Metal and iron construction in sacral space shaping

Abstract

The article considers the use of innovative materials in the European sacred space of the late 18th - early 20th centuries in particular metal structures as well as the structural basis of reinforced concrete. The chronological framework of stages of this process which consistently master properties of the new building materials offered by an epoch of industrial revolution is established: cast iron, malleable iron, steel, reinforced concrete. The desire to be “modern” in the formation of sacred space, which follows from the artistic decisions of the first consumers of steel and concrete in sacred buildings, is analyzed. The constructive advantages and disadvantages of new materials are revealed. Metal constructions and decorative elements that form a sacred space are presented. A comparative analysis of public spaces, both sacred and secular in terms of the use of metal structures. Possibilities of new materials which demanded aesthetic comprehension are presented. It was found that during the XIX century such comprehension in the architecture of sacred spaces took place in line with two approaches: traditional-aesthetic, when constructive elements made of new material were designed in traditional historical forms in line with the eclectic understanding of styles; and structural and technological, by inventing new design principles for new construction. It was found that in both cases the use of metal and reinforced concrete was a significant factor that influenced the formation of modern sacred space.

The Classicism in of Sacred Space Formation

“…Він вимагав твердого дотримання класичної традиції і при створенні архітектури майбутнього. Лоос, якого історики архітектури часто представляють як попередника авангардного модернізму, був класицистом і ще в 1922 році запропонував звести хмарочос для «Chicago Tribune» у формі доричної колони [16].…”