievements of the Gothic are recognized. The concept of connection with nature gives rise to the concept of the English park and the popularity of the free compositions of the Chinese or Japanese garden.

In the visual arts, romanticism manifested itself most clearly in painting and graphics, less clearly in sculpture and architecture (for example, false Gothic). Most of the national schools of romanticism in the visual arts developed in the struggle against official academic classicism.

The main representatives of romanticism in the visual arts are the painters E. Delacroix, T. Gericault, F. O. Runge, K. D. Friedrich, J. Constable, W. Turner, in Russia - O. A. Kiprensky, A. O. Orlovsky . The theoretical foundations of romanticism were formed by F. and A. Schlegel and F. Schelling.

Building features of romanticism

The development of classicism and romanticism in architecture coincided with the beginning of the use of new designs, building materials and construction methods. AT late XVIII and the beginning of the 19th century. metal structures were most common in England and France.

Initially, they were used in various engineering structures, which was accompanied by the development of scientific theories in this area. The issue of creating a metal bridge was first considered by French engineers in 1719, and then again in 1755. However, the widespread use of these designs became possible with the advent of cheap technology for producing iron, first in the form of cast iron, and later steel.

Instead of the simplicity and isolation of the architectural form of classicism, romanticism offers a complex silhouette, richness of forms, freedom of planning, in which symmetry and other formal compositional principles lose their dominant importance. Despite the fact that romanticism aroused widespread interest in different cultures, which had previously been far from Europeans, Gothic became the main one for him in architecture.

At the same time, it seemed important not only to study it, but also to adapt it to modern problems. Gothic artistic motifs were already used in the Baroque (for example, by J. Santini), but only in the 19th century. they are widely distributed. At the same time, there are sprouts of a conscious movement for the protection of architectural monuments and their reconstruction.

Types of buildings in the style of romanticism

The first cast-iron bridge was constructed only in 1779. It was a bridge over the River Severn in England. It had a short length (30.62 m), but already at the end of the century they began to build cast-iron bridges over 70 m long, for example, Sunderland Bridge in England (1793 - 1796).

From the end of the XVIII century. cast iron is being used in the construction of buildings. Of particular interest for that time was the project of a warehouse building in Manchester (1801), which was decided in the form of an eight-story cast-iron frame, as well as docks in Liverpool and London. In England, cast-iron structures of cathedrals appeared already in the 80s of the 18th century, for example, in Liverpool.

Neo-Gothic or pseudo-Gothic (from Italian gotiko - "barbarian", neos - "new") - a trend in the architecture of the XVIII-XIX centuries, reviving the forms and design features of medieval Gothic. The Neo-Gothic style developed in an era of intensive development of capitalist relations, the emergence of imperialism and the colonization of continents by Europeans.

Neo-Gothic originated in the 40s. 18th century in Great Britain, where the traditions of Gothic art were strongest, along with the flourishing of landscape art and the "poeticization" of the medieval era. The Neo-Gothic style was most widespread in the Holy Roman Empire, France, Italy, Spain, as well as in the colonial possessions of Great Britain, which erected many public buildings in the metropolises.

Neo-Gothic was recognized as an exemplary style for the construction of Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as for large public buildings, country houses. At this time, monuments of medieval architecture were intensively completed and restored. For the European Neo-Gothic of the nineteenth century. characteristic is the desire to revive the integrity of artistic thinking characteristic of Gothic art, the awareness of the aesthetic value of the frame structure, along with the widespread use of cast-iron structures. The decline of the Neo-Gothic style in Europe came at the beginning of the century, when the excessive Gothic decor was replaced by the strict forms of the Romanesque style.

Unlike Europe, all neo-Gothic churches in Belarus were built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, which is associated with the ban on the construction of churches, which the Russian Emperor Nicholas II canceled only in 1905 with the famous Manifesto. After that, Catholic churches in the neo-Gothic style began to be built everywhere on the territory of Belarus. Three of the tallest places of worship in Belarus were built in the Neo-Gothic style: the Trinity Church in Gervyaty, the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Zhuprany, the Church of St. Vladislav in Subotniki.

