History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

Thomas Jefferson And Architecture of New Republic

Term Paper for History of Architecture (AP131) SAUMYA KOHLI
Roll Number: 01816901611 Sushant School of Art and Architecture

ABSTRACT
The romanticization of simple forms and the Classical Orders of Architecture spread to the American colonies. Symmetrical Neoclassical buildings modeled after classical Greek temples were thought to symbolize principles of justice and democracy. One of the most influential Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, drew upon Palladian (ideas of Andrea Palladio) and Classical ideals when he drew architectural plans for the new nation, the United states. Thomas Jefferson (17431826), author of the American Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, was also a talented architect of neoclassical buildings. He designed Monticello (17691809), his plantation home, and his ideal 'academical village' (181726), which is still the heart of the University of Virginia. Jefferson's use of an architectural vocabulary based upon classical antiquity symbolizes both the aspirations of the new American republic as the inheritor of European tradition and the cultural experimentation that could be expected as the country matured. Monticello, which took nearly 40 years to build, demonstrates symmetry on a grand scale. A circular entrance hall marks the center of the home, and it is balanced by the large windows on either side. A fan-shaped window decorates the pedimented dormer -- another sure sign of Neoclassical style. The integration of the buildings into the natural landscape, the originality of the plan and design, and the refined proportions and decor make Monticello an outstanding example of a neoclassical work of art, while the University of Virginia is an outstanding example of a great educational institution from the Age of Enlightenment. Five years in Europe in the 1780s expanded Jeffersons architectural education through exposure to modern neoclassical works, primarily French, through theories of picturesque landscape design, and by visiting ancient Roman buildings. Jeffersons design of the Virginia State Capitol, the first modern government building designed in a classical temple form, is indicative of Jeffersons goal to improve the taste of my countrymen, to increase their reputation, to reconcile to them the respect of the world and procure them its praise. Jeffersons role in shaping a new republic extended to producing a symbolic new architecture of public buildings. His last symbolic public work was the University of Virginia.

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History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

PAPER
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque. In its purest form it is a style principally derived from the architecture of Classical Greece and Rome and the architecture of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio. In form, Neoclassical architecture emphasizes the wall rather than chiaroscuro and maintains separate identities to each of its parts.

Neoclassical Architecture in Washington D.C and Virginia.

Neoclassical architecture is the reflection of Greek and Roman artistic styles in various institutions and public works. This is most evident throughout Washington D.C. and Virginia in the United States of America. In the United States, the Neoclassical period emerged as a response to the birth of a new nation. In 1783, the devastating American Revolution ends and the construction of a new nation begins. The Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson looked towards inspiration that will define the liberated nation. They turned their heads towards ancient Rome. The creation of a national identity lasted about a century.

Ancient Roman Influence

The Roman legacy has survived since its founding in 753 BCE until now through architecture, more specifically, public works. Roman architecture greatly influenced the design of various significant institutions in the Western World especially in the United States of America (Washington D.C and Virginia). American architects were inspired by Neoclassicism because of the aesthetic purposes, political motives and the intellectual movement. Also, the architects wanted to make the analogy between the young nation and imperial Rome, especially in the designs of government buildings.

Aesthetic
In Roman architecture, public works can be described by their simplicity of geometric forms and grandeur of scale along with dramatic use of columns and common use of blank walls. Besides political inspiration, America wanted to build a country that was as visually appealing as ancient Rome. American architects also wanted the buildings of the new republic to be breath-takingly beautiful while expressing a quiet, serene grandeur. The order, simplicity, clarity and reason of a free nation were beautifully reflected in society because the monuments expressed such characteristics in

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themselves too. Appreciation of beauty was also viewed as a vital component in the creation of the United States. As Secretary of State, Jefferson was responsible for the design of the Federal City in Washington, D.C. Working with Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant, Jefferson helped to lay out the city and had a voice in selecting the plans of many of the first government buildings in America. Jefferson used this opportunity to "improve the taste of his countrymen" by "presenting them models for their study and imitation." Thomas Jefferson was a self taught architect who fully absorbed the knowledge and system of classical design as taught through renaissance architects such as Andrea Palladio.

