Loggia

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The Renaissance three-storey arcade loggia of the City Hall in Poznań served representative and communication purposes.

Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan[1] design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall. Notably, Filippo Brunelleschi featured a loggia at the front of the Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents) in Florence, Italy.

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[edit] Definition

The loggia can also be an alternative to the portico. In this form it is mostly described as a recessed portico, or an internal room, with pierced walls and open to the elements. Occasionally a loggia is placed at the second floor level, above a loggia on the main floor; this is known as a 'double loggia'. Loggias sometimes were given significance in a facade by being surmounted by a pediment.

The main difference between a loggia and a portico is the role within the functional layout of the building. The portico allows access to the inside from the exterior, and can be found on vernacular and small scale buildings. The loggia is accessed only from inside, making it a place for leisure. Thus, it is found mainly on noble residences and public buildings.

Villa Godi by Palladio. A loggia is the focal point in place of a portico in the centre, and used again at each side of the structure as a corridor.

A classic use of both is that represented in the Mosaics of Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo of the Royal Palace to which it was Chapel.

Ravenna's Ostrogoths VI century Royal Palace.

[edit] Examples

Today, a loggia can be a small, often ornate, summer house built on the roof of a residence to enjoy cooling winds and admire the view. They are typical of Italian architecture and were especially popular in the 17th century. They are prominent in Rome.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Vasilakis, Antonis. Phaistos. Vasilis Kouvidis - Vasilis Manouras Editions, Iraklio, p. 118 ISBN 960-86623-6-2
  2. ^ Balcony improvements, Pro-Remont home improvement site (in Russian)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Vasilakis, Antonis. Phaistos. Vasilis Kouvidis - Vasilis Manouras Editions, Iraklio, p. 118 ISBN 960-86623-6-2
  2. ^ Balcony improvements, Pro-Remont home improvement site (in Russian)
  • Curl, James Stevens (2006) (paperback). A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 880. ISBN 0-19-860678-8. 

[edit] See also

Media related to Loggias at Wikimedia Commons

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