Baroque style in architecture

Europe saw the emergence of the Baroque architectural style in the 17th century, which is distinguished by its dramatic grandeur, elaborate ornamentation, and theatricality. It began in Italy and swiftly extended throughout the continent, influencing public buildings, churches, and palace architecture.

The emphasis on movement and dynamism in Baroque architecture is one of its distinguishing characteristics. This architectural style is characterized by curved shapes, flowing facades, and ornate ornamentation that aims to convey movement and energy.

A range of methods were employed by Baroque architects to create their expressive designs. These included the use of chiaroscuro, or the contrast between light and shadow, the addition of illusionistic details like trompe l’oeil, and the direct incorporation of stucco and sculpture into the building.

European monarchs and the Catholic Church both embraced this style as a way to symbolize wealth, power, and religious devotion. Its flamboyant and dramatic features, frequently achieved through the use of enormous scale and minute details, were meant to amaze and astound spectators.

The Baroque architectural style originated in 17th-century Europe and is characterized by its flamboyance and theatricality. Baroque buildings are distinguished by their opulence, dynamic movement, and elaborate details. They frequently have ornate facades with dramatic shapes, elaborate sculptures, and lavish decorations. This style, which contrasted sharply with the simplicity of earlier Renaissance architecture, sought to arouse awe and emotion through its opulence and exuberance. Baroque buildings are famous examples of architectural extravagance and artistic expression in history because they were intended to dazzle and overwhelm onlookers by combining light and shadow to create a sense of drama.

Features of style

Baroque is a palace style, so its greatness is what makes it stand out. It is shown in the grandeur of the building’s architectural forms, its size, and the abundance of decorative accents. Decor establishes the direction of the style and gives the construction a unique yet respectable appearance. A baroque house typically has a high base, two to three stories, or more, symmetrical architectural elements, a broad porch with rounded steps, and curly balusters. Large, rectangular or arched windows with relief platbands and frizes adorn them.

Elegant mansion with a baroque feel

The home’s walls ought to be lavishly embellished with sculptures, pilasters, profiled cornices, and stucco molding. Baroque-style decoration is characterized by an abundance of various curls and ornaments, as well as massive and complex forms. Columns or half-columns, frequently twisted or rusticated and adorned with carvings, are typically erected at the entrance.

The house’s design features elaborate stucco decoration on the walls.

In terms of color scheme, Baroque is characterized by a vibrant range that includes cream, gray, beige, light brown, blue, and white and gold combined. Occasionally, contrast shades are also employed. A cream or beige facade, snow-white columns at the entrance, white window frames, and golden stucco molding are win-win choices.

Color palette: gold and beige

This design is an extremely costly pleasure because it uses pricey finishing materials and demands a high level of professionalism to embody architectural delights. Real Baroque mansions are only affordable for the wealthy. There are more affordable options available for those looking to update the appearance of an existing house. While not strictly baroque, these options are still very spectacular, bright, and respectable.

Decorative baroque facades are not inexpensive pleasures.

Elements of the finish

The following are the most defining features of baroque decor:

Pilasters – rectangular vertical protrusions located on the walls, on both sides of the door or window opening. They look like flat columns protruding from the wall;

Pillar-equipped home

Plaster of gypsum

Cornices for relief

The exterior has foam ores.

The house’s facade features rustling stones at each corner.

Balustrades

A small cornice, frequently with a pediment, above a window, door, or niche is known as a sandrik, and it is a decorative architectural element.

Sandrik is a fascinating accent piece.

This decor is separated into light and heavy categories based on the material used in its manufacture. Natural marble, granite, sandstone, and concrete are used, as an inexpensive substitute, in the production of heavy décor.

Concrete décor components

Light decor items are composed of fiber concrete, gypsum, polyurethane, and polyuretroot, among other polymeric materials. Fiber concrete and polyurethane are most frequently utilized because gypsum is extremely delicate and needs to be treated carefully, and foam is ruined over time by atmospheric effects.

Polystyrene foam used in architectural and decorative elements

Prices for various types of gypsum decor

Hypse facade decor

Baroque style decoration

The primary requirements are that the home have enough space and either a second story or an attic. A modestly sized one-story building with pilasters and stucco molding will appear odd, to say the least.

Decorating a two-story home is ideal.

You must first plan out and sketch the locations of the decor elements. Front door pilasters are required, but they are only placed close to the windows if there is at least 70 centimeters between the openings. There must be a decorative cornice around the house above the basement, at the level of the second or attic floor, beneath the roof, and close to the windows.

