Illustrated Architecture Dictionary
Illustrated Architecture Dictionary
Eclecticism/Eclectic
The selection of elements from diverse styles for architectural decoration designs, particularly during the late 19th-early 20th century period in Europe and the USA.
Eclectic Characteristics
- Variety of different design elements
- Doesn't fit well into one style category
Some architectural historians categorize all the styles between Victorian (1860-1900) and American houses Since 1940 as Eclectic.
For example, see part of the Table of Contents in A Field Guide to American Houses, by Virginia and Lee McAlester (Knopf, 2000):
Examples from Buffalo architecture:
- Illustration above: Henry Smith House
- Conners House
- Eli D. Hofeller House
- Hewitt House
- St. Vincent's Female Orphan Asylum
Examples from Buffalo architecture:
- Sagrada Familia Barcelona, Spain
