What is eclecticism?
Eclecticism is a 19th-century architectural movement in which designers freely combine motifs, elements and compositions from different historical styles within a single building. The term derives from the Greek eklektikos, “selecting”: the architect picks at will from Gothic, Renaissance, Classical or Baroque to find the most fitting expression for the brief.
Features
- Style mixing — several historical styles within one building
- Function-driven — churches often Neo-Gothic, banks often Neo-Renaissance
- Rich detailing — ornament on capitals, friezes, cornices
- Free composition — not bound by classical proportional rules
- Materials — natural stone, brick, cast iron and polychrome masonry
What is “free” about eclecticism
In earlier stylistic periods, the style was dictated by the spirit of the age. In eclecticism the architect chooses:
- By function — a courthouse gains classical authority, a station romantic Gothic
- By taste — patron and public favour splendour
- By place — a building can adapt to its surroundings
- By symbolism — Gothic for religion, Renaissance for commerce
Application
Eclecticism dominates the second half of the 19th century:
- Town and city halls — combinations of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Gothic
- Railway stations — Neo-Gothic outside, modern (steel and glass) inside
- Universities — Moorish, Romanesque or Renaissance elements
- Banks and insurers — Neoclassicism as a symbol of stability
- Town houses — lavish combinations along grand canals or boulevards
Examples
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (P.J.H. Cuypers) — Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance combined
- Palace of Westminster, London — Gothic Revival with Tudor and classical motifs
- Vienna Ringstraße — Neoclassical, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance buildings side by side
- Paris Opera (Garnier) — Baroque, Renaissance and classical elements
Reaction of modernism
Around 1900, the modern movement turned against eclecticism. Architects such as Berlage and Le Corbusier sought an honest, material-driven architecture without historical ornament. This gave rise to Art Nouveau, the Bauhaus and the International Style.
Related terms
- Neo-Gothic
- Neo-Renaissance
- Neoclassicism
- Historicism
- Architecture
- Bauhaus
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