XI Международный конкурс научно-исследовательских и творческих работ учащихся
Старт в науке
Архитектурные стили в истории Англии
Автор работы награжден дипломом победителя III степени
Полная версия работы доступна во вкладке "Файлы работы" в формате PDF
Introduction
Great buildings,
as the high mountains are the creation of centuries.
Hugo Victor
The United Kingdom of Great Britain is one of the most significant countries in Western Europe. A state with a unique history and great culture has had a huge impact on the development of many European countries.
Great Britain has given the world brilliant thinkers, writers, artists and musicians. Among them are William Shakespeare and Arthur Conan Doyle, William Hogarth and Thomas Gainsborough, Henry Purcell and Benjamin Britten. This is the birthplace of the famous bands as Liverpool Four “The Beatles", “The Queen”, “The Rolling Stones”, “Pink Floyd” and world known celebrities as Elton John, Led Zeppelin and others.
The culture of Great Britain is closely connected to the history and traditions of the four countries that enter the United Kingdom. This is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Before our era the tribes of the Celts lived on the territory of the future Kingdom. They were the descendants of the Scots and the Welsh. Later, the Romans came to the Islands, and then the Anglo-Saxons invaded. The Normans and Vikings had a great influence on the culture of Great Britain. The peoples of these four countries laid the foundations of the cultural traditions of the United Kingdom.
The history of British culture can be traced by studying the architecture of English cities. Today in many cities you can see both old buildings and modern architecture. That fact proves that the history of Britain is remarkable and centuries-old.
Many articles, books and scientific researches are devoted to the study of the history of architecture in England. One of the most famous modern works on this topic is the book "the History of English architecture." Its authors were major historians of English architecture Peter Kidson, Peter Murray and Paul Thompson. The book details the history of English architecture from ancient times to the XX century, where the authors write in detail about the creation of church and secular buildings.
So, let us turn to some facts from the history of English architecture.
The object of this study is the" official " architecture of the UK.
The subject of the research is the church and secular architecture of the United Kingdom.
The aim of my research work is to study the history of the "official" architecture of the UK from ancient times to the present day on the example of individual monuments of architectural art.
Research problem:
To get familiar with some events and facts from the history of the United Kingdom;
To make analysis of art trends in Western Europe from ancient times to the XX century;
To study the history of church and secular architecture in the UK based on some architectural examples.
To create a prospect of some architectural sights of the UK, ranging on architectural style.
The main method of research is the studying and generalization of historical material on this topic.
The result of the study is an acquaintance with interesting events and facts from the history of English architecture and the creation of a prospect of some interesting sites.
The theoretical and practical significance of this work is to expand knowledge of the history of architecture in England, as well as to use this material in English lessons and the opportunity to use the prospect as a guide in a touristic journey to England.
Part I Architecture of the past
According to scientists, the first architecture in England appeared in the second Millennium BC. Among those ancient monuments is the famous Stonehenge complex. It is located 130 kilometers from London, near the city of Salisbury.
The building is impressive in its scope. It consists of 90 stone blocks. Their weight reaches 50 tons, and the height is more than 7 meters.
What was this monumental building built for? There is a lot of debate about this question. Scientists suggest that it could be a temple, a cemetery or even the oldest space Observatory. Today, a huge stone building combined with the surrounding landscape creates an unusual impression.
In 43-69 AD the Southern part of Britain was captured by the soldiers of the Ancient Rome. But the buildings of Ancient Rome were poorly preserved. Archaeologists have found only the remains of the baths in London, the Roman cemetery and Roman villas in Bath. The symbol of the Roman Empire on the island was the shaft of Emperor Hadrian. This is an unusual wall of peat and stone. It is a monument of ancient engineering.
In V—VI centuries Germanic tribes settled on the island. They were Jutes, Angles and Saxons. Around the VII century, according to scientists, the Anglo-Saxons and Celts united in a single nation. At that time, Christianity began to spread on the island. Roman stone and brick buildings were destroyed in cities and villages. Churches were built in their places.
