renaissance
European Renaissance architecture emphasizing classical symmetry, proportion, and an ordered arrangement of forms.
Renaissance architecture was the expression of a renewed interest in the rationality, order, and structural utility of architectural forms from Western antiquity, especially from classical Roman and Greek architecture. Developing in Tuscany in the early 15th century, the style marked a sharp break from the prevailing Gothic style, reintroducing a classical design vocabulary (columns, pilasters, entablatures, pediments, round arches & vaults, domes, etc.) to building types that were not necessarily built during antiquity, such as churches, multi-story guild halls, etc.
Buildings in this style are typically highly symmetrical, with surfaces divided by pilasters, moldings, or invisible lines into a rational arrangement of parts, sometimes using a simple color scheme to clarify the composition. Windows typically have pronounced moldings around the edges, often with small pediments on top. In northern Europe stepped gables are a common feature.
The classical elements form an ordered composition rather than isolated decoration. Their proportional arrangement distinguishes this vocabulary from the pointed arches and different structural emphasis of the preceding Gothic tradition.
