Mediterranean Revival is an
architectural style
An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...
introduced in the United States,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from
Spanish Renaissance
The Spanish Renaissance was a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries.
This new focus in art, literature,
quotes and science inspired b ...
,
Spanish Colonial,
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...
,
French Colonial
French colonial architecture includes several styles of architecture used by the French during colonization. Many former French colonies, especially those in Southeast Asia, have previously been reluctant to promote their colonial architecture ...
,
Beaux-Arts,
Moorish architecture
Moorish architecture is a style within Islamic architecture which developed in the western Islamic world, including al-Andalus (on the Iberian peninsula) and what is now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia (part of the Maghreb). The term "Moorish" com ...
, and
Venetian Gothic architecture
Venetian Gothic is the particular form of Italian Gothic architecture typical of Venice, originating in local building requirements, with some influence from Byzantine architecture, and some from Islamic architecture, reflecting Venice's trading ...
.
Peaking in popularity during the 1920s and 1930s, the movement drew heavily on the style of
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
s and seaside
villa
A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...
s and applied them to the rapidly expanding coastal resorts of Florida and California.
Structures are typically based on a rectangular floor plan, and feature massive, symmetrical primary façades.
Stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
ed walls, red
tile
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...
d roofs, windows in the shape of arches or circles, one or two stories, wood or
wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...
balconies
A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or Corbel, console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor.
Types
The traditional Malta, Malte ...
with window grilles, and articulated door surrounds are characteristic.
Keystones were occasionally employed. Ornamentation may be simple or dramatic. Lush gardens often appear.
The style was most commonly applied to hotels, apartment buildings, commercial structures, and residences. Architects
August Geiger and
Addison Mizner
Addison Cairns Mizner (December 12, 1872 – February 5, 1933) was an American architect whose Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival style interpretations left an indelible stamp on South Florida, where it continues to inspire archit ...
were foremost in Florida, while
Bertram Goodhue
Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue (April 28, 1869 – April 23, 1924) was an American architect celebrated for his work in Gothic Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival design. He also designed notable typefaces, including Cheltenham and Merrymount for ...
,
Sumner Spaulding
Sumner Spaulding (1892–1952) was an American architect and city planner. He is best known for designing the Harold Lloyd Estate, Greenacres, in Beverly Hills, California, the Catalina Casino in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, California, and ...
, and
Paul Williams were in California.
There are also examples of this architectural style in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, such as the
Hotel Nacional de Cuba
The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is a historic Spanish eclectic style hotel in Havana, Cuba, opened in 1930. Located on the sea front of Vedado district, it stands on Taganana Hill, offering commanding views of the sea and the city.
History
Design ...
, in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. .
Examples
*
E. W. Marland Mansion in Ponca City, Oklahoma, completed in 1928
*
Hayes Mansion
The Hayes Mansion is a historic mansion estate in the Edenvale neighborhood of San Jose, California. The mansion currently operates as a hotel resort and is currently known as Hayes Mansion San Jose, Curio Collection by Hilton. The hotel has b ...
in San Jose, California, completed in 1905
* Rose Crest Mansion (Currently a portion of
The Mary Louis Academy
The Mary Louis Academy, also known as TMLA, is an all-girls private Catholic college preparatory academy, located in Jamaica Estates, Queens, New York City. TMLA's campus encompasses eight buildings situated on private grounds at the top of o ...
) in Jamaica Estates, New York, completed in 1909
*
Delaware and Hudson Passenger Station
Lake George station is a historic train station located at Lake George in Warren County, New York. It was built between 1909 and 1911 by the Delaware and Hudson Railway, and is a one-story Mediterranean Revival style stuccoed frame building with ...
, Lake George, New York, 1909–1911
*
Villa Vizcaya
The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, previously known as Villa Vizcaya, is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the present-day Coconut Grove neighborho ...
in Miami, Florida, completed in 1914
*
Presidio building in San Francisco, California, completed in 1912
* The
Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, 1921 (demolished)
*
Allouez Pump House in Allouez, Wisconsin, 1925
*
Freedom Tower
One World Trade Center (also known as One World Trade, One WTC, and formerly Freedom Tower) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & M ...
in Miami, Florida, completed in 1925
*
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror, also known as Tower of Terror, is a series of similar accelerated drop tower dark rides located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Tokyo DisneySea, Walt Disney Studios Park, and formerly located at Disney Cali ...
in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. 1994
*
Vinoy Park Hotel
The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club is an historic Mediterranean Revival-style hotel opened in 1925 as the Vinoy Park Hotel. It is located in St. Petersburg, Florida at 501 Fifth Avenue Northeast, on the bayfront area of downt ...
in St. Petersburg, Florida, completed in 1925
*
Snell Arcade
The Snell Arcade (also known as the Rutland Building) is a historic site in St. Petersburg, Florida. The building was designed by the architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. Built in 1926, it is located at 405 Central Avenue. On Novem ...
in St. Petersburg, Florida. 1925
*
Boca Raton Resort & Club
The Boca Raton is a luxury resort and club in Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1926, today comprising 1,047 hotel rooms across 337 acres. Its facilities include two 18-hole golf courses, a 50,000 sq. ft. spa, seven swimming pools, 30 tennis cour ...
in Boca Raton, Florida, completed in 1926
*
Miami-Biltmore Hotel
The Miami Biltmore Hotel (commonly called The Biltmore Hotel or The Biltmore) is a luxury hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. The hotel was designed by Schultze and Weaver and was built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick as part of the ...
in Coral Gables, Florida, completed in 1926
*
Fort Harrison Hotel
The Fort Harrison Hotel serves as the flagship building of the Flag Land Base, the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, US. It is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., a ...
in Clearwater, Florida, completed in 1926
*
Cà d'Zan
Ca' d'Zan () is a Mediterranean revival mansion in Sarasota, Florida, adjacent to Sarasota Bay. Ca' d'Zan was built in the mid-1920s as the winter residence of the American circus mogul, entrepreneur, and art collector John Ringling and his wife ...