Neoclassicism

(Neoclassicism)- aesthetic direction, which dominated European art in the late 18th century - early. 19th century, which was characterized by an appeal to antiquity, and differed from classicism 17

century - early 18th century. In France, within the framework of neoclassicism, the style of Louis XVI, regency, Directory and Empire style arose; in England - the style of Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton in furniture business.

In the middle XVIII century in Italy, the first archaeological excavations of ancient monuments began, and all the largest representatives of English neoclassicism visited Rome. They went there to see the ruins of ancient buildings and to perceive the true spirit of antiquity. Many English architects also went to Greece, where they studied ancient Greek buildings, which were practically unknown at that time.

Neoclassicism most clearly manifested itself, apparently, in architecture, which is confirmed by the work of the brothers Adam John Nash, Alexander Thompson in England; Langhans in Germany, Jean-Francois Chalgrin, Alexandre-Théodore Brongniard, Ledoux in France and Andrey Zakharov in Russia.

Among the pioneers of neoclassicism should be called Jacques Ange Gabriel, who planned the Place de la Concorde in 1754, and his Petit Trianon at Versailles was considered the most perfect example of "attica" in French architecture. Of course, one cannot fail to mention Souflot, who introduced elements of a new aesthetic into the plans for the reconstruction of Paris.

If in France neoclassicism found its expression mainly in the designs of public buildings, then in England architects built private estates and city houses in this style. Their very manner was different from the French. In France, neoclassicism acquired harsh, sometimes heavy forms, while in England, on the contrary, all buildings were lighter and more elegant. English neoclassical interiors are especially famous: always bright and decorative, they seemed to want to please the owners of houses and their guests.

The most important role in the architecture of English neoclassicism was played by two masters - William Chambers (1723-1796) and Robert Adam (1728-1792).

Neoclassicism

"style of Adam" in honor of its creator. In 1754-1756. Robert Adam traveled to Italy and returned from there a passionate admirer of antiquity.

In his work, the influence of English Palladianism was also felt. However, his style was very distinctive and easily recognizable.

Neoclassic" is a term adopted in modern art history to refer to artistic phenomena of the last third of the 19th-20th centuries, different in social orientation and ideological content, which are characterized by an appeal to the traditions of ancient art.

often referred to simply

eclectic and modernist architecture

In a number of countries, neoclassicism of this period used new constructive techniques developed by "

modern",

In Russian architecture of the 1910s. the prevailing desire was to establish the basic principles of architectural classics (I. A. Fomin, I. V. Zholtovsky, V. A. Shchuko and others), although in the same years representatives of Russian modernism also turned to the stylization of classical motifs (F. O. Shekhtep, F. I. Lidval, S. U. Soloviev, etc.). In the USA, France and Great Britain, neoclassicism of the 1910-30s. It developed mainly in official architecture and was distinguished by ceremonial representativeness and emphasized monumentality.

In the 1930s the means of neoclassicism, in their hypertrophied-monumental, emphatically coarsened forms, were widely used in the architecture of Italy (M. Piacentini and others) and Germany (P. L. Trost and others) to create structures that served the purposes of propagating fascist ideology.

The principles of neoclassicism also had a certain influence on the development of Soviet architecture in the 2nd half of the 30s and early 50s, as well as the architecture of the Scandinavian countries, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. Bulgaria, Hungary, where they were often combined with an appeal to the motives of national architecture.

Since the end of the 50s. Neoclassicism developed predominantly in US architecture; among the most significant structures of this direction in the official and commercial

construction -

Lincoln Center in New York (1960s, architects F. Johnson, W. Harrison, M. Abramowitz, E. Saarinen), whose buildings form a strict and symmetrical frame of a rectangular square.

Palace "Peter Trianon" in Versailles

To the right of the Grand Canal of Versailles is the Trianon complex, consisting of the Grand and Petit Palaces with their own garden setting. The Small Palace, or Petit Trianon, is a true masterpiece of French neoclassicism of the 18th century.

