Temple of Fortuna Virilis

     Temple of Fortuna Virilis is also known as Temple of Portunus. It’s locate in Rome Italy. It is the typical example of ancient roman architecture. It has a simple design, surrounding pillars, 1 entrance, a raised platform, one continuous material and a pronaos. But it also has some hints of Greek architecture. It has ionic capitals, and columns.
 

     It was build for praising the god portunus. Portunus is the god of keys, doors and livestock, and so granaries. It is reported that this specific building was constructed between 120-80 B.C.E. I like these perticullar styles of buildings because its simple and iconic. Just looking at this piece speaks to the richness of the the roman culture at this specific time.

Bibliography:

·         https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/roman-republic/v/temple-of-portunus-rome-c-120-80-b-c-e

·         https://www.bluffton.edu/homepages/facstaff/sullivanm/romanvirilis/virilis.html

·         https://www.wmf.org/project/temple-portunus

·         https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/roman-republic/a/temple-of-portunus

San Lorenzo Maggiore, 313 AD, Milan, Italy

The Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore is an important place of catholic worship located in Milan and has a startling originality. In plan, it is a square with an annex projecting from each side, producing a quatrefoil shape which is echoed internally by the two- storied colonnades separating the central space from the surrounding ambulatory. It is an early adaption for ecclesiastical purposes of centrally-planned Roman building such as the early- fourth- century pavilion in Piazza d' Oro of Hadrian's villa at Tivoli. Over the centuries, the church has been ravaged by fire several times, and it was last rebuilt in the sixteenth century. Most of the walls, including those of the three chapels, date from the late fourth century. In the middle of the plaza, hemmed in by the church and colonnade, stands a bronze statue of Emperor Constantine, who ended persecution of Christians in 313 AD with the edict of Milan.

The building had a central plan approached by a four-sided portico and surrounded by two connected structures. Access to the portico was through a colonnade which in turn gave access to three portals leading to the main body of the building. This consisted of a square hall inscribed as a building with four apses, whose semicircular hollows overhung by semi-cupolas were articulated by four columns.

In the tenth century, probably in the Ottonian era, reconstruction took place possibly involving the participation of a Byzantine workforce who had retained knowledge of the classical techniques of construction and decoration. Little is known regarding these restorations, but it is assumed that the dome had been reconstructed using pipes made of terracotta, making it lighter than the previous one, perhaps already damaged to the extent of justifying a reconstruction. After the disasters of the eleventh century, the restorations of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries focused on providing stability to the whole complex, rebuilding the pillars that supported the cupola and carrying out other interventions on the load-bearing structures.

Source:

Glancey, Jonathan. Architecture. London: DK, 2006. PrintWatkin, David. A History of Western Architecture. Sixth ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. Print.

Watkin, David. A History of Western Architecture. Sixth ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1986. Print.

The San Remo, Manhattan, NY, 1930

For anyone who has ever taken a stroll around the Great Lawn in Central Park, or picnicked on Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, the distinctive silhouette of the San Remo Apartments, each of its twin towers crowned with a Roman-style temple ringed by Corinthian columns, is an iconic element of the Central Park West skyline.

Central Park West, New York, and the San Remo Apartments at sunset. Photo by Henry Hemming.

Advertised as “the Aristocrat of Central Park West” when it was completed in 1930, the San Remo was a dramatic addition to a boulevard where private residences as well as hotels were rapidly being torn down in favor of soaring new apartment houses.2 In fact, the San Remo is named after a hotel that occupied the spot since the late nineteenth century. The hotel, which was only ten-story high was considered unremarkable as opposed to the majestic apartment house that now covers the entire blockfront on the avenue between 74^th and 75^th streets. It was the first twin-towered building to rise in New York, setting a precedent for three other twin-towered apartment buildings that arose later on, on the same avenue.

 

Central Park West skyline as seen from across The Lake in Central Park.

