Interpreting Architecture

In the broad field of architectural history, many different approaches are possible. The collection of articles in this book covers a variety of themes, with the meanings of architecture as a central theme in most contributions. The articles are grouped into four main themes: Interpreting architecture, Design and Construction, Spolia and Historiography. The ways in which attention can shift in architectural history are nicely highlighted in this volume. For instance, the ability to interpret architecture in its variety of meanings is not in doubt today, but was a real point of contention in the second half of the 20th century. Apart from as an enclosure of space, architecture in the past could carry diverse meanings, expressed, for instance, through a specific choice of architectural concepts, or through the use of spolia. The different ways in which medieval architecture in particular could be interpreted are the focus of several articles. Thereby, the application of spolia occupies a special place in both meaning-making and interpretation of architecture. The Historiography section analyses various changes in the way medieval architecture was and is studied.

Introduction, Petra Brouwer and Gabri van Tussenbroek

Interpreting Architecture

The Sensus Allegoricus of Medieval Buildings, or: Architectural Iconology in Historical Perspective
The Past as a Determining Factor in the Architectural Concepts of Liège Cathedral (Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries) 
Architecture and Quotation: The Historicity of Buildings from the Past
S Giovanni in Laterano and Medieval Architecture: The Significance of Architectural Quotations
The Choir Ambulatory: On the History and Reception of a Type of Ground Plan in Medieval and Post-Medieval Times

Design and Construction

The Dilemma of Pope Julius II: How to Preserve the Old St Peter’s While Building a New St Peter’s
Proportion and Building Material, or Theory versus Practice in the Determination of the Module
Designing the Villa Pliniana at Lago di Como: Pellegrino Tibaldi and Political Iconography under Habsburg Rule

Spolia

Spolia in the Fourth-Century Basilica
Spolia and Coloured Marble in Sepulchral Monuments in Rome, Florence and Bosco Marengo. Designs by Dosio and Vasari
Spolia from Rome’s Past as a Contribution to Roman or Romanesque Architecture
The Significance of Tradition: About the Spolia in the Choir Area of Magdeburg Cathedral
The Veneration of Spolia: The Madonna della Colonna in St Peter’s in Rome

Dutch Colonial Architecture

Stabroek in Demerara: The Emergence of the City Plan of Georgetown (Guyana) in the Eighteenth Century
From Amsterdam to Berbice: Colonial Administration Buildings as a New Design Task for Abraham van der Hart
Government Buildings in the Dutch Colonies (Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries)

Historiography

Dutch Architectural Historians and International Contacts until around 1960
The History of Architectural History in the Netherlands: Medieval Architecture
M.D. Ozinga's Inaugural Lecture (1948): The origins of Gothic Architecture and the Problem of Period Styles
The Invention of Gothic: Abbot Suger since Erwin Panofsky
There is no Such Things as Gothic: The Concept of ‘Renewal’ as an Art Historical Problem

List of Original Publications
Bibliography of Lex Bosman