Sources and inspiration

In colonial Virginia during the 18th century there were no schools of architecture, so Jefferson learned the trade on his own from various books and by studying some of the various classical architectural designs of the day. As a self taught architect and classicist, he was most heavily influenced by the Italian revivalist architect Andrea Palladio (15081580). His "bible" was Andrea Palladio's The Four Books of Architecture, which taught him the basic principles of classical design. Jeffersonian architecture is therefore perhaps best described as "Palladian" in inspiration. Jefferson was also influenced by architect James Gibbs (16821754), and by French Neo-classical buildings, such as the Htel de Salm in Paris, when he served as Ambassador to France. While the Jeffersonian style incorporates Palladian proportions and themes, it is at the same time unique to Jefferson's own personal sensibility and the materials available to him in early republican Virginia. Throughout his adult life Jefferson made many architectural drawings and wrote extensively about architectural design. Today there are over 600 pages of architectural documents by Jefferson now housed at the Massachusetts Historical Society and are commonly referred to as the Coolidge Collection. From the very beginning of his career, Jefferson regarded books as the ultimate source of knowledge. In a letter to John Adams, Jefferson wrote, "I cannot live without books." It was through books that Jefferson first discovered the world of architecture. Architecture was a disciplined orderly world, governed by laws and principles of a world of tangible, measurable, repeatable relationships. Within the pages of these books, Jefferson found what he considered to be the elements of architecture of the classical orders, specifically within Four Books of Architecture. He found these orders illustrated, proportioned, and praised by Andrea Palladio the great architectural theorist of the Renaissance. Architecture had an immediate appeal to Jefferson's probing methodical nature. The uniqueness of classical architecture in the United States rests on its role in the forging of a new nation which was also the first federal democratic republic in history. Architecture both expressed and
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reinforced the nations highest ideals. For the countrys founding fathers it was imperative that city plans and the architecture of public buildings express the authority vested in WE THE PEOPLE who constitute the government. The Founding Fathers hoped to create a national identity to bind the new republic and its citizens through architecture. For these men, it was important that architecture embody the noblest ideals and aspirations of the society is served. Jefferson's use of an architectural vocabulary based upon classical antiquity symbolizes both the aspirations of the new American republic as the inheritor of European tradition and the cultural experimentation that could be expected as the country matured.

Jeffersonian architectural attributes

Palladian design (e.g., central core, symmetrical wings) Portico-and-pediment primary entries Classical orders and moldings (especially Tuscan) Piano nobile (main floor elevated above ground level) Red brick construction White painted columns and trim Octagons and octagonal forms Chinese railings "Suppressed" (hidden) stairs, instead of grand stairways

Monticello
Thomas Jefferson said that "Architecture is my delight, and putting up and pulling down, one of my favorite amusements." He spent much of his life "putting up and pulling down," most notably during the forty-year construction period of Monticello. After Jeffersons time in France, he reconstructed his house, Monticello, built from 1768 until 1809 (between the first and second versions). It is considered one of the finest examples of the early Classical Revival architecture style in the United States.
Figure: Monticello
Ref: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/442

The integration of the buildings into the natural landscape, the originality of the plan and design, and the refined proportions and decor make Monticello an outstanding example of a neoclassical work of art. Construction of Monticello began in 1769. The very personal conception of the house clearly shows
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the various influences experienced by its designer: that of Palladio, evidencing in the perfect proportions of the pedimented porticos, and that of the contemporary neoclassical architecture. The interior spatial organization and the low elevation were borrowed from contemporary Parisian town house design. The western facade is dominated by an octagonal dome. Only the harmonious volume of the villa emerges from the foliage of the park where, towards the end of his life, Jefferson planted orchards, vegetable and flower gardens.

University Of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a fine example of the architectural ideal of the Age of Enlightenment put to use in the great educational programme of the third President of the United States. Jefferson's most ambitious and last architectural undertaking was the construction of the University of Virginia. Elaborating this project, which is based on educational ideals that are both encyclopaedic and democratic, he departed from preexisting British or American college planning schemes. The rational layout of this 'academic village' is inspired both by the principles of hygiene laid down by the hospital builders and by a symbolic architecture expressed by the hierarchy of volumes and the repertory of forms. A half-scale copy of the Pantheon in Rome, which houses the library, dominates the academic village. The 10 pavilions housing the professors of the 10 schools that make up the university are deliberately based on a distinctive design and are intended to serve as an encyclopaedia
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffersonian_architecture

Figure: Jefferson's sketch plan for the The Rotunda at the University of Virginia

of classical and neoclassical architectural designs. However, the connecting colonnades serve to give a feeling of unity to this space. The later construction of a building at the south end has unnecessarily transformed this triumphal way into an enclosed space.

