Renaissance: Enveloping hands Beatriz Alonso Romero Mikel Berra Sandín Paula Rocío López Gómez Arch 435 Digital Fabrication Fall 2016
Index Introduction Principles of Renaissance Concepts of Renaissance Proportion Geometry Work from Renaissance Art Architecture Chairs Inspiring ideas Concept Hands Santa Maria Novella
Introduction The aim of this work is to detect some basic ideas so as to generate a contemporary sofa that follows the principles used by Renaissance artists. The siting element is expected to hold a wide variety of uses, from laying to talking, by using a shape influenced by Renaissance. Renaissance is our source of inspiration in this work. However, this inspiration does not have to be only thought in a formal way, by the imitation of shapes, but also in a conceptual way. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how artists of Renaissance thought, which was the process they followed to get their works done. Consequently, we will be able to adapt those ideas and shapes to a contemporary way of crafting. This adaptation to a modern shape and process is determined by two factors. The first one is the material the chair will have, carbon fiber composite. The choice of this material makes it easier to use some kinds of shapes, such as curved surfaces, rather than using little, straight pieces that need more assembly. Therefore, shapes will need to resemble the Renaissance principles rather than the solutions used at that era. The second reason why the chair needs to be contemporary is that the final chair is aimed to be presented at the SOFAconnect competition. To do so, we consider that it is necessary to adapt to today s needs and, to some extent, trends.
Principles of Renaissance The Renaissance, developed in Europe between the 14th and 17th century, brought a whole bunch of new ideas to Architecture. Formal solutions differed significantly from the previous era, the Middle Age, which was a poor time for Architecture. Therefore, ideas from the Roman and Greek ages were retaken as a basis to overcome the intellectual crisis of the Middle Ages, but these ideas could be executed with new techniques and materials. Scholars of the Renaissance reread to Vitruvius, recomposing it and making this a system used to understand, appreciate and make architecture. The principle that sustains these experiences is the imitation. It turns back to the use of simple geometric relationships based on Vitruvius, with pure figures such as the square, the circle and the triangle. It is also characterized by the humanism: importance of man. They establish relations with the human body, transferred to the column with the classical proportions. It is a rationalist, naturalistic epoch, which develops thanks to the observation of the nature and the experimentation.
Concepts of Renaissance Proportion In Renaissance, most of the proportion theories of the Classic era were reapplied to buildings. The proportion which was mostly used was golden proportion, and therefore the golden rectangle can be found in many Renaissance buildings and paintings. The Renaissance artists also conducted research on body proportions, as Leonardo da Vinci or Cennino Cennini. These works can be inspirational so as to enter in detail of the size of each and every part of the chair, since their proportions are calculated based on height. Symmetry Influenced by Vitruvius writings, Renaissance artists believed in the virtues of symmetry, which were also found in the Greek buildings that served as a reference to artists at that time. Therefore, Renaissance architecture is nearly always symmetrical, and the paintings also show architectural elements in frontal perspective so as to enhance symmetry. Perspective It was during the Renaissance when is discovered the geometric beginning that govern the use of the linear perspective. Between 1417 and 1420, the Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi discovers the mathematical and scientific beginning that govern the perspective. The linear perspective is based on the principle that the straight parallels are attached or converge at a point, which is situated in the line of the horizon and is known as vanishing point. This type of perspective gives the viewer a feeling of depth.
Works from Renaissance Art The art of the Renaissance is characterized because evokes the ancient world, whose beauty idealizes and takes as an example. The pictures are situated in natural landscapes, trying to recreate them with fidelity, or in architecture frameworks, in which columns, pediments, palaces and temples serve as an excuse to use the perspective. The human figure turns into center and measure of all things, consequently, across the art, they study of human anatomy. The Renaissance introduces new topics such as the mythological, allegories and historical themes. Architecture Renaissance architecture is characterized, as the rest of arts at the time, by the use of symmetry, proportion and regular geometries such as the square, the circle or the triangle. Following the Greek and Roman architecture which remained as inspiration for Renaissance architects, columns, pilasters and lintels are arranged in an ordered way, in contrast to the irregular medieval buildings. It is also the time where complex structural solutions such as domes are retaken, after the inability to build those structures in the Middle Ages. In fact, the first well known Renaissance building, Santa Maria del Fiore, has a 42 meter wide dome. This building was made by Filippo Brunelleschi, the most renowned Renaissance architect, amongst others such as Leon Battista Alberti or Donato Bramante.
Chairs In Renaissance, the social role of chairs changes in comparison to the Middle Ages. Before, chairs were only accessible to rich people, but in Renaissance chairs can be found in every house. However, two kinds of chairs may be found, the cheap and simple Savonarola chairs, and the more luxurious Sgabello chairs. Savonarola chairs The Savonarola chair is a type of folding chair, where the frame has an X shape. First developed in Italy and then spread throughout Europe, this chair is light and practical. It is made of a wooden flat back connected to the armrests, and the seat is made of wooden slats. This kind of chair has raised great interest on us, since its flexibility, its scarce use of material and its still contemporary shape makes it, to some extent, a model to be followed in our process. Sgabello chairs As a contrast with the Savonarola chair, the Sgabello chair is a heavy, solid chair made of a panelled back and a octagonal seat, with four legs. In this case, it may not be so useful, as it's hard shapes are not so adequate for composite materials.
Inspiring ideas Hands Anatomy was a thoroughly analysed topic in Renaissance, when several theories on body proportions were made. Leonardo da Vinci did the most famous analysis on human proportions, but he also conducted research in specific body parts such as hands. Inspired by da Vinci s interest on hands, we have made research on the presence of hands in paintings of Renaissance. Without a doubt, Michelangelo s The creation of Adam is a painting where hands play a vital role. Throughout the manipulation of the hands in the painting, we have arrived to a shape that might represent the values we are looking for in our sitting element: a gathering place that can be seen as a cozy, comfortable element for sharing moments and talking.
Santa Maria Novella In this study case, we have found a more visual relationship between a Renaissance work and a sitting element. Leon Battista Alberti s Santa Maria Novella church serves as a base so as to build a chair or sofa. This direct interpolation is made through the disassembly of the different parts of Santa Maria Novella s façade, using its clearly separated parts as pieces of a chair. The upper part serves a s the chair s back, the upper lateral parts as the chairs as armrests, and the lower part as the basement. As a result, the obtained chair has an extremely regular, orthogonal shape, which does not fit to the needs of composite materials. In addition, we find this relationship more visual or formal rather than conceptual, and its use for a larger sitting place would distort proportion.
Concept The final concept takes the idea of hands as a basis. By considering the hand as a sitting element that envelopes or secludes the user, we want to create a charming atmosphere when sitting at this sofa. In order to do so, the sofa is formed by several pieces which work as fingers, where a single piece forms the seat, the back, and the structural element. This diversity of functions in a unique piece is adequate for the use of carbon fiber composite. The shape of each of these pieces is also done taking the golden relation into account, since the seat tries to resemble the golden spiral.