Since all of these products are connected to the same and sold in linear meters, figuring out the correct amount is simple. It is necessary to include 5-7% of the reserve in the computations because material is consumed during cutting. Like other pieces of jewelry for the facade, such as consoles, sandrics, sockets, castle stones, and stucco moldings, rusted stones for angles are determined by the plane. Recall that an excessive amount of jewelry will visually burn the building and make it appear clumsy, so it is impossible to sculpt jewelry throughout the facade. Less decorative elements are used in smaller homes.

Preparatory stage

Everything that will obstruct the work is removed from the facade, including drain pipes, lamps, platbands, and other items. If the plaster is kept a secret, it is entirely removed and the house’s existing cracks are sealed. Additionally, old paint is removed from wooden windows, the frames’ integrity is examined, and any damaged parts are replaced as needed.

The outdated plaster must be taken off.

Punching through the plaster to remove it

Prices for Popular Puner models

Perforators

The dust-free surface is primed and then plastered once more. Since masonry does not go well with the baroque style, freshly constructed brick walls should also be plastered. Typically, a ready-made factory mixture or a cement-sand mortar are used for plastering. Throughout the process, level is required to control the wall plane. To achieve the ideal level of smoothness on the surface, grout must be applied using a metal or polyurethane grater after the plaster layer is applied.

Performance on the facade’s plaster

The accuracy with which the applied plaster was wiped

The design of the doorway

The apertures can be decorated after the plaster has dried. Think about the pilaster’s fastening first. Base, body, and capitals are the three components that make up this element. Typically, the pilaster body measures between 135 and 300 mm, with the base and capital being larger. It can be trimmed to size if needed, with a standard height of 2 meters.

Prices for decorative pilasters

Pilasters

Step 1: Unpack the pillowcase, align the base against the lower portion of the wall at the opening, and mark the upper corner with a pencil. Place the pilaster body farther away from the designated point, display it strictly vertically, and mark the area with a pencil.

Step 2: On the opposite side of the opening, carry out the same actions. Next, take a height measurement and use a fine-toothed hacksaw to adjust the size of the pilasters’ bodies. If one body is insufficient, it will be necessary to combine two identical elements with each other during the installation process.

Step 3: Every pilaster component is precisely drilled with a 500 mm step along the vertical axis. The extreme holes in this instance ought to be spaced at least 10 mm apart from the ends.

Making holes to install fasteners

Drilling holes in the pilasters of the footboard

Plan for boring holes and joining the base and walls

Installing the body of the pilasters (rods)

Step 4: Attach the base section to the wall by equating it along the line and through the holes that mark the locations of the drilling on the base. Place the base aside, drill a hole in the labels’ wall that is between 70 and 80 mm deep, and insert the dowels.

Step 5: Apply a continuous layer of polyurethane mounting glue to the back of the base. Then, apply the product to the surface, press it firmly, and tighten the screws. In addition to smearing the ends of the parts with glue, pilasters and the capital are attached in the same manner. It will be simpler to hide the joints if they are as neat and dense as possible between the elements.

Fastener used to join two pieces of pilasters together along their length

Two elements connected

Capital letters secured with studs

Step 6: Sandrick is affixed over the aperture after the pilasters are fully installed. He needs to be strictly horizontal and rely on the capitals. Using glue and dowels, the fastening is done as previously mentioned. Make sure Sandrick is positioned symmetrically with regard to the pilasters before making any repairs.

Made of polyurethane, Sandrick

Step 7: Apply acrylic putty to the fasteners and joint seams. The surface of the decorative elements is treated with a fine-grained skin after the putty dries, and the protruding glue is cleaned with a sharp knife.

Apply sealant or acrylic putty to the seams.

Suggestions. Such a finish can be corrected somewhat differently. Skilled artisans use metal studs with the same diameter in place of self-tapping screws (as shown in the diagrams), and they drill holes in the decor from the back rather than the end, which is about 5-7 mm away. As a result, only the joint seams need to be sealed; there are no through holes.

Architectural details can be adhered to the base with a single adhesive or with glue plus anchor devices (dowels) or embedded parts.

Video – facade decor made of polystyrene foam

Registration of window openings

It is no longer necessary to create your own window décor because pre-made sets in a variety of styles are readily available. Depending on the type of finish, the kit may include platbands, window sills, consoles, sandriks, and other components. Every detail has a sticker with the name and article, and the kit’s instructions specify exactly where and how to fix them.