In 1761, Madame de Pompadour suggested to Louis XV the idea of ​​building a palace in the French Garden. Two years later, the king decided to fulfill the request of the favorite. The project is entrusted to Gabriel Jacques Anjou (1698-1782). In 1763, construction began, and already in 1768 the Petit Trianon was solemnly opened. But Madame de Pompadour was not destined to use the castle - she did not live 4 years before the completion of construction.

This masterpiece of neoclassical architecture is without a doubt Gabriel's finest creation. The building, located on a square platform, rests on a plinth, above it rises a floor and an attic, which ends with a balustrade that hides the roof in the Italian style. Due to the unevenness of the relief, the basement level is visible only from the side of the facade overlooking the Front Courtyard, as well as from the side of the Temple of Amur. The facades are decorated with pilasters and powerful Corinthian columns.

The facades of the building, which is square in plan, are made according to the same compositional scheme. The interior of the palace is decorated in the style

The proportions of the Petit Trianon are classically clear and noblely simple. This monument of world architecture embodies the idea of ​​intimate comfort, achievable only in unity with nature. Bridges over seemingly overgrown canals, pavilions arranged on seemingly wild islands, trees growing in precisely calculated disorder, give the ensemble a charm of genuine romance.

Later, a mill, a poultry house and a dairy farm appeared in the royal village (1783-1786). Now in this place, guides usually tell visitors an entertaining story that cups are kept here, their shape representing a cast from the breasts of Marie Antoinette.

From these cups, the queen in "her dairy" loved to treat guests with milk from her cows. The guides also say that the private royal chambers subsequently often served as a place for scandalous adventures of influential people who came here to spend a comfortable night.

Queen Marie Antoinette was strongly influenced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau's idea of ​​the need to return to

"untouched nature".

She tried her best to learn how to provide at least her family with agricultural products by her own work: she looked after the cows, milked and fed them from the royal table. However revolutionary people for some reason regarded her works as a refined mockery of the starving Paris.

The emergence of neoclassicism (as a programmatic appeal to the art of the past) is due to the desire to oppose some "eternal" aesthetic values ​​to disturbing and contradictory reality. The ideological and formal structure of currents based on the search for a direct correspondence to reality in neoclassicism is opposed by the ideality and majesty of forms and images, "purified" from concrete historical content.

In the architecture of neoclassicism, 3 periods are distinguished: the first (around 1910 - mid-1920s), the second (mainly the 1930s) and the third (beginning in the late 1950s). In the first period, the logic of the organization of the classical form and its laconicism were put forward as an antithesis to stylistic arbitrariness and excessive decorativeness.

Mysterious, majestic, even awesome - all these epithets refer to the same style. It occupies a separate niche in almost all types of art: sculpture, painting, book miniature, stained glass, frescoes. But in the modern world Gothick style unexpectedly embodied in fashion trends in clothing, makeup and interiors.

Gothick style

It is customary to call Gothic a segment of development in medieval art in the West, in the Central part and in the East of Europe. In the historical scale, this period refers to the XII - XVI century. Gothic came to replace romance, gradually replacing it. The term "Gothic" is increasingly referred to famous style architecture characterized as terribly beautiful and terribly majestic.

Gothic originated in the middle of the XII century in northern France. Until the XIII century, it not only spread, but also firmly rooted in the territory occupied by modern Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain and England. Italy was “infected” with Gothic later, with great difficulty and great transformation, which led to the emergence of the “Italian Gothic” movement. The end of the XIV century was distinguished by the appearance in Europe of the so-called international Gothic. In Eastern European countries, Gothic appeared later, but also lasted a little longer.

Terrifyingly beautiful architecture

Buildings and works of art containing elements characteristic of Gothic, created during eclecticism, that is, in the middle of the century before last and later, are characterized by the term "Neo-Gothic".

Unexpected for everyone was the emergence in the early 1980s of a genre of music called "gothic". This modern Gothic style was used as the name of the "Gothic rock" that arose in those years, and later of the youth movement that was formed on the basis of such music - the "Gothic subculture".

The name itself comes from the Italian word gotico, which means barbaric or unusual. But given style it has nothing to do with Goten, that is, barbarians, historical Goths. At first, this word was used as a curse. D. Vasari was the first to use this concept in its current meaning, separating the Renaissance from the Middle Ages. Gothic completed the development of medieval European art. Arising on the basis of Romanesque cultural achievements, in the Renaissance it is medieval art It was considered "barbaric", according to its purpose - cult, and according to the theme - religious.