In the early XI century, in 1066, the island was invaded by the Normans. The organizer and leader of the Norman conquest of England was the famous William the Conqueror.
Cathedrals, churches and castles were built in all cities. William the Conqueror actively supported the construction in the Romanesque style.
What is the Romanesque style? The concept of "Romanesque style" comes from the Latin "romanus", which means "Roman". This style was widespread in Western Europe in the XI—XII centuries. It was most fully reflected in the architecture. The main buildings of that period were the temple-fortress or castle-fortress. At the end of the XII century more than 90 castles were built in the country.
The most important of them is the Royal Palace and the Fortress of her Majesty. In history, it is known as the Tower Castle. The historic castle is located on the banks of the Thames in Central London. In 1066 it was founded by William the Conqueror. At various times, the tower was used as a fortress, Royal residence, mint, prison and even a zoo. In the tower the treasures of the British crown were stored and particularly important criminals languished in prison. In the middle ages the Tower played an important role in the history of the country. It symbolized the power of the English kings.
Today, the Tower of London is a Museum of History and the Armory. Here are the treasures of the British crown.
The Tower is a large-scale architectural complex, which has the shape of an irregular rectangle. The structure consists of six towers, two main buildings and two rows of walls with internal rooms. The oldest part of the castle is the White tower - the Central tower of the fortress.
The history of the Tower is associated with all sorts of rumors and legends. Some of them can be heard today during excursions to this famous fortress.
Black crows is not only one of the main legends, but also an important symbol of the fortress. It is known that the first raven appeared in the castle in 1553. Since that time, the whole dynasty of ravens settled on the territory of the castle, and their lives were overgrown with many legends. So, one of them has lived to this day. It is believed that the tower and the entire British Empire will collapse as soon as the crows leave the tower. In the XVII century, king Charles II issued a decree that states that the castle must constantly keep alive six black ravens. There appeared a new profession, that is a special guardian. His responsibilities included the complete eye keeping of the birds. This tradition exists nowadays.
Among the most beautiful castles in the Romanesque style is no less famous Durham Cathedral. The Cathedral at Durham was laid in 1093. Its location on top of the cliff and the powerful walls were designed to perform a defensive function. "Half temple of God, half fortress" – the English writer Walter Scott described Cathedral in Durham. Its construction was completed in 1133. It was one of the largest Romanesque buildings in Europe.
Today, the medieval castle of the Tower and Durham Cathedral are included in the UNESCO world heritage list.
Castles in the Romanesque style and today can be found in some cities of England - in Rochester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Yorkshire, and Richmond.
In the middle of the XII century a new style came to the UK, that is Gothic. More than three hundred years it was the most popular in the architecture of England. The term "Gothic" is most often used to Church buildings of the medieval era. It was a majestic and mysterious style. The pointed Gothic cathedrals stretched upwards with narrow arches and huge windows decorated with stained-glass pictures. The buildings cause admiration nowadays.
The most outstanding Gothic buildings in England are Westminster Abbey, Salisbury Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral.
Let us dwell on some of them.
Canterbury Cathedral is a Gothic Cathedral in Canterbury. It is the main Anglican Cathedral of Great Britain. Here is the chair of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Canterbury Cathedral is famous for its extraordinary stained glass Windows of XII—XIII centuries. Stained glass Windows with biblical scenes are of particular value. Multi-colored composition of stained glass reminiscent of a luxurious carpet. There are lush green, and tranquil blue, and glittering gold, and most striking ruby color saturation.
Canterbury Cathedral is a UNESCO world heritage site.
The most famous Gothic building in England is Westminster Abbey. The first mention of the Church dates back to the VII-X centuries. It was built from 1245 to 1745. It is a traditional place of coronation and burial of British monarchs. For centuries, Westminster Abbey has been the center of science and education in England. the main part of the work on the translation of the Bible into English was done here. 16 Royal weddings took place there. The last of them was the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Since 1987, Westminster Abbey has been a UNESCO world heritage site.