, former John Ringling estate in Sarasota, Florida, completed in 1926
*
Francis Marion Stokes Fourplex in Portland, Oregon, completed in 1926
*
Florida Theatre
The Florida Theatre is a historic American movie theater located in Jacksonville, Florida. Opened in April 1927, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on November 4, 1982. On April 18, 2012, the AIA's Florida Chapter plac ...
in Jacksonville, Florida, completed in 1927
*
Pasadena City Hall
Pasadena City Hall, completed in 1927, serves as the central location for city government in the Pasadena, California, City of Pasadena, California and is a significant architectural example of the City Beautiful movement of the 1920s.
History
...
in Pasadena, California, 1927
* Gaia Apartment Building in
Berkeley
Berkeley most often refers to:
*Berkeley, California, a city in the United States
**University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California
* George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher
Berkeley may also refer ...
, California, 2001
*
Nottingham Cooperative, 1927, Madison, Wisconsin
* Greenacres (Former
Harold Lloyd Estate
The Harold Lloyd Estate, also known as Greenacres, is a large mansion and landscaped estate located in the Benedict Canyon section of Beverly Hills, California. Built in the late 1920s by silent film star Harold Lloyd, it remained Lloyd's home ...
) in Beverly Hills, California, completed in 1928
*
Don CeSar
The Don CeSar is a hotel located in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Developed by Thomas Rowe and opened in 1928, it gained renown as the Gulf playground for America's pampered rich at the height of the Jazz Age. The hotel was designed by Henry H. Dup ...
Hotel, St. Pete Beach, Florida, completed in 1928
*
Beverly Shores Railroad Station, 1928
*
Catalina Casino
The Catalina Casino is a large gathering facility located in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles in California. It is the largest building on the island and the most visible landmark in Avalon Bay when approaching the i ...
in Avalon, California, completed May 29, 1929
*
Port Washington Fire Engine House
The Port Washington Fire Engine House is located in Port Washington, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
History
The fire engine house was built in 1929 next to the site of the city's previous firehouse, wh ...
in Wisconsin, completed in 1929
*
Casa Casuarina
Casa Casuarina, also known as the Versace Mansion, is an American property built in 1930, renowned for being owned by and the place of the murder of the Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace; he lived there from 1992 until his death in 1997. It ...
(Versace Mansion, now known as The Villa By Barton G.) in Miami Beach, Florida, 1930
*
Santa Fe Railway depot in Fullerton, California, completed 1930
*
Town Club (Portland, Oregon), completed 1931
*
Beverly Hills City Hall
The Beverly Hills City Hall is a historic building and city hall in Beverly Hills, California.
Location
The building is surrounded by North Santa Monica Boulevard, North Rexford Drive, South Santa Monica Boulevard, and North Crescent Drive.Google ...
, Beverly Hills, California, 1932
*
Cooley High School
Thomas M. Cooley High School is located at the intersection of Hubbell Avenue and Chalfonte Street, on the northwest side of Detroit, Michigan. The three-story, Mediterranean Revival-style facility opened its doors on September 4, 1928.
The scho ...
, Detroit, Michigan, built in 1928
*
Sunrise Theatre
The Sunrise Theatre (also known as the Sunrise Building) is a historic theater in Fort Pierce, Florida. It is located at 117 South 2nd Street.
History
Built in 1923 by builder C.E. Cahow, the Sunrise Theatre was designed in the Mediterranean Re ...
, Fort Pierce, Florida, built in 1922
* The Church of Scientology's
Flag Building, Clearwater, Florida, completed in 2011
*
Plymouth County Hospital, a tuberculosis sanatorium in Hanson, Massachusetts. Completed in 1919
* The
Wolfsonian-FIU
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University or The Wolfsonian-FIU, located in the heart of the Art Deco District of Miami Beach, Florida, is a museum, library and research center that uses its collection to illustrate the persuasive power of ...
, in Miami Beach, Florida, 1927
* The
L. Ron Hubbard House, Washington, D.C., built in 1904
See also
*
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
*
Gothicmed
Gothicmed is a European Union project carried out within the Culture 2000 programme and headed by the Ministry of Culture of the regional government of Valencia (Valencian Community), Spain.Grant agreement nº 2004/1479 The aim of the project is t ...
– project which includes finding further insight to
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...
in the Mediterranean area
*
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...
*
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture
The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
In th ...
*
Mar del Plata style
The Mar del Plata style ( es, Estilo Mar del Plata, or ) is a vernacular architectural style very popular during the decades between 1935 and 1950 mainly in the Argentine resort city of Mar del Plata, but extended to nearby coastal towns like ...
, eclectic vernacular style which borrows some of the references incorporated by the Mediterranean Revival
*
Moorish Revival architecture
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centur ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
* Nolan, David. ''The Houses of St. Augustine''. Sarasota, Pineapple Press, 1995.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mediterranean Revival Architecture
American architectural styles
Revival architectural styles
Addison Mizner