Gothic is a whole cultural layer, including architecture, literature, fine arts

The Gothic style of the Middle Ages especially vividly reflects the temple, cathedral, church and monastery architecture, which was formed on the basis of the Romanesque, or rather Burgundian. medieval architecture. But Gothic differs from Romanesque style, its round arches, massive walls and small windows. It is distinguished by arches with a pointed dome, narrow and high towers and columns. The facade was richly decorated with carved fragments (vimpergas, tympanums, archivolts) and multicolored stained-glass lancet windows. Most style elements are emphasized by a vertical orientation.

XVIII-XIX centuries were marked by the development artistic style called Neo-Gothic or "Revived Gothic". Borrowing the traditions and forms of classical Gothic, Neo-Gothic, which originated in Great Britain, also spread to the countries of continental Europe and even America.

At times, neo-Gothic elements were intricately intertwined with the latest technologies for that time. For example, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York was equipped with arches in the form of Gothic windows on racks. The British Parliament building in London is considered the most outstanding example of neo-Gothic.

The famous Washington Cathedral, built in neo-gothic style (1907-1990)

Cathedral interior

full view outside - a truly monumental building

And this is the facade of the Church of St. Maclu (15-16 centuries) in France, built in the style of flaming Gothic. A truly mesmerizing sight

St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York. Neo-Gothic, 1858-1878

Unique example Gothic style in Russia are the buildings of the Faceted Chamber and the belfry on Sophia Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod. In medieval Russia, which was under the influence Byzantine art, Gothic was practically not perceived as a style worthy of attention. A certain similarity with the Gothic is noticeable only in the structures of the towers and walls on the Moscow Kremlin.

But neogothic style the imperial residence in Tsaritsyn is distinguished as the most outstanding monument"Russian Gothic architecture" and the largest pseudo-Gothic complex in Europe.

As for furniture, the most striking example of style is the dressoir or cupboard. Often it was covered with painting. All the furniture of that era is characterized by simplicity and heaviness. For example, clothes and household items were first stored in special cabinets, although earlier chests were used exclusively for this. So at the end of the Middle Ages, prototypes of modern furniture appeared: cabinets, beds and armchairs. One of the most common furniture elements in those days was panel-frame knitting. The main materials in the west and north of Europe were local tree species, including walnut, oak, pine, spruce, as well as larch, cedar and juniper.

A characteristic feature of architecture is high, elongated lancet vaults, windows, portals.

During the era of the Crusades there was a revolution in the manufacture of weapons. In the East, Europeans managed to get acquainted with light steel that can be forged. Heavy chain mail had to retreat in front of a new kind of armor. In them, pieces of metal were connected by hinges, which made it possible to cover the entire surface of the most complex shape, leaving enough freedom for movement. From such an unusual design of new armor, a new form in European clothing also appeared. At the same time, all the most well-known cutting methods were created.

Thanks to the gothic fashion, the loose Romanesque shirt-like form of clothing was replaced by a complex tight-fitting cut. The peak of perfection of the Gothic costume was the end of the 15th century, when all of Europe obeyed the fashion created at the court of Burgundy. At this time, the men's outfit was shortened, and only the elderly, doctors and judges wore long clothes. Due to the tight-fitting jacket or upeland, narrow chausses and a short raincoat, the clothes became the embodiment of the aesthetic ideals of the era, emphasizing the slender image of a gallant young man, a graceful gentleman. Women's clothing changed by separating the skirt part from the bodice. The width of the skirt has increased due to additional fabric inserts. The upper part of the dress was represented by a narrow bodice, tight-fitting long sleeves, a triangular neckline on the back and chest. The woman's shoulders leaned back, resulting in a silhouette resembling the letter S and called the "Gothic curve." Like the architecture of that time, gothic clothing was given a vertical orientation. Puffed sleeves, pointed cuffs, elaborate skeleton headpieces stretched upwards (aturs), and pointed boots only intensified this trend. The most popular and most expensive was the yellow color, which prevailed in men's clothing.

