Empire Top
Understanding Second Empire Architecture
Some of the 19th century’s most imposing, majestic homes and public buildings were built in the Second Empire style. Based on French design elements popular during the Second French Empire, this building form was popular throughout the European sphere of influence and the United States during the mid to late 19th century, and is often considered the first prominent Victorian building style. Unlike other popular 19th century architectural forms, Second Empire was largely the product of new and emerging styles, rather than classic styles like Gothic and Regency. Second Empire architecture is also closely related to the Italianate building style, which also came into prominence during the mid-19th century.
Several design elements set the Second Empire style apart from other building forms. Most notably, the style is known for its widespread use of Mansard roofing, which produced the style’s famously imposing stature. Mansard roofs are hipped and double sloped, with a nearly vertical lower slope, and a much flatter upper slope that isn’t usually visible from ground level. The four-sided, double sloped approach made these roofs extremely functional as well as attractive, and allowed for large three story floor plans. Often a house with a small ground floor footprint could have the same volume as a tall apartment building or row house using a Mansard roof. The stylish look of these roofs was often enhanced with molded cornices aligned with windows and doors on lower floors. Many Mansard roofs also included a third slope along the bottom edge acting as an overhang, and a rounded main slope to give the roof a domed look.
Another common feature of the Second Empire architecture was a tower, or tower-like element, usually at the front and center of a building. This feature is instantly recognizable in many Second Empire city hall and parliament buildings, and often resembles a bell tower. With a large tower to offset the profile of buildings, the Second Empire style could often be employed to produce much larger structures – this meant the style was doubly useful in sizing applications, as it allowed small footprints to be used to their maximum potential, and large footprints to become more stylish and less monolithic. Prior to the construction of the Pentagon in the 1940s some of the world’s largest roofs were built in the Second Empire style, including that of the Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, and the Ohio State Asylum for the Insane. Both of these institutions were built according to the Kirkbride Plan for mental asylums, which helped shape the Second Empire style in dozens of imposing, steep roofed health care facilities built throughout the late 19th century.
The practicality of Second Empire architecture was often overshadowed by its abundant ornamentation. Extensive custom molding on the exterior of these buildings was often matched by intricate detailing on the interior walls, often accented by high sculpted pillars and wide winding staircases. Beautiful ornamentation helped make the Second Empire style popular, but also may have helped push it into obscurity, as plainer building styles became more popular during the early 20th century.
About the Author
Learn more about Chattanooga for sale by owner homes at HomesbyLender.com. The website features regularly updated home for sale by owner listings in Tennessee and every other state in the nation – buyers and sellers interested in FSBO can use this site as their primary source.
Joe McNally – Empire State Building
|
|
Adagio Teas Ingenuitea Teapot Enjoy the superior flavor of tea with this ingenious teapot. Steep loose tea as easily as using a bag. With three easy steps your tea is ready to enjoy. Step 1: Place tea leaves and hot water inside. Steep according to taste. Step 2: Placing teapot atop a cup opens a valve at bottom. Tea flows down. Step 3: Your cup is ready. Toss the teaves and place teapot in dishwasher. Durable, microwavea… |
|
|
KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer $570.00 KitchenAid KP26M1X 6 Quart Professional 600 Series Mixer… |
|
|
KitchenAid 5-Speed Blenders with Polycarbonate Jars $149.99 When entertaining, keep the smoothies and iced drinks coming with this 0.9 horsepower blender that’s built for back-to-back blending. The 56 oz. contoured pitcher slides ingredients into the blade for faster blending. Patented blade strikes at 4 planes for optimum performance. Commercial-grade polycarbonate pitcher is remarkably strong and lightweight and resists temperature extremes and scratches… |
|
|
Play On $7.00 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed…. |
|
|
Move $7.47 CD Move… |
|
|
Rage Against the Machine $5.26 No Description Available.Genre: Popular MusicMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 3-NOV-1992… |
|
|
Star Wars – Episode IV, A New Hope [VHS] $6.20 The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of George Lucas’s epic space fantasy Star Wars is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Star Wars as it originally played in theaters in 1977. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, the initial title crawl proclaims that this is just Star Wars, not Episode IV, … |
|
|
Bugs Bunny: Big Top Bunny [VHS] $9.98 Since his first appearance in 1938, Bugs Bunny has amused audiences young and old. Even after repeated viewings, it’s still amazing how funny and clever both Bugs and his creators were. Bugs battled Elmer, Bugs battled Daffy, Bugs battled witches and evil scientists. Bugs even battled the Abominable Snowman. That last episode (as well as the evil-scientist one) is among the featured cartoons in B… |
|
|
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians Part 1 $5.95 Part 1: The segment traces the life of Jesus, exploring the message that his ministry grow and the events that led to his crucifixion…. |
|
|
Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid Whitestrips, 14 Pouches Containing Upper/Lower Strips (28 Total Strips) $24.95 Crest White Strips Advanced Seal has a groundbreaking adhesive formulation that holds the Whitestrips in place, so you can whistle along with the radio, take a shower, and even drink water while you whiten. Formulated with the same enamel-safe whitening ingredient dentists use, Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal is a teeth whitening system that removes surface stains and those below the enamel. Use t… |
Tags: empire top 50 comic book characters, empire top 50 tv shows, empire top 500 films of all time, empire top saver, empire tops, film, list, movies, news, politics
This entry was posted on Monday, August 22nd, 2005 at 12:55 am and is filed under Clothing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.