Week 9: The Spanish Renaissance

 

What I Learned


This week we learned about the Spanish renaissance. It has a unique blend of Christian and Moorish influences that created popular architecture and art in Europe. We learned about Mudejar, which is part of Spain's history of cultural fusion. Mudejar merged Islamic ornamentation in design with Christian structure, which created some very unique, richly decorated spaces with beautiful geometry and color. Spain's Golden age in the 16th century was fueled by exploration and wealth from the New World. Artistic styles like plateresque and Desornamentado were created. We also see architectural landmarks like the Alhambra in Granada that reveal this Moorish artistry through tiled patterns, water courtyards, and ornamentation. Buildings started to represent order, symmetry, and faith, like the El Escorial. Interiors used white plaster borders, painted pine ceilings, wrought iron grilles, and leather wall coverings. Some important furniture includes the zillion de frailero, vargueno, and taquillon, which used carved walnut, gilded accents, and geometric inlays of ivory and bone.


Favorite Examples















The Alhambra in Granada with the famous court of lions













La Mota Castle blends medieval form with renaissance influence















El Escorial is a symbol of uniting palace, monastery, and library in one big plan.
















Granada Cathedral uses classical columns and gothic vaulting
















Sillón de Frailero, a walnut armchair with leather seat and brass nail heads that was very sturdy

Current Applications




Spanish Revival Architecture, courtyards, arched entries, and terracotta tile roofs




Wrought Iron accents seen in decorative interiors, gates, stair rails, and lighting




Hand-tooled leather and tile show warmth





Minimalist luxury with plain stone, symmetry, and proportion


One Step Further: Santiago Calatrava


Santiago Calatrava is known as one of the most visionary architects and structural engineers today. Some of his most important works include the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, the Turning torso in sweden, and the chords bridge in jerusalem. These utilized the same spiritual form and technicality that were important in the spanish renaissance. Calatrava is good at blending art, math, and the motion of el grecos drama and Herrera's geometry in a modern context. He also has white sculpture structures that appear to move, bridging engineering and expression the way renaissance artists merged faith and science. Some of his best works are shown below.














City of arts and sciences


















Turning Torso

















Chords bridge


















Auditorio de Tenerife in Canary Islands, Spain 

Reflection


The spanish renaissance demonstrated how culture, religion, and craft can all combine and create beautiful works. The minimalist spaces and moorish courtyards of Spain's popular design history give us a balance of ornamentation and restraint. I am especially inspired by how these traditions continue to be used today. It proves that innovation that is rooted in tradition does not lose its relevance. Great design, no matter when it was created, can be appreciated forever.


Comments

  1. Professor VanderNoordaaOctober 25, 2025 at 12:44 PM

    Allyssa- Excellent Blog post! 50/50 points

    ReplyDelete
  2. Abigail FosterOctober 26, 2025 at 10:02 AM

    Wow, I love the Auditorio de Tenerife! What an impressive way to use curved shapes to create an eye-catching effect.

    ReplyDelete

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