Another example of the Gothic architecture of that period is the Royal Palace of Westminster. Westminster Palace is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It is located on the banks of the Thames in London's Westminster. The British Parliament houses The Palace of Westminster. In the Palace of Westminster there are 1200 rooms, 100 staircases and 5 kilometers of corridors. The Palace has a long history. In the XI century, Edward the Confessor built the first Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames. All the monarchs lived there before Henry VIII. In 1834 the old Palace almost completely burned down. After the fire, it was decided to rebuild the complex. As a result, the building acquired a modern look with the famous spires in the Gothic style. In 1987, the Palace was included in the UNESCO world heritage list.
The perfect example of English Gothic is Salisbury Cathedral. It is located in Salisbury. Its construction lasted about 40 years - from 1220 to 1270. The official name of the Salisbury Cathedral is the Cathedral of the virgin Mary. It is the highest Cathedral in England. The height of its main tower is 123 meters. The Cathedral is known not only for its high tower, but also for its unusual clock. At the end of the XIV century, a very complex clockwork was built in the walls of the Cathedral. Today, it is the oldest clock in England. They do not have a dial, but always show the exact time.
Salisbury Cathedral has won the hearts of tourists with its grandeur and beauty. Today it is an active Cathedral, which hosts a Church service.
The period of the late XV-early XVII is marked in England by the reign of the Tudor dynasty. At that time, Church construction was greatly reduced. Secular construction began to develop actively in England. The architecture of the palaces and castles of that period reflected the power, nobility and wealth of the owner.
Henry VIII invited famous artists to the country to create a new style of a prosperous state. Local masters tried to adhere to the Gothic samples. It was an unusual style, combining simultaneously the features of Gothic and Flemish and Italian Renaissance. That style was called «Tudor» by the name of the ruling dynasty.
Among the famous buildings of the period are the Longleat manor house, HAMPTON Court Palace, Hardwick hall country residence, Wallaton hall Palace.
In the XVII century in England there was a change of Royal dynasty. The Stuarts joined the English throne. During that period, the construction in England endured major changes. Elegant buildings appeared in architecture which intertwined the features of two new styles - Baroque and Classicism.
Translated from the Italian word "Baroque" means "bizarre", "strange", "prone to excesses." For the first time this style appeared in Italy. It was popular in the art of Western Europe in XVII—XVIII centuries.
According to scientists, the popular European Baroque style in England did not last long. An example of traditional architecture in the Baroque style in England is the Palace of Whitehall. It was the main residence of the English Royal court in the XVI - XVII centuries. Whitehall Palace was the largest in all Europe. It had more than one and a half thousand rooms, including courtyards for ball and tennis, for cock fights and jousting and others.
Unfortunately, in 1691, the most part of the palace was damaged in a fire. And seven years later, Whitehall burned down almost completely. It was decided not to restore the famous Palace. At the moment, from Whitehall there is only a Banquet hall and a street that has the name “ Whitehall”.
Classicism, as an art trend, was formed in the XVII century in France. Translated from French, the word "classicism" means "exemplary". The main feature of the architecture of that trend was an appeal to the era of Antiquity. The architecture of classicism was distinguished by rigor, simplicity and monumentality.
That style was very popular in England in the XVII century. One of the first buildings in the classical style was "Queen's house". This building was built for Queen Anne of Denmark in Greenwich. The construction of the Royal house began in 1616 and was completed in 1635. The house was conceived as a place of rest and reception. The Creator of Queen’s house was the famous architect Inigo Jones. He was a court architect at the court of the Queen Anne of England. Currently, Queen’s house has become a UNESCO world heritage site.
The significant construction of the late XVII-early XVIII centuries is the Cathedral of St. Paul. It is one of London's most important attractions. St. Paul's Cathedral is the largest Anglican Church in Europe. It is the residence of the Bishop of London. The Cathedral is located in the highest point of London - on Langate hill. It was the tallest architectural structure in London. The height of the Cathedral is 111 meter. The architecture of the Cathedral combines Baroque and Classicism. Due to its extraordinary beauty and grand size, the Cathedral makes a great impression.
