Beginning in 1876 and extending to the start of WWI in 1917, American Renaissance rode the wave of centennial patriotism and a self-confidence in modernism and new technologies. Drawing from the Greek and Roman (Italian) Renaissances, it was made to express America’s belief that it was the continuation of the great democracies of old.
Characterized by the use of classical design principles, symmetry, proportion, mathematically precise ratios and harmony, American Renaissance projects were always large and of stone or masonry. Roofs were low pitched and hipped with overhanging eaves. Examples include the Cuyahoga County Courthouse in Cleveland, San Francisco City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge. The later illustrates the confidence in modernism with massive steel cables.
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