Gargoyles are demonic figures that crown the walls of Gothic cathedrals.

Vintage photo - gargoyle on the wall of the Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris

"Cute" skeleton holding the vault

Gothic style in the interior

Compared with any design, there are a lot of advantages: originality, originality, mystery. However, he, as they say, is an amateur, because only dark tones predominate in him with a dominant black color, which is often diluted with burgundy and purple. Much less common are details of salad, pink and white color However, they are not introduced to please the eyes.

Only a person who is truly fascinated by the atmosphere of the Gothic style will want to create a similar interior in his home with originality and some gloom. The owner of such penates, even in death itself, finds something romantic.

Best of all, such an interior is embodied in large-scale buildings and on large areas

Gothic style has no place in a small apartment, because the creation of such a design needs space. That's why the best option for him - Vacation home or luxury apartment.

However, although this style requires a large height of the room, its adherents manage to embody such a design even with a not very high ceiling of standard housing.

Gothic style room should be created from those materials that were used by the ancient Goths, and this is natural wood and stone, processed deliberately roughly. But not everyone will use such original material, turning their house into a medieval castle. Therefore, it is quite acceptable to use artificial analogues.
A gothic-style lamp is perfect for creating a medieval atmosphere. Particular attention should be paid to lighting, as well as lighting effects, with which you can create a special mystery inherent in Gothic.

Dressing table with mirror. Candlestick adds color

Another distinguishing feature of the Gothic interior is the use of windows pointing upwards, as well as similar arches. Openwork towers and ornaments in the Gothic style can serve as decor, which fill the atmosphere of the room with grandeur and grace. Windows are decorated with ornaments or stained glass.

To obtain a harmonious picture, due attention should be paid to Gothic furniture. It can be a sideboard on high legs, a double-wing wardrobe with panels, a massive bed and chairs with high backs. Successfully fits into a similar interior and wood furniture, decorated with carvings. This interior comes out heavy: although it is complemented by many exquisite elements, it is still perceived as somewhat rude. Often in it, in addition to windows, even doors are made in the Gothic style.

To give the ceiling a "Gothic" look, you can use stucco molding, vault effect, open rafters. Accessories can be sculptures of various mythical creatures, lions, paintings, knightly armor and draperies.

Of course, it is almost impossible to completely convey the interior of the ancient castle. But gothic connoisseurs can also use simple style elements that can give the features of the house a gothic loftiness.

Gothic style in clothes

An unexpected incarnation was received by the Gothic style of clothing. It is used mainly by girls and boys who belong to youth subculture- "goth". Mostly it copies the European fashion of the Neo-Gothic centuries. The principal feature of the style is the predominance of details of all shades of black in it.

In modern Gothic fashion, there is very little that makes it similar to the real clothes of the Goths of the Middle Ages. In the traditional gothic outfit in the current sense, an extravagant cut and black color prevail. Of the materials, preference is given to leather, lace, silk, velvet. Also in the clothes are used details from lurex, taffeta, organza, brocade and vinyl.

Victorian Gothic dress

Another a prime example Victorian direction

Hat, corset, veil - gothic beauties are incredibly feminine

victorian style, male version

Goth girls are characterized by the wearing of corsets, giving the silhouette of harmony and seductive outlines. They are worn over basic clothing - shirts or dresses. A midi skirt, leather pants or a floor-length dress are considered an actual element of outfits. Even miniskirts are very popular in the gothic style. Outerwear girls - it is mostly a long leather or cloth raincoat.

Goth men are characterized by pronounced femininity, therefore, elements of women's outfits are exactly repeated in their clothes. Of course, gothic-style dresses and corsets are still the prerogative of exclusively women, but skirts in the gothic subculture may well be worn by men. Everything else is the same black shirt, hoodie, long cloak and tight-fitting leather pants.

"Modern" Goths look a little different. There is no longer a stylization of the Middle Ages or the Victorian era

Of the shoes for girls and boys of the Gothic culture, high heavy boots such as "grinders" are popular. Also welcome are different types of shoes with a high platform, which can be worn by both boys and girls. The fair sex can fit boots, ankle boots or high-heeled shoes. As for the color of the shoes, it, of course, remains only black.

