The Eclectic Royal Insurance Company Building
Posted in Discourse on Tue Oct 10, 06 by Kyle under Architecture and 19th Century.
I love old commercial buildings, especially crazy eclectic ones like the above Royal Insurance Company Building in Philadelphia. If you look closely at the photo you can see that this building was built in 1882, during the peak of Queen Anne architecture and Aesthetic the movement in the United States. Close inspection reveals the de rigueur sunflower motif on the panels beneath the windows. The sunflower was to the Aesthetic movement what the I-beam and plate glass was to corporate Modernists. You can also see classical columns and pilasters mixed with pointed gothic arches and finials, among the other delightful details that abound on this building.
The late 19th century is know for this kind of eclectic mixing. The build up of an integrated look through the combination of small details such as arches, decorative panels, brickwork, moldings, shingles, slates, and finials contributed to the aesthetic goal of creating a “picturesque” effect. Like all styles a skilled sense of design is required to make it work well, this mix and match approach did not always ensure pleasing results. However, the toolkit of the 1880s and 90s was big enough to ensure a lively variety and individuality on the street front while still maintaining a common architectural language.
See the full Library of Congress record.
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very interesting