Many important state ceremonies were held in St. Paul's Cathedral. Among them were the funerals of Lord Horatio Nelson, Duke Arthur Wellington, sir Winston Churchill and lady Margaret Thatcher, the solemn service at the end of the First and Second world wars, the wedding of Prince Charles of Wales and lady Diana Spencer, the celebration of the diamond anniversaries (rule for 60 years) of the Queen Victoria (in 1897) and the Queen Elizabeth II (in 2012).
Its chief architect Christopher Wren was also buried in the Cathedral. There is no monument on his grave, but there is an inscription on the tombstone: "Reader, if you are looking for a monument — just look around." Christopher Wren, like Inigo Jones, played an important role in the history of architecture in England at the turn of XVII - XVIII centuries.
In the second half of the XVIII century in the architecture of England appeared two artistic directions - Neoclassicism and neo-Gothic style.
Neoclassicism –was developed in Europe in the late XVIII – early XIX century. This was associated with the traditions of ancient art, art of the Renaissance and Classicism. Non-classical buildings are easy, elegant and even pompous. A model of neoclassical buildings in English architecture of the XVIII century is the famous Bank of England. The building was designed by a talented architect John stone. The old mansion looks majestic and strict. For security reasons, its high ground floor is almost devoid of windows and therefore looks like a medieval fortress. The classic portico, paired columns and expressive sculptures on the facade demonstrate the viability of this state institution and the strength of its traditions. The Bank of England is one of the oldest banks in the world. Respecting the venerable age of the Bank of England, the people of the country call it jokingly – "Old lady».
In the late XVIII - early XIX century in England there was a new style. He got the name "neo-Gothic", i.e. the new Gothic style. Interest to the ancient Gothic style had persisted for many centuries. At the turn of the XVIII – XIX centuries architects began to build churches, town halls, railway stations and other public buildings for different purposes. There was a neo-Gothic architecture in the houses of English aristocrats. In the middle of the XIX century, the Gothic revival was officially recognized as the national style by the government of England.
One of the significant buildings in the neo-Gothic style was St. Pancras Station. In England, it was nicknamed the "Cathedral of Railways". Its opening took place in 1876. The basis of the architectural structure was the English medieval Cathedral. St. Pancras station has become a real attraction in London. Today it attracts the attention of many tourists and travellers from all over the world.
An unusual architectural structure of the XIX century was the Crystal Palace. It is often called the " British miracle of the XIX century." It was built in the middle of the XIX century to the world exhibition in 1851. The author of the construction was not an architect, but an engineer in greenhouses Joseph Paxton. The size of the Crystal Palace was enormous. The exhibition hall had an area of more than 90 thousand square meters. The height of the rooms was more than 30 meters, and the length of the halls was 564 meters. It could accommodate about 14,000 visitors.
After the exhibition, the Crystal Palace was dismantled and moved to the suburbs of London. There he had stood for 85 years. In 1936 there was a huge fire and the building was completely destroyed. After the tragic event, the Palace was no longer restored. One of the areas of the city, as well as the railway station and football club" Crystal Palace" were named on behalf of the Crystal Palace. Those names were able to preserve the memory of the Crystal Palace.
Part 2 Modern architecture
In the XX century, new styles and directions appear in architecture of England. Among them are modernism, high-tech style, postmodernism and others.
Currently, English architecture has been considered to be one of the most modern in the world. It proves the desire to create new projects, to build unique and unusual buildings. Architects use expressive and catchy forms, complex engineering designs.
In many cities of the country, you can see the extraordinary beauty of the buildings. In Cambridge it is the Museum of the American air force, in Manchester they are the skyscraper "Beetham tower", the Northern Imperial military Museum and in Birmingham it is the Museum "Urbis". There are multifunctional complexes "Cube" and "Selfridges" in Gateshead, the world's first tilted bridge "Millennium" in Liverpool and an unusual Metropolitan Cathedral, etc.
