Italianate Architecture: History, Features, and Trends

Italianate architecture is considered as one of the most romantic architectural types in the 19th century. It was famous due to its qualities and deliberate evocation of Italian Renaissance villas. It became famous throughout Europe and North America during the Victorian period. Its ornate details and elegant designs created a charming look. Plus, it was famous among townhouses and rural farmhouses back then. 

Modern buildings are also inspired by Italianate architecture. That is why people combine the modern and old designs to create a unique one. If you also want to create a custom design, then get in touch with a Top Architectural Visualization Company to achieve animation and rendered images. These types of visuals help in making the right decisions for your properties. 

READ OUR BLOG TO KNOW WHAT ITALIANATE ARCHITECTURE IS, ITS HISTORY, KEY FEATURES, TYPES, AND MODERN TRENDS!

Short history

The Italianate style started in Britain in the early 1800s. It took inspiration from the look of farmhouses and villas. The ideas were taken by the architects who used to travel through the Italian countryside.

However, several architects experimented with the idea early on. Charles Barry was one of those who made it famous in the 1830s. He created grand houses and city buildings using the Italian concept.

The style moved to the United States in the 1840s. It became a huge hit between 1850 and 1880. It became famous due to:

• Instruction Manuals
• A Symbol of Success 
• Comfortable Elegance

Different types of architectural styles

• Low-pitched and flat roofs are supported by decorative brackets. These types of roof provides deep shadows which protect walls from the weather.
• It also consisted of tall and narrow windows. They were round in shape and sometimes with decorative hoods.
• This type of Architectural Styles contain Ornate window crowns. It is used to enhance molding and other decorative things. 
• Square towers were also a great feature of this type of style. This vertical feature is best for ventilation.
• Decorative brackets and corbels were also used throughout the building. 
• Front doorways are highlighted with columned porches and decorative detailing.
• The wall surfaces were in warm earth tones.
• Italianate buildings often have irregular layouts that create visual variety.

Different types of architectural styles

The Italianate style took many forms depending on building type, location, and purpose. The most romantic interpretation of the style was the villa type. It usually included 

• Asymmetrical massing
• Square towers
• Decorative detailing

These free-standing suburban and rural homes are often set in landscaped grounds. Depicted the picturesque ideal and enhanced the Italian villa character. Andrew Jackson Downing, the prominent landscape architect, advocated this style as the most suitable for the American rural scenery.  

The style also adapted to the urban context of Italianate townhouses and rowhouses. In North American cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Boston. Rows of narrow Italianate facades enhanced the streets, despite the individual architectural variations. 

These buildings were characteristically two to four storeys in height with flat or low-pitched roofs. San Francisco, in particular, has thousands of surviving examples of this style, including many of the bay windows that projected from the upper floors.  

The style also applied to the commercial buildings in America’s city centres. These Italianate buildings were often designed with cast-iron facades and spanning arches, which were repeated across multiple storeys.

You can design your spaces by copying such features. Get the Best Architectural Rendering Services from a reliable company. This will help you in designing the space without wasting money. 

Modern Trends  

Today, thanks to the preservation movement, the historical and aesthetic value of Italianate architecture is being appreciated again. Cities that have a large number of Italianate buildings have created historic preservation districts, where these buildings cannot be demolished. 

The Alamo Square in San Francisco with the famous Painted Ladies, is a renowned view that gets millions of visitors every year to view the Italianate Victorian buildings that are executed with great craftsmanship.  

Sometimes contemporary architects use Italianate features in contemporary buildings.  This is especially prevalent in buildings that are trying to fit in with older buildings in a historic district. Contemporary architects often use these Italianate features in a very simplistic way and do not use the elaborate details. They do though, use the Italianate proportions, the bracketed eaves, and the windows. A number of new traditional architects use the Italianate style as a new traditional style, which shows that this style is still a style that most societies can appreciate. 

The focus of contemporary architecture on sustaining the environment has created a renewed interest in the building style of the Italianate era.  Many Italianate buildings also have tall towers and cupolas, which helps in cooling.

Final Thoughts!

Italianate architecture is still liked by modern people. They use some of its features in hotels, restaurants, and other spaces. However, this emphasis is on keeping alive the old culture in the modern buildings. Italianate buildings remain central to cultural identity.