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Virginia State Capital

" When he was selected to plan the Virginia State Capitol, for instance, he wrote that it was "a favourable opportunity of introducing into the state an example of architecture in the classic style of antiquity." It is in part because of Jefferson's influence that our federal buildings set an American precedent for the neoclassical style. For this reason, architectural historian Fiske Kimball called Jefferson "the father of our national architecture."
Figure: Virginia State Capital in 1865 Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Virginia _Capitol_1865.jpg

This government institution was also designed by Thomas Jefferson himself and began construction in 1785. The state building was based on the Roman Maison Carre in Nimes, France, a temple dedicated to Lucius and Gaius Caesar, the adopted sons of Augustus.This edifice is the first building to be directly based on an ancient temple. Like many of the other examples, the columns were built in Corinthian order. There is also a portico that surrounds the building with columns at regular intervals eventually connecting with pilasters, rectangular columns projecting from the walls.

This state building also demonstrates the desire to reflect styles of ancient Roman institutions in order to visually represent the valued beliefs of antiquity

United States Capitol Building

Perhaps the single greatest example of these architectural styles is the United States Capitol Building, for which construction began in 1793. Thomas Jefferson wanted Congress housed in a replica of an ancient Roman temple. Since the capitol in Richmond, Virginia, was an example of Roman cubic architecture, he thought the federal Capitol should be modeled after a spherical temple. The U.S. Capitol's designs, derived from ancient Greece and Rome, evoke the ideals that guided the nation's founders as they framed their new republic. In the 1850s, architect Thomas U. Walter added to the original design while maintaining the neoclassical styles. His additions included the north and south extensions and the cast iron dome. This public work is definitely an example of 19th century neoclassical architecture. The exterior is made entirely of marble. Additionally, the institution was based on the Corinthian order (one of three styles of columns along with Doric and Ionic) which is characterized to be the most ornate with slender columns decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls. In the center lies an iron-cast dome. The interior is lined
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with smooth walls and vaults. Also, a prominent figure is represented amongst Roman figures on the ceiling of the dome. The Apotheosis of Washington depicts Roman gods and goddesses with George Washington and other American heroes. Thomas Jefferson even wrote that the building captivated the eyes and judgement of all as to leave no doubtof its preference over all which have been producedIt is simple, noble beautiful, excellently distributed and moderate in size. The Capitol building is an example of the grandiose institution; the design of this building followed the neoclassical style thus implying the political ideals of ancient Rome as well.

Characteristics
One characteristic which typifies Jefferson's architecture is the use of the octagon and octagonal forms in his designs. Palladio never used octagons, but Jefferson employed them as a design motif halving them, elongating them, and employing them in whole as with the dome of Monticello, or the entire house at Poplar Forest. At Poplar Forest, elements from ancient, Renaissance Palladian and 18th century French architecture, as well as British and Virginian design, fuse into a harmonious whole. Poplar Forest was the embodiment of a classical idea: the Roman villa retreat. Since antiquity, the villa has remained remarkably consistent in form and purpose: a home in the country designed for pleasure and repose, a place where owner and guests can forget the cares of the everyday world. Andrea Palladios Villa Rotunda
Ref: http://www.poplarforest.org/credits

Poplar Forest

Figure 1: Sushant Logo

Ref: http://goo.gl/HVab17

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Bibliography
1. Andreas Papadakis, Harriet Watson. The Architecture Of Democracy. New York : RIZZOLI INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS,INC, 1990. ISBN 0-8478-1296-0. 2. Mogg, Caroline Cliffton. The Neoclassical Sourcebook. New York : Rizzoli International Publications, 1991. ISBN 0-8478-1392-4. 3. Thomas Jefferson, American Architect. Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. [Online] Cortino Productions. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/442. Forest, VA 24551-0419 . 4. Monticello And The University Of Virginia In Charlottesville. UNESCO, World Heritage Centre. [Online] 1992. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/442. 5. Thomas Jefferson, American Architect. Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. [Online] Cortino Productions. [Cited: Sunday October 2013.] http://www.poplarforest.org/jefferson/architect. 6. Thomas Jefferson And Architecture. Thomas Jefferson: Personality, Character And Public Life. [Online] http://thomasjeffersonpersonalitycharacterandpubliclife.org/Julie_Hill_Thomas_Jefferson_and_Archite cture.pdf. 7. Giordano, Ralph. Thomas Jefferson : The Education Of An Architect. Archiving Early America. [Online] http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2001_summer_fall/architect.html. 8. Neoclassicism In The Architecture Of Thomas Jefferson. Research Matic. [Online] 2011. http://www.researchomatic.com/essay/Neoclassicism-In-The-Architecture-Of-Thomas-Jefferson43453.aspx. 9. Architecture is my Delight. The Jefferson Monticello. [Online]

http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/architecture-my-delight.

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