Goth girls really like the inclusion of elegant hats with a black veil, as well as openwork lace gloves.

Characteristic - these are exclusively silver jewelry, which can only be replaced with white gold. But at times, Goths can also use inexpensive base metals. The traditional use of white in accessories is considered a symbol of the cold, dead light of the moon. With its help, the mourning character of Gothic clothes and the pallor of the Goths' faces are perfectly emphasized.

Creating a goth ensemble is very simple, but looking and being a goth are two different concepts. To comply with the subculture is ready, it is important to live it, believe in it and not betray even in small things. But to create the right Gothic costume, you just need to follow the basic stylistic recommendations. And they are nothing new: black clothes, lace, leather, frills, high platform boots, a black or red corset, ripped jeans, a skirt and black mesh tights. Ripped black T-shirts, gloves, long sleeves, black shirts and trousers are also appropriate. You can complement the image with army boots, jewelry in the form of crosses, spiders, skulls, dragons, silver chains, massive rings, spiked collars, face piercings, not glamorous jewelry.

Backpacks with spikes, stripes, paint stains, intentional tears will help you stand out from the crowd. It remains only to make the most gloomy makeup, bloody manicure, hairstyle with the effect of greasy hair - and forward to unity with the world of darkness!

A photo

Neo-Gothic in architecture If at the beginning of the 18th century fashionable architectural trends throughout Great Britain were based on the classical aesthetics of Palladianism, then towards the end of the century, the interest of the British turned towards Gothic motifs. At first, the buildings looked like medieval temples only externally, but later neogothic style strengthened so much that it gave rise to the construction of many objects throughout the territory of the empire.

A typical example of an English building Victorian era became the Palace of Westminster. His appearance is still one of national symbols London and the country as a whole. However, the popularity of the Neo-Gothic also affected engineering structures, as evidenced by the majestic Tower Bridge.

From the great past to progress

The construction of the Tower Bridge was initiated in 1886 in connection with the urgent need for an additional crossing over the Thames to the London Bridge. Its construction was completed in 8 years: in 1894 the bridge was presented to the public. Key figures in its history are:

• H. Jones - the ideologist of the building, the architect of many buildings in London;
• D. Barry - an engineer who also worked on other bridges across the Thames;
• D. Stevenson is a Victorian architect who was appointed project manager after the death of H. Jones.

The characteristic neo-Gothic appearance of the structure is given by two pylons - beginning and closing the passage. tall towers with sharp spiers and sculpture stylized as the Middle Ages. The very fact of their presence already indicates a relationship with the design features of the bridges of feudal times. If then the bridge towers were built to provide control and protection of the passage, now the pylons support the sidewalks at a high level from the river.

Possessing a frame system of the device, these elements of the Tower Bridge have rather thin walls with large window openings. This specificity clearly proves that gothic and neo-gothic genres related to each other. A good connection between the epochs is also shown by the presence of an exquisitely sublime decor on the walls, made in the facing of Portland limestone and Cornish granite - materials traditional for decorating medieval castles in England.

Interestingly, the bridge got its appearance not only due to fashion trends, but also due to its proximity to one of the oldest fortresses in Britain - the Tower. Against the background of the fact that even then its walls and towers had for the British sacred meaning, the desire of the authorities and citizens to build new objects in a similar style becomes quite obvious.

There is no barrel of honey without an admixture of tar: in terms of its dimensions, the Tower Bridge significantly exceeds not only the Tower itself, but also more modern, albeit ancient buildings. Such features of it contributed to the opinion that the structure spoils historical appearance London. However, if the bridge were smaller, then it would hardly have effectively coped with its tasks.

Advanced engineering solutions

According to the principle of its operation, the Tower Bridge is a movable structure of enormous power for the end of the 19th century: its spans with a total mass of over 11,000 tons are able to rise by 86 degrees. Hydraulic mechanisms were initially responsible for the process of opening the elements. The force for them was generated by four high-performance coal-fired steam engines.

