Renaissance Architecture Masard Roof

The earliest known exampl.

Renaissance architecture masard roof.

A mansard or mansard roof is a four sided gambrel style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope punctured by dormer windows at a steeper angle than the upper. The mansard roof is a hipped gambrel roof thus having two slopes on every side. The popularity of the mansard roof kept on growing in france and became even more fashionable during the reign of napoleon the 3rd 1852 1870. Yet the mansard style got famous in the 17th century by francois mansart who was a renowned architect of the french baroque period.

So that was generally a period of paris rebuilding in the 1850s. Interestingly in europe mansard can also refer to the attic space and not just the roof structure. The steep roof with windows creates an additional floor of habitable space and reduces the overall height of the roof for a given number of habitable stories. Their fashionable existence came during the reign of napoleon iii during the second empire.

Almost in the 1550s mansard roofs were designed. Both of the aforementioned roof types can provide extra attic space or other room without building an entire additional floor. However it was not until the early 17th century that this roofing style gained in popularity. Ever since then the mansard roof has become an integral part of french architecture and is quite commonly seen in many buildings located in that part of the world.

It was widely used in renaissance and baroque french architecture. Mansart is remembered by architectural historians as the father of french classical architecture but he clearly had a practical nature as well. The upper slope of the roof may not be visible from street level when viewed from close proximity to the building.