However, the real masterpieces of modern architecture can be seen in London today. Among them are The Westminster Academy, the famous British Museum, deviated from the vertical axis of the modern complex "city hall", the pedestrian bridge "Millennium", the world's largest Ferris Wheel "London eye".
London's "skyscrapers" are popular among the residents of England and tourists from around the world. These are unique structures! One of the symbols of modern London has become a skyscraper "Shard". The building has 72 floors. Its height is 309 meters. Skyscraper "Shard" is the tallest building in Western Europe.
The gherkin was nicknamed "house pickles". The building is considered one of the most environmentally friendly in the world and has the status of "the greenest skyscraper".
The Heron tower is the third tallest building in London. Its height is 230 meters. In addition to numerous offices, Geron tower houses one of the world's largest aquariums.
The Moore house skyscraper is one of the largest buildings in the city of London. This massive structure of glass and steel resembles an iceberg. Skyscraper "Moorhouse" reaches 84 meters high and 57 meters in depth.
Another London's decoration is the observation tower-sculpture "ArcelorMittal Orbit". Its height is 115 meters. The observation tower was created by architects for the 2012 Olympic games in London.
Today, modern English architecture is constantly evolving and gives its residents and tourists all new original projects. It reflects the status of the country on the world arena. That is very high, scaled and innovative.
Conclusion
Working on a project, I have come to the following conclusions.
Great Britain, as one of the leading countries in Western Europe, played an important role in the history of the formation and development of European culture.
"Official" English architecture was a vivid example of the development of art styles and trends in Western Europe from ancient times to the present day. Architectural structures, created in England, have had a huge impact on the architectural traditions of other European countries.
The diversity of modern styles and extraordinary constructions in a contemporary architecture enables to speak about the UK as one of the most powerful, progressive and advanced countries in Western Europe.
An important result of my research work is not only the acquaintance with the English architecture, but also with various events and facts from the history of Great Britain and Western Europe. Studying the history and culture of other countries, we learn their customs and traditions and discover a lot of new and interesting things.
I was greatly interested in this topic and even have worked out a prospect of some outstanding places in the UK, ranging them on architectural style. It may be used as a tour guide in a journey to England.
I would like to conclude my research work with the words of the brilliant Russian writer N. V. Gogol: "Architecture is also a chronicle of the world: it speaks when both, songs and legends, are silent."
Literature
Архитектура капиталистических стран XX в. / Под редакцией А. В. Иконникова, Ю. Ю. Савицкого, Н. П. Былинкина, С. О. Хан-Магомедова, Ю. С. Яралова, Н. Ф. Гуляницкого./ 1973, 887 с.
Н. Гоголь. Арабески. – Издательство «Наука». 2009, 538 стр.
Знакомимся с Британией : British studies : Кн. для чтения по страноведению для 9-11-х кл. гимназий и шк. с углубл. изучением англ. яз. / Авт.-сост. В. М. Павлоцкий. - СПб. : Игрек-М, 1996. - 415 с., [4] л. ил. : ил.; 22 см.; ISBN 5-89219-002-1 : Б. ц.
Кидсон П., Мюррей П., Томпсон П. История английской архитектуры. Перевод с английского: Игоревский Л.А. - Центрполиграф. Москва. 2003, 382 стр.
Любимцев И.А., Алехин В.Н. Краткая история английской архитектуры.- Издательство Уральского университета. Екатеринбург. 2015, 140 стр.
Internet sources
https://ru.wikipedia.org/
http://eng-14.blogspot.com/
http://totalarch.ru/art_history/
https://www.hisour.com/
https://history-of-world.ru/
http://www.verman-art.ru/
http://ency.info/mirovaya-khudozhestvennaya-kultura/
http://totalarch.ru/art_history/