In 1982, the breeding system was modernized and equipped with an electro-hydraulic gear drive, and in 2000 it was also automated. Outdated equipment is available to satisfy tourist interest. Museum platforms are laid out in the interiors of towers and former pedestrian galleries at a height.

The large bearing capacity of the spans is created through the use of a rod system, where the supporting elements were made of carbon steel. A multi-ton metal structure was installed on large piers, the manufacture of which required over 70,000 tons of concrete.

There are sidewalks along the roadway for walking. However, the main advantage of the Tower Bridge for pedestrians is the presence of special galleries, 44 meters away from the water surface of the river. In addition to the utilitarian function, these elements also had a decorative purpose.

For almost the entire duration of the 20th century, galleries became a haven for criminal elements, which forced them to be closed for use. They opened only in 1982: due to the equipment of the glass roof, their appearance approached the high-tech style, but this does not spoil the appearance of the majestic architectural ensemble.

The current state of the bridge

The architectural refinements of the finish, the ingenious design and the well-thought-out traffic management system make tower bridge in uk one of the most amazing buildings in the world. As before, its height allows free passage various kinds ships on the Thames. However, due to the partial loss of the significance of the river communication, and partly because of the desire to preserve the structure, it is now bred no more than 5 times in one week.

Tower Bridge today helps citizens solve the transport issue: more than 40,000 people per different form transport and on foot daily cross the river along it. Considering high load, the board of the City of London Corporation introduced restrictions on the speed and weight of vehicles - no more than 32 km / h and no heavier than 18 tons. Such measures are intended to preserve the original appearance of the sights of the capital.

The Tower Bridge impresses with its architecture and delights with its working principles. Imitating medieval architecture, the building is an example of the use of progressive technologies.

As part of a review of historical British architecture and its influence on modern housing construction, we have already considered. Next historical style Gothic became and she settled in Europe for a single century.

Its ideological prerequisites were the rejection of the massive forms of the Romanesque style and religious motives. In those days, architecture developed primarily within the framework of temple buildings, and the architects, together with the clergy, decided that the narrow, upward-looking forms of Gothic would personify the desire for the best - for God, that is.

The main features of the Gothic style

Elongated, upward-looking forms. Perhaps this is the most main feature Gothic - whatever its subspecies, era or country, it will always strive upward and somewhat resemble an ordered planting of narrow stone formations.

Lots of sharp items. This feature is related to the previous one. Gothic tends to be "prickly", to have angular and sharp general forms and decor.

Various decor. The main difference between Gothic and Romanesque style was that Gothic actively uses decor. It is mainly realized in the form of statues, graceful patterns and rare bas-reliefs.

Of course, in addition to these, Gothic has many other features, such as lancet windows, an abundance of repeating elements, a frame system, and so on. But since we are interested in this style mainly from the point of view of its influence on modernity, it is worth considering general trends.

Types of Gothic

As we mentioned, the Gothic style existed on the territory of Europe in general and England in particular, not a single century and, of course, it changed over time. And in addition to the classic early Gothic, it makes sense to distinguish two subspecies:

Gothic in modern construction

In the modern world, Gothic architecture in pure form practically not used. Some elements may be involved, more or less appropriate styling is found in different kind entertainment venues such as pubs and bars. But there, as you know, the atmosphere obliges.

Gothic in suburban housing construction

Gothic - the style of temples, castles, fortresses. And it is simply impossible to fully implement it. Yes, and it is not necessary - they expect comfort, convenience, a homely atmosphere from a country cottage, and not an angrily hanging statue of a gargoyle, which reminds of sins. Therefore, suburban housing construction takes only elements from the Gothic: vertical orientation, the shape of windows, neat turrets. But it adds a lot of its own: wood, light and pleasant colors, elements. Here are a few houses that transform the Gothic canons in a country way, but at the same time are kept within their framework:

Conclusion

Despite all the severity of the Gothic style, many find a certain charm in it, especially if you approach the issue of integration correctly. In our professional designers and architects know a lot about such issues - and can make for you an architectural project of a stylish, cozy and comfortable country house with gothic elements. And there, close to the direct implementation, which you can also order from us.