Reading Antiquity Through Leon Battista Alberti's Facades: Examples of Palazzo Rucellai ve Tempio Malatestiano

Abstract

The art of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, which is the source of Classical architecture was rediscovered with the Italian Renaissance, and thus, a great movement of change, which may be called as ‘return to essence’ or ‘rebirth’, were emerged in the context of art, architecture and thinking. The artists and architects of the period believed that the most factual knowledge and most basic values belonged to Classical Antiquity, and they transferred ideas, forms, elements and models by adapting them to their designs. Within the context of this text, the work of the humanist Leon Battista Alberti, one of the architects of the Early Renaissance Period and its first theorist on the architecture of Antiquity, and his approach to Antiquity were discussed. The architect’s transformation of existing Medieval structures into different spaces by providing new functions, and his integration of ancient architectural elements into the facades in a consistent manner is examined in both design and structural contexts. The language and elements of ancient architecture are read through 'Palazzo Rucellai', the first and only palace facade designed by the architect, and ‘Tempio Malatestiano', the first religious building facade designed by the architect. While discussing the differences between Alberti’s designs based on his architectural theories and practice, many new ideas, forms and methods that he brought to Renaissance architecture and followed by his successors were examined.

Keywords

• Leon Battista Alberti
• Renaissance Facades
• Renaissance Architecture
• Classical Architecture
• Antiquity

Leon Battista Alberti’nin Cepheleri Üzerinden Antikitenin Okunması: Palazzo Rucellai ve Tempio Malatestiano Örnekleri

Abstract

Klasik mimarinin kaynaklarının dayandığı Antik Yunan ve Antik Roma sanatı, İtalyan Rönesansı ile yeniden keşfedilmiş ve böylece ‘öze dönüş’ veya ‘yeniden doğuş’ olarak adlandırabileceğimiz büyük bir değişim hareketi, düşünce, sanat ve mimarlık bağlamında ortaya çıkmıştır. Dönemin sanatçıları ve mimarları, en gerçek bilginin ve en temel değerlerin Antik dünyaya ait olduğuna inanmışlar ve o dünyadan aldıkları fikir, biçim, öge ve modelleri kendi tasarımlarına uyarlayarak aktarmışlardır. Metin kapsamında, Erken Rönesans Dönemi mimarlarından biri ve dönemin ilk kuramcısı olan hümanist Leon Battista Alberti’nin, Klasik Antikite mimarisi üzerine yaptığı çalışmalar ve Antikiteye bakış açısı ele alınmıştır. Mimarın, belli amaçlar için kullanılan mevcut Orta Çağ yapılarına yeni işlevler sağlayarak, onları farklı mekanlara dönüştürmesi ve bunu yaparken Antik mimari ögeleri tutarlı bir şekilde cephelere entegre etmesi, tasarım ve strüktür bağlamında incelenmiştir. Mimarın tasarladığı ilk ve tek saray cephesi olan ‘Palazzo Rucellai’ ve tasarladığı ilk dini yapı cephesi olan ‘Tempio Malatestiano’ üzerinden Antikite mimarisinin dili ve ögeleri okunmaya çalışılmıştır. Alberti’nin kendi mimarlık teorilerine dayanan tasarımları ve mimari uygulamaları arasındaki farklar ele alınırken, Rönesans mimarisine getirdiği ve ardılları tarafından takip edilen birçok yeni fikir, form ve yöntem irdelenmiştir.

Keywords

• Leon Battista Alberti
• Rönesans Cepheleri
• Rönesans Mimarisi
• Klasik Mimari
• Antikite

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