This innovative idea (at the time) of creating the first twin-towered skyscraper, was designed by the eminent architect Emery Roth. It was based on principles of efficient planning.1 In the Spring of 1929, after the passing of the Multiple Dwelling Act, residential buildings could now rise higher than they previously did, as long as there was an increased size of yards and courts. New residential buildings were also allowed to rise as high as nineteen stories, however, eleven additional stories could be added onto them as long as the building covered a ground of at least 30,000 square feet. The law also permitted towers, so long as they didn’t cover over twenty percent of the site, and setbacks of 70 feet were required on all sides. With these requisites at hand, Roth designed an astonishingly original approach to apartment house design. The San Remo met these requirements which allowed his design to not only be possible, but also desirable.

Like his previous work of the Beresford, the San Remo offers a unique profile to the Central Park West skyline. However, both are very much different, as they barely resemble each other and give off individual ambiances. The first three floors of the San Remo building serve as the base of the structure, covered in rusticated limestone and provide two entrances along the Central Park West avenue as its focal points. However, both entrances are connected at the main lobby of the corresponding tower apartments above. The exterior of the entrances are framed by two-story arches surmounted by giant cartouches and garlands set within curved broken pediments.  The sides of the entrances are flat classical pilasters which attached to them are bronze and smoked glass lanterns exemplifying the style of the thriving Art Deco of the time.

Southern most entrance on CPW to the San Remo Apartments.

Below the twin towers of the San Remo stands a 17 story high superstructure regulated by setbacks on the fourteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth floors. These setbacks serve as terraces for the existing apartments on those levels. Rising throughout the entire height of the super structure are shallow grooves that emphasize the building’s elegant verticality.  Terra-cotta ornament, in the form of classical loggias, is carefully applied to the facades, providing an interesting and visually pleasing exterior. The ten-story towers sprung up from this superstructure are also embellished with classical terra-cotta ornament. 

Shallow grooves run vertically through the structure. Terra cotta ornaments sparingly applied to the facades.
Corners protrude on the twin towers.

The corners of the towers protrude, leading the viewer’s eye to the top of the towers which are finished with circular, Roman-style temples ringed by 16ft high Corinthian columns, ultimately topped by green copper lanterns with bright beacons that are visible from across the park. As opposed to the Beresford, the roof design of the San Remo offers a more religious and lyrical environment to viewers from all angles.

Each floor within the superstructure was uniquely organized to accommodate their first occupants, therefore each floor plan is different. However, what is similar is that every living room was provided with a wood-burning fireplace, that actually never worked properly. Most bedrooms were provided with their own bathrooms, each kitchen had its own butler’s pantry, and both areas where covered in floor-ceiling white ceramic tiles. One or more maid’s room were built next to the kitchen and service area. Essentially, each apartment was very spacious offering enough ventilation and allowing the spaces to be infiltrated with enough sunlight.

The San Remo Apartments: plan of nine-room apartment on sixteenth floor.

In 1940, the San Remo, along with the Beresford, after experiencing critical economic difficulties, were sold, together, for a combined price of $25,000. Realtors described the event as: “It was sort of like buying the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth for pocket change.”1 Nevertheless, today, a two-bedroom apartment in San Remo sells for a minimum of $3,500,000, representing the luxurious lifestyle and atmosphere of what we New Yorkers call, the Upper West Side.
                           

1 Ruttenbaum, Steven. Mansions in the Clouds: The Skyscraper Palazzi of Emery Roth. New York, NY: Balsam, 1986. Print.

2 Freeman Gill, John. "THE ARISTOCRAT OF CENTRAL PARK WEST - Avenue Magazine." Avenue Magazine., 01 Apr. 2016. Web.

3 "The San Remo, 145 Central Park West - NYC Apartments." CityRealty. Web. <https://www.cityrealty.com/nyc/central-park-west/the-san-remo-145-central park-west/2029>.