Palladianism

パッラーディオ主義 / 1550s– / 17th–18th century revival / Style / Historical Styles

Palladio distilled proportion, the temple front and strict symmetry from Roman antiquity into a formula for the villa. His Four Books carried it to Britain and America, where it became the archetypal correct face of public architecture.

Palladianism — Palladio, Villa La Rotonda — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
Palladio, Villa La Rotonda — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
Palladianism — Front of the Villa La Rotonda (CC BY-SA 2.5) · © Stefan Bauer, http://www.ferras.at
Front of the Villa La Rotonda (CC BY-SA 2.5) · CC BY-SA 2.5 · © Stefan Bauer, http://www.ferras.at
Palladianism — Andrea Palladio, The Four Books of Architecture, plate of the Villa Repeta 1570 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
Andrea Palladio, The Four Books of Architecture, plate of the Villa Repeta 1570 — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

At a glance

Visual cues

  • Temple-front portico
  • Strict symmetry
  • Plans from proportion
  • Central dome

Best used for

  • The public face of a parliament or a university, standing for permanence
  • A composition whose stated proportions survive later additions and wings

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Dictionary entry

Type
Roman capitals cut into the frieze and sized to the depth of its band
Composition
A central entrance with wings of identical dimension on either side
Material
White stone or render, columns and wall one color, form read from shadow
Caution
Sticking columns and a pediment onto the front while the plan behind stays asymmetrical, which reduces the whole style to a facing board.
Further study
The Four Books of Architecture, 1570 / Inigo Jones / Anglo-American Palladianism

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Often confused with

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https://indexstyle.org/styles/palladian-architecture
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