Louis Roelandt and the 1815 Waterloo Competition

In 1816, the ambitious Belgian architect Louis Roelandt (1786-1864) eagerly participated in a prestigious architectural competition launched by British Parliament to commemorate WellingtonU+2019s victory at Waterloo. The Waterloo monument - although unexecuted - is considered to be RoelandtU+2019s first personal design, following his graduation from the École Spéciale dU+2019Architecture and predating the Ghent Aula. This poster proposes both a formal and iconographical analysis of RoelandtU+2019s design for the Waterloo monument. First, it is pointed out that the Waterloo monument was conceived as part of a broader layout on the urban level. Second, it is argued that the global design was based upon four specific typologies of (neo-)classical architecture: the Roman circus, the trophy, the mausoleum, and the monumental staircase. Each of these typologies is associated with an essential concept inherent to the Waterloo competition: national unity, military success, remembrance, and BritainU+2019s triumph. An analysis on RoelandtU+2019s adaption of these typologies to fit the specific needs of the Waterloo monument, forms the core of the study.

Jaar van publicatie:2014

Toegankelijkheid:Closed