A Comprehensive Guide to Townhouse Architectural Styles
The “townhouse” has a long and storied history, which could arguably be traced all the way back to medieval Europe. Often built as homes for the upper class, the first residential townhouses were built in England and France, and they quickly became a symbol of wealth and status. Many townhouses were built with grandiose architecture and featured luxurious amenities like sweepingly designed staircases, fireplaces, and large gardens.
During the Industrial Revolution, many people who had previously lived in rural areas moved to cities to find work. This led to a boom in urban housing construction, and townhouses were built to accommodate this influx of people.
While these new townhouses were much smaller than their predecessors and lacked the same level of luxury, this new era saw a gradual evolution of townhouse architecture through the following design styles – all of which can still be found in various metropolitan areas around the world today.
The 1800s saw townhouses being built in Manhattan, with the Federal Style being the design of choice between 1800 and 1835. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission’s Rowhouse Manual states that the Federal Style townhouse was characterised by modest scale and simplistic architectural ornament derivative of Ancient Greek and Roman design.
Other typical attributes of Federal Style townhouses include:
Between 1830 and 1850, the Greek Revival Style rose to prominence, featuring bold, simplistic architectural elements reminiscent of Greek motifs. Arriving about halfway through this period and lingering for about a decade afterwards (1840-1860), the Gothic Revival Style gained popularity, bringing back design elements typically associated with organic and natural forms, as well as medievalism.
Throughout the 1860s, New York’s Upper East Side hosted a vast array of Italianate Style townhouse construction, complete with omnipresent chocolate brownstone facing and some other features inspired by Renaissance forms typical of Anglo architectural styles.
Around the same time that Italianate styles were rising in popularity, the Second Empire Style became more prominent (followed by Neo Grec). These townhouses encompassed highly stylised classic details like engraved detailing.
England’s influence started to creep into townhouse architecture throughout New York City between 1870 and 1890, bringing with it a refreshing sense of freedom and creativity that combined attributes from a myriad of historical townhouse architecture styles and materials.
Red brick cladding and rough/smooth stone trimming, terra cotta, iron, wood and slate shingles all characterised this era, followed sharply by the Romanesque Revival Style (which is best described as heavily featuring round arched openings and asymmetrical components).
The beginning of the 20th Century ushered in a new era of townhouse architecture, where a melting pot of design styles started to emerge all at once. This era marked a sharp switch in the course of townhouse architecture (and North American architecture in general).
This is in part due to the World’s Columbian Exposition (Chicago 1893), which reignited interest in the symmetry and balance of classical and renaissance architecture design styles.
The team at NTF Architecture has spearheaded a wide and varied selection of residential, commercial and multi-residential architecture projects right across Melbourne. To discuss your goals and ambitions for your upcoming build or renovation, don’t hesitate to contact us.