Classical Architecture- United States Capitol Building

Jennifer Sanchez

Professor Bomboy

Modern Culture and the Arts

01 March 2017

The United States Capital Building

As we all know the ancient architecture of the Roman and the Greeks have played an important role in our modern world architectures. Many places like the United States have taken the knowledge of the way that the Romans and the Greek built buildings and have use it to make buildings of their own. A building that shows this knowledge is the United States capital. This building is the home of the U.S congress, and the seat of the legislative branch. The United States Capital building is in Washington, DC.

            This building is a neoclassical architectural style that the United States use advantage of for their building. The style of this building is mesmerizing by its tall columns, its beautiful dome. This building is made of Corinthian order. The Corinthian columns in this building are an example of a modified Corinthian column style. The columns are a variation of Corinthian order style and incorporated with “classical acanthus leaves but also with thistle and native American tobacco plants” (Hall of Columns). The United States Capital building, have sixteen Corinthian columns made of marble supporting the complex structure of the classical building which are the columns, the walls, the architrave, the frieze, and the cornice. The use of Corinthian columns in this building is it gives it a monumental entrance. The message that this building was trying to convey is strength and stability.

This classical order of Corinthian used in the U.S capital building affects the perception of the building in a way that I feel like this building is going to hold on for a long time. This building and the way its stand with the use of the classical order of columns makes it look very stable and just very stunning. The style of this building enhances and reflects the buildings use because this is building is the place where the senate and the house of representative come together to discuss. The building is “crowned with a magnificent dome that overlooks the city of Washington” (The U.S Capitol Building). This building is appropriate for its use because the congress which is the legislative branch of the united states national government. The congress shares power with the president and the supreme court. Without the congress, there would be no laws, before any bills could be signed by the president it must go through the congress first. So, this building holds the most important meetings and people that helps our country be our country. The style of this design represents all its uses. The way the dome is represented which overlooks the city and tallness of the building. It gives the building a beautiful representation of what it is used for.

            Many architects have influenced the work of this magnificent building.  For example, Filippo Brunelleschi, Andrea Palladio, and Sir Christopher Wren. This architects left their knowledge of architect in this modern symbolic building of the United States. One of the architects that has an influence in this building is Filippo Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi was “The first renaissance engineer and he is well known for his design of the Dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy” (Filippo Brunelleschi). He had the knowledge to build a self-supporting dome, he invented a way that domes would stay in the same place without using something to hold it up. So, the United States divine dome gets its influence from Brunelleschi, this dome is so enormous and right in the middle of the building. The way that this building design is holding up the dome comes from the knowledge that Andrea Brunelleschi structures represented with the creation a very large and round dome without support.

            Another architecture that influence the United States Capital building was Andrea Palladio. Palladio is one of the most significant person in architectural history. He was influence by both Greek and Roman architectures; however, he was mainly influence by Vitruvius. His style of Architecture is known as the Palladian style. He designed churches, and villas but what caught people’s eyes on his architectural work were the windows. The arch of the window that Brunelleschi design might have influence the United States Capital building.   

            The final architecture that might have influence the U.S Capital State building is Sir Christopher Wren. He was an English architecture and he dominated the English architecture for fifty years. He is mostly known for his Baroque architectural style. The U.S capital building shows a more modern baroque style. Inside the building, it also has some of the baroque style that Christopher use in his buildings.

           

Works Cited

“Hall of Columns.” Architect of the Capital, 15 dec. 2015, https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-buildings/hall-columns

"Filippo Brunelleschi." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 13 Sept. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

"Capitol Hill Neoclassical Architecture." Architect of the Capitol | United States Capitol. Architects of the Capitol, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/architecture-styles/neoclassical-architecture-capitol-hill.

"About the U.S. Capitol Building." Architect of the Capitol | United States Capitol. Architects of the Capitol, 15 Dec. 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2017. https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-buildings/about-us-capitol-building.