Queen's House

Revision as of 19:14, 16 January 2011

Rusticated lower level Balustrades of decorated balusters Rectangular windows with a cornice Projecting centre "building" with symmetric side ranges Roof hidden by balustrading Balcony (really a balcony facade) in front of a round arched window Use of stucco (saves clients money) Keystone sitting proud Curved stairs symmetrically about a sparsely developped basement area Truncated "Doric" columns in the balustrades and basement structure Portico-like loggia withcolumns Each centre facade component is precessed

Note; Jones maintains the "perpendicular" style in the mutipanelled window glazing

Here are some elements that depart from Palladio, and seem to be more Jonesian:

1. No pediment to mark the entrance; Palladio’s Villa Cornaro, Villa Barbaro, Villa Badoer, Villa Emo, Villa Foscari and Villa Almerico (la Rotonda) all have pediments marking the entrances

2. Proportions – breadth is emphasised, general effect is long and low, compared to the various Palladian villas, where the buildings seem much more compact, and the eye is drawn upwards (not to the same extent as in a Gothic cathedral!!!), due to pediments that mark entrances on central projecting portion of tripartite facades

3. The columns in loggia are more widely spaced than in a typical Italian setting

4. Long low effect detracts from a central focus – no gravitation to the centre - or not to the same degree as in one of Palladio's villas

Is it my imagination or does Palladio use fewer and smaller windows in his villa facades? Is this due to the Italian climate? The Queen’s House seems to have more windows per bay, which sets up a rhythm, that in turn enhances the horizontality of the building