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"Sectional view of the old Basilica of St. Peter, before its destruction in the 16th century." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Basilica

"Sectional view of the old Basilica of St. Peter, before its destruction in the 16th century." —…

"Section of Basilica of S. Agnese at Rome." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Basilica

"Section of Basilica of S. Agnese at Rome." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Campanile and Facade of SS Giovanni E Paolo." — Young, 1901

Campanile

"Campanile and Facade of SS Giovanni E Paolo." — Young, 1901

The details of the reconstructed facade of the Coliseum at Rome.

Coliseum Facade

The details of the reconstructed facade of the Coliseum at Rome.

"But perhaps the most effective and suitable employment of iron is shown in connection with glass, as has been exemplified in the temporary buildings for exhibitions, for which the Great Exhibition in London, in the year 1851, furnished the model which has so often been followed subsequently. This building was afterwards removed to Sydenham, and is now known as the Crystal Palace. In this structure the walls as well as the vaulted roof consist of glass inserted between iron girders, after the pattern of large conservatories and winter-gardens, especially of that in the Champs Élydées at Paris, which is no longer in existence. Although this building scarcely seems like an architectural construction, but appears to form a peculiar specialty, still an impression is produced, which is hitherto unparalleled by its transparent termination in all directions, and by its dimensions, which have never been before attained in enclosed spaces. The distinguishing height of the main body of the building, which is divided into several naves and galleries , and if the loftier transept, which is 174 English feet high, is too considerable to recall the conservatory, which first suggested the idea to Paxton of constructing such a building on a large scale for the Great Exhibition. The visible stability of the system of construction gives a certain feeling of security as a counterpoise to the astonishment which the enormous size creates. On the other hand it is not to be denied that artistic execution in the forms of the constructive parts is wanting, though many difficulties would perhaps have had to be overcome to attain this without the structure suffering as regards solidity. These constructive elements, moreover, are not used as leading to further æsthetic development, so that a real artistic value can only be attributed to the novel impression of the whole, which is produced by the large dimensions and transparent walls."

Crystal Palace at Sydenham

"But perhaps the most effective and suitable employment of iron is shown in connection with glass, as…

An exedra is a semicircular recess set into a building's facade. The exedra at the Street of Tombs in Assos (Turkey) is shown here.

Exedra at the Street of Tombs in Assos

An exedra is a semicircular recess set into a building's facade. The exedra at the Street of Tombs in…

"Facade of the Great Hall of Columns of the Ptolemaic temple at Edfu." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Facade

"Facade of the Great Hall of Columns of the Ptolemaic temple at Edfu." — The Encyclopedia Britannica,…

"Facade of old St. Peters Rome." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Facade

"Facade of old St. Peters Rome." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

In the Giraud Palace and the great Palazzo della Cancelleria, pilasters appear in the external composition, and all the details of doors and windows betray the results of classic study, as well as the refined taste of their designer.

Façade of the Giraud Palace, Rome

In the Giraud Palace and the great Palazzo della Cancelleria, pilasters appear in the external composition,…

"Part of the Rock-cut facade of the Tomb of Darius." —D'Anvers, 1895

Rock-cut facade

"Part of the Rock-cut facade of the Tomb of Darius." —D'Anvers, 1895

Very few examples remain of important Norman façades in their original form, nearly all of these having been altered after the round arch was displaced by the pointed arch in the latter part of the twelfth century. Iffley Church is a good example of the style.

Front of Iffley Church

Very few examples remain of important Norman façades in their original form, nearly all of these…

"The door in front of a temple, as it reeached nearly to the ceiling allowed the worshippers to view from without the entire statue of the divinity, and to observe the rites performed before it. The whole light of the building, moreover, was commonly admitted through the same aperture. These circumstances are illustrated in the following cut, showing the front of a small temple of Jupiter taken from an ancient bas-relief." — Anthon, 1891

Temple of Jupiter

"The door in front of a temple, as it reeached nearly to the ceiling allowed the worshippers to view…

Facade of Assyrian Royal Palace.

Palace

Facade of Assyrian Royal Palace.

"The most important and most beautiful of circular buildings without columns surrounding it is the Pantheon at Rome, which was completed in the reign of Augustus, in the year 25 A.D."

Façade of the Pantheon at Rome

"The most important and most beautiful of circular buildings without columns surrounding it is the Pantheon…

"The most important and most beautiful of circular buildings without columns surrounding it is the Pantheon at Rome, which was completed in the reign of Augustus, in the year 25 A.D."

Interior of the Pantheon at Rome

"The most important and most beautiful of circular buildings without columns surrounding it is the Pantheon…

The Musée du Louvre or officially the Grand Louvre — in English, the Louvre Museum or Great Louvre, or simply the Louvre — is the national museum of France, the most visited museum in the world, and a historic monument. It is a central landmark of Paris, located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (neighborhood). Nearly 35,000 objects from the 6th century BC to the 19th century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square meters (652,300 square feet)."Du Cerceau, who flourished during the reign of Henry IV., connected the block of buildings which belong to the Louvre, and had been constructed under Catherine dei Medici, by a gallery with the Tuileries. This architect abandoned the characteristic feature of the French Renaissance, which had prevailed hitherto, namely, of giving its peculiar columnar order to each storey, and assimilated his designs to those of the late Roman Renaissance, in which a striking effect was produced at the expense of truth by continuous columns and pilasters extending over several storeys and rows of windows.Although Du Cerceau was obligated to leave France in the year 1604, the impulse which he had given in the direction of the above-mentioned manner led to its being generally adopted. The new buildings were more correct, but less picturesque than those built during the earlier period of the French Renaissance, and a certain insipidity seems to characterize the various structures erected during the reigns of Henry IV., and especially Louis XIII. As is shown [here], a combination of free-stone and brick was restored to in such a way that the former was employed for the mouldings, and for the quoins and dressings of the doors and windows, whilst brick was used for the spaces between. In the case of the windows the free-stone introduced assumed the forms of quoins. If ornamentation had been previously excessive, it now retired into the background, and was only employed in moderation; and the method of its treatment began to be distinguished from that of the former period. The forms of the details above all began to lose in purity: rustications were inappropriately introduced in the walls and columns, and the roofs were made high and steep, which gave the rest of the building a heavy and squat appearance, whilst the numerous turret-shaped chimneys, which were necessitated by these high roofs, formed a peculiar feature in the construction."

Paris, Royal Palace Façade

The Musée du Louvre or officially the Grand Louvre — in English, the Louvre Museum or Great Louvre,…

Exterior of the Pylon of the Temple of Edfu.

Pylon of the Temple of Edfu

Exterior of the Pylon of the Temple of Edfu.

"Interior of S. Clemente in Rome." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

S. Clemente

"Interior of S. Clemente in Rome." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Facade of old St. Peter's, Rome." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

St. Peter's

"Facade of old St. Peter's, Rome." — Encyclopedia Britanica, 1893

"facade of old St Peter's, Rome." — Encyclopediia Britannica, 1910

Old Facade of St. Peter's

"facade of old St Peter's, Rome." — Encyclopediia Britannica, 1910

"The threshold was, with the ancients, an object of superstitious reverence, and it was thought unfortunate to tread on it with the left foot. On this account, the steps leading into a temple were of an uneven number, because the worshipper, after placing his right foot on the bottom step, would then place the same foot on the threshold also." — Anthon, 1891

Threshold

"The threshold was, with the ancients, an object of superstitious reverence, and it was thought unfortunate…

"Facade of tomb at Castellaccio." —D'Anvers, 1895

Facade of Tomb at Castellaccio

"Facade of tomb at Castellaccio." —D'Anvers, 1895