Red-tiled roofs are a hallmark of Spanish architecture.
Spanish-style architecture features low-pitched, red-tiled roofs, white stucco walls and arched windows and doors. Other elements include decorative tile work surrounding windows and doorways, elaborate wrought-iron grill work on balconies, and bell towers. Spanish architectural style combines details from Moorish, Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance cultures. In the United States, a revival of this style borrows details from early Spanish missions in America, such as the one in San Juan Capistrano, California. Does this Spark an idea?
Exterior Features
Prominent exterior features of Spanish architecture include low-pitched, clay-tiled roofs, minimal or no eave overhang, arched windows, doorways and porch entrances, thick stucco walls and asymmetrical facades. These Mediterranean-style structures are often built in a semi-circle around an enclosed courtyard. The courtyard usually has brick or tile floors. Porches with multiple arched openings often face the courtyard or side yard.
Interior Features
Inside, Spanish style architecture continues the rustic themes found outside. The stucco walls, arched doorways, tile work and other fine craftsmanship are repeated in rooms throughout Spanish-style homes. High ceilings often have exposed wood beams and wrought-iron chandeliers. Hardwood floors, decorative balustrades, plaster interiors and large fireplaces are other features.
Examples
The architecture of Spain is quite varied, from Roman ruins to the modern and futuristic. Some of the oldest sites include the aqueduct of Segovia and the Roman Theater of Merida. The opposite extreme stands in Barcelona, home of Antoni Gaudi's ornate Sagrada Familia cathedral. The Moorish influence is displayed at sites such as the Great Mosque of Cordoba, one of Spain's biggest tourist attractions. The style most copied in Spanish Revival homes of the early 20th century, however, draws upon Spanish missions and churches built in the New World.
History
Renewed interest in the Spanish style of architecture resulted in part from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the Colombian Exposition, where European styles were interpreted in accurate detail. American architects began designing period houses for wealthy clients based on these styles. Many historically accurate homes were erected between 1900 and 1929. The Spanish Revival houses, also known as Spanish Eclectic, were concentrated in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida and California, but they can be found throughout the United States.
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