June 2024 Archive — Art & Architecture Styles

Nine clear, practical reads landed on Macklowe Art & Architecture this month. Each piece breaks down a major art or architectural style so you can spot the details, understand the history, and use what you learn in design, study, or city walks. Pick a topic, scan the tips, and open the full article for images and examples.

What you’ll find this month

Exploring Rococo: A look at the ornate, playful side of 18th‑century French art. The article shows how lightness and decoration shaped interiors and painting.

Discovering the Wonders of Greek Revival Architecture: A practical guide to the temple‑inspired forms that changed western building design and how to identify them on streets and campuses.

Federal Architecture: Notes on American symmetry and restrained elegance, with clear pointers for spotting fanlights, sidelights, and clean proportions.

Expressionist Architecture: A tour of bold, sculptural buildings that break rules and push form for emotional effect. Useful if you’re studying modern experimental design.

The Future of Urban Planning: Embracing High‑Tech Architecture — how tech and sustainable systems shape adaptable city buildings today and tomorrow.

Discovering Beaux‑Arts Architecture: Straightforward examples of grand civic buildings and how composition, sculpture, and classical detail work together.

Dutch Colonial Revival in Modern Urban Development: A look at gambrel roofs, cozy proportions, and how revival styles fit into contemporary planning.

Exploring Byzantine Architecture: Clear explanations of domes, mosaics, and structural choices that influenced later sacred buildings across Europe and the Near East.

Italianate Architecture: How brackets, tall windows, and rooflines created a romantic, villa‑inspired look you still see in many historic neighborhoods.

Quick ID tips you can use right away

Rococo: Asymmetry, pastel colors, curved ornament, and small intimate rooms. Look for playful scenes and decorative mirrors.

Greek Revival: Big columns, pediments, and temple fronts. Check for heavy cornices and simple, bold moldings.

Federal: Balanced facades, elliptical fanlights over doors, and delicate decorative accents. Count the windows and note the strict symmetry.

Expressionist: Sweeping forms, unusual materials, and dramatic silhouettes. If a building looks almost sculpted, it’s likely expressionist.

High‑Tech: Exposed structure, visible mechanical systems, and flexible floorplans. Look for metal frameworks and glass skins.

Beaux‑Arts: Grand stairs, carved stone, and classical statues. Civic buildings with layered decoration often fit here.

Dutch Colonial Revival: Gambrel roofs, dormers, and symmetrical fronts. Common in residential districts from the early 20th century.

Byzantine: Central domes, rich mosaics, and pendentives. Notice the interior focus and lavish iconography.

Italianate: Tall, narrow windows, wide eaves with brackets, and low‑pitched roofs. Often painted in warm earth tones.

Use these posts as a quick reference when you’re visiting a city, restoring a home, or writing about design. Each article links to photos and deeper context so you can follow up on the styles that catch your eye. Want a printable ID sheet or a recommended reading list for one style? Say which one and I’ll pull the best picks from this month’s archive.