Step 1: After the set is opened, the components are arranged on a level surface in the proper orientation around the aperture. It is best to do this as close to the window as possible to make trying on the pieces more convenient.

Step 2: Platbands, sandrics, and window sills must be attached to the opening alternately and must outline the corner joints and cuts between the details because they are made with a margin along their length. Precise measurements are essential, and every component needs to be positioned symmetrically with respect to the opening’s central axis. The ornate windows are the first to draw attention, so even the smallest imperfections will stand out.

Step 3: Cut products along the desired lines using a sharp knife or a hacksaw with tiny cloves. Cut pieces are not to be thrown away; maybe you can use them to decorate other openings.

Step 4: Install fasteners around the window’s perimeter. To facilitate the installation of polyurethane décor, skilled artisans employ unique fasteners featuring pointed tips; these are referred to as "Swedish nails" by builders.

An illustration of "Swedish nails"

These gear plates come in sizes of 100×200 mm, 150×200 mm, and larger, but that is too big to attach our components to. To ensure that there are still spikes on each of the two opposing sides, the plate must be cut into small pieces. A grinder works best for cutting.

We use a grinder to cut a plate of Swedish nails into rectangles.

Prices for corner grinders (grinders)

Corner grinders (grinders)

Place the plates in approximately 50-cm increments around the opening’s perimeter. The plates are positioned thicker if multiple short fragments are mounted close together, ensuring that there is a fastener for every element. Every plate has two dowels-claws securing it to the wall.

Spikes are removed from two or three multicures that are fixed on the wall.

At the facade element installation location, the cut plate is fastened to the facade.

We use two dowels to fasten.

Step 5: To verify proper installation, all components must now be assembled without glue in line with the markings. After leaving the joints, products are applied to the plates and strung on the spikes.

Step 6: You can start the installation if every joint is straight and there are no deviations in either direction. After removing and setting aside the finish, knead the glue on the cement base in accordance with the directions. Starting at the bottom of the opening, take the desired portion and, using a combed spatula, gently distribute the glue in an even layer on the back and ends. Place the product against the wall so that the spikes land in the pre-drilled holes and firmly press in. Using a fresh cloth, remove any leftover glue from the surface right away.

Putting in facade ornamentation

The details from the parts might be necessary for the installation of the following windows, so don’t be in a hurry to discard them.

Step 7: Apply glue to the remaining components using the same technique, being especially careful around the joints. Since the gear plates will firmly hold the decor until the glue dries, no additional fixation is needed. After dusting and fanned with fine-grained sandpaper, the finished surface needs to be cleaned.

Now near the windows you can install pilasters. How to do this is described above. If there is a distance of more than one and a half meters between the windows, pilasters are mounted on the sides of each opening. If the distance is less than a meter, it is advisable to install between the openings of one pilaster exactly in the middle. Small jewelry in the form of stucco ornaments and sockets can be fixed under the windows, patterned consoles – under visors and cornices. The main condition is that all products should be made in the same style and are located symmetrically relative to each other. Small parts are attached mainly on glue: the product is covered with glue from the back, pressed to a dry, even and clean surface, tightly pressed for a few seconds. But if desired, you can fix the dowel-clavings, for reliability.

Beautiful window opening design

An illustration of window design

In European architecture, the Baroque style first appeared in the late 16th century and reached its height in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Baroque architecture, which was frequently commissioned by the Catholic Church and European monarchs to demonstrate power and authority, was known for its dramatic grandeur and emotional exuberance. Its goal was to awe and inspire viewers.

Grandiose facades with sculptures, fine detailing, and sweeping staircases were common features of Baroque buildings, which were distinguished by their intricate ornamentation, curved forms, and dynamic use of light and shadow. The style placed a strong emphasis on theatricality and movement in an effort to inspire awe and wonder in viewers.

Beyond just its aesthetic impact, baroque architecture left a lasting legacy that impacted period furniture styles, interior design, and urban planning. St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and the Palace of Versailles in France are two famous examples of the style’s opulence. Its emphasis on illusion and spectacle left an enduring impression on European cities.

In summary, the Baroque style is still a potent reminder of a time of intense religious fervor, artistic expression, and political aspiration. Its impact can still be seen in modern architecture, encouraging creators and architects to push the boundaries of form, space, and emotion. Whether seen in the sumptuous European palaces or seen in more contemporary contexts, baroque architecture is a monument to the human desire to create timeless beauty.

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