The alternatives unit brings about a wonderful complexity in architecture and design as more and more opinions become relevant and voiced, creating a labyrinth out of what used to be a cohesive design language in antiquity. Instead, there are a series of transitional design revolutions that seek to both emulate and deviate from antiquity. However, a common concept remains in each design phase, and that is a test to the boundaries that create limitations. We see this blatantly expressed in the formal verticality of Gothic, the classically based yet more intricate Renaissance, and most of all in the ostentatious, fluidity of both Baroque and Rococo. Where the world was once narrow and confined to isolated geographical locations like Egypt and Greece or was dominated by Imperial Rome, there is now a natural fluidity in debate and design concepts that led to greater expression.
In a time of constant threat and uncertainty, the Gothic style emerged as a heavenly beacon in an otherwise desolate and obsolete existence, promoted by the rising authority of the church. This ideology and lifestyle is much distanced from the stability of the once Roman empire that focused on material pleasures and public entertainment. Life was much more spiritual, and therefore a new type of design was to be implemented, one that would break the boundaries of vertical space and manipulate light as an architectural element at a unprecedented intensity. The Gothic style was itself a revolution initiated in the way people considered the earthly world to be mundane and the church reacted by creating a architectural revolution based on a heaven bound focal point. Once one Gothic church was erected, several began springing up around Europe, each providing their own contribution built off the previous model yet all connected by a common goal; to link man and heaven through illumination representing the divine. The style was a test of faith and accomplishment of a community, church clergy, and numerous craftsmen, not a sole mastermind, and therefore many voices were expressed, which can be seen in the variation of architectural elements, the structural reinforcements, and the sheer time it took to complete a Gothic cathedral.
On the other hand, the Renaissance took a much different approach to design returning to the classical rationalism and balance of elements seen in Greek and Roman architecture. While the architecture of this time seems to mimic classical antiquity with a lack of originality, the people of this time pushed the boundaries of limitations through a mindset of human potential and confidence in intellectual capacity rather than spiritual fervor. They started this transitional revolution by reflecting back on the rational proportions of the classics because it was grounded in the same ideology of scientific logic that the Renaissance adopted and perfected for their own benefit. A good example is the invention of Brunelleschi’s dome for the Duomo, where the model was inspired from the classical Pantheon but was recalculated to a more egg-like shell to benefit the nature of the structure. Another aspect that should not be overlooked is the finances that made these structures possible. Patrons of wealthy middle class merchants and bankers as well as the dictating church and collection of plebian guilds all aided in the design language of this time. There were many voices yearning to be heard, and thus there were many different appearances to an overall social theme of harmonious balance represented through clear boundaries. Ironically, it seems that the Renaissance chose to push the boundaries of human potential by creating elaborate boundaries to bring about a sense of unity and separation of parts. For example, looking at the intricate patterning of the front façade of Santa Maria Novella there is a clear unity through repetition of patterns yet also a separation of parts through contrast and geometric boundaries.
The following design revolution of the fluid Baroque style energizes the rather boring mimicry of the Renaissance by representing a dynamic flow of space with otherwise stagnant materials. Baroque broke the boundaries of our sensory experience because it is a highly interactive style that Roth would state as being, “grasped through one’s experiencing it in its variety of effects”. Whole cities were treated as if they were theatrical stages spilling forth to inspire and move us. Examples range from the highly fluid space containing the ecstasy of Saint Teresa to the illusionary painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to the protruding and receding façade of Sant Andrea al Quirnale. This style was not just a test of boundaries but a sheer lack of boundaries given up to fully express human ingenuity. Once again, many opinions were being voiced through the variety of patrons but now the artists and designers too are expressing their own individuality through a compromise in patron desire and artistic creativeness.
This image clearly depicts the struggles of the alternatives unit to break free from the oppressive restrictions of our limited understanding of the world and the capacity to overcome boundaries that hold us back. It is human nature never to be content with the here and now but in the curiosity of the possible, of the dream, of the potential that has not yet been reached. Each design revolution brings about a temporary satisfaction until our restlessness sets in and once again we struggle to break the boundaries of the previous generation.
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