Richardsonian Romanesque
リチャードソニアン・ロマネスク / 1870s–1890s / Style / Historical Styles
A late-nineteenth-century American architectural style in which H. H. Richardson recast medieval Romanesque round arches as rough masonry, deep openings, asymmetrical towers and low-spreading masses. Rather than surface decoration, stone weight, shadow depth and broad arches grouping entrances gave churches, libraries, courthouses and stations their public force.
Broad, deeply recessed round arches grouping entrances and windows / Thick rough-faced masonry crossed by bands of contrasting stone / Asymmetrical towers with conical roofs above a low horizontal silhouette / Openings stepping back into the wall, with carving confined to capitals and voussoirs
Dictionary entry
- Best used for
- Giving libraries, schools or civic buildings trust through material weight instead of applied ornament · Gathering a hotel or shop entrance into one large arch to create depth and shelter
- Type
- Fit a broad serif title into a voussoir band and do not add ornamental lines finer than the stone joints.
- Composition
- Group round arches of different sizes into a low horizontal body, add one tower to one side, and pull openings deep enough to reveal wall thickness.
- Material
- Lay large blocks of rough sandstone or granite, changing color or finish only at arch stones and horizontal bands, with dark timber and metal set farther back.
- Caution
- A round arch alone is not Richardsonian Romanesque. Distinguish it from an ancient or medieval reconstruction through its American civic program, rough massing, asymmetry and deeply recessed openings.
- Further study
- Henry Hobson Richardson and Trinity Church / National Park Service — Richardsonian Romanesque / round arches, rough-faced masonry and asymmetrical massing
Related entries
- Romanesque (ロマネスク)Same Historical Styles lineage.Compare Richardsonian Romanesque and Romanesque
- Gothic Revival (ゴシック・リヴァイヴァル)Same Historical Styles lineage.Compare Richardsonian Romanesque and Gothic Revival
More from Historical Styles
Continue through styles in the same Historical Styles family, prioritised by shared effects.
- Palladianism (パッラーディオ主義)Shared effects: Trust / Luxury / Calm.
- Renaissance (ルネサンス)Shared effects: Trust / Luxury / Calm.
- Neoclassicism (新古典主義)Shared effects: Trust / Luxury / Calm.
Browse all Historical Styles entries
Cite this entry
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- https://indexstyle.org/styles/richardsonian-romanesque
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- [Richardsonian Romanesque — IndexStyle](https://indexstyle.org/styles/richardsonian-romanesque)
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