neoclassical - Architecture Dictionary

neoclassical architecture

In the 1700s, European architects started to move on from Baroque building styles and became inspired by classical architecture during this period in which the Enlightenment occurred. Ornate Baroque and Rococo styles fell out of favor as architects for a growing middle class reacted to and rejected the opulence of the ruling class. French and American revolutions returned design to Classical ideals, including equality and democracy, which are emblematic of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. These buildings were proportioned according to the classical orders with details borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the United States turned to Classic architectural ideals to construct federal buildings.