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*the '''Polish Cathedral Style''', which, as its name indicates, was brought by immigrants from Poland to areas of the United States where they settled in large numbers: namely, the industrial cities of the [[Great Lakes]] and [[Mid-Atlantic]] regions and, to a lesser extent, southern [[New England]]. Built in the greatest numbers between 1870 and the First World War, these structures were invariably much larger and more ornate than neighboring churches: their grand scale served as a testament both to the glory of God and to the prestige of the Polish-American communities who built them, but also led to criticism from other denominations about the use of donations from poor immigrant parishioners to fund lavish church buildings.
*the '''Polish Cathedral Style''', which, as its name indicates, was brought by immigrants from Poland to areas of the United States where they settled in large numbers: namely, the industrial cities of the [[Great Lakes]] and [[Mid-Atlantic]] regions and, to a lesser extent, southern [[New England]]. Built in the greatest numbers between 1870 and the First World War, these structures were invariably much larger and more ornate than neighboring churches: their grand scale served as a testament both to the glory of God and to the prestige of the Polish-American communities who built them, but also led to criticism from other denominations about the use of donations from poor immigrant parishioners to fund lavish church buildings.
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:The Polish Cathedral Style is less a full-fledged style in its own right than a set of principles of design and decoration that could be applied to pretty much any style — in Buffalo, Romanesque Revival was usually the underlying aesthetic, though Gothic Revival Polish Cathedrals also exist. The decorative elements borrow from a grab bag of other styles such as Neoclassical, Baroque, and Renaissance Revival, synthesizing them into a unique, eclectic fusion whose ornateness is typically rivaled only by the most florid Spanish Baroque buildings. The trademark of the Polish Cathedral Style, however, is a pair of identical twin steeples that flank the front façade of the building, crowned with copper-clad cupolae with lanterns and finials at the top (or, in the case of Gothic-based designs, with tall, narrow
steeples
). The front elevation and the eaves of the roof are peppered liberally with statuary, often depicting religious figures revered by Polish Catholics, and the apse is typically topped by a large dome often similar in design to the steeples' cupolae.
+
:The Polish Cathedral Style is less a full-fledged style in its own right than a set of principles of design and decoration that could be applied to pretty much any style — in Buffalo, Romanesque Revival was usually the underlying aesthetic, though Gothic Revival Polish Cathedrals also exist. The decorative elements borrow from a grab bag of other styles such as Neoclassical, Baroque, and Renaissance Revival, synthesizing them into a unique, eclectic fusion whose ornateness is typically rivaled only by the most florid Spanish Baroque buildings. The trademark of the Polish Cathedral Style, however, is a pair of identical twin steeples that flank the front façade of the building, crowned with copper-clad cupolae with lanterns and finials at the top (or, in the case of Gothic-based designs, with tall, narrow
spires
). The front elevation and the eaves of the roof are peppered liberally with statuary, often depicting religious figures revered by Polish Catholics, and the apse is typically topped by a large dome often similar in design to the steeples' cupolae.
*the '''Renaissance Revival''', the latest of these styles to come into vogue. The original Renaissance was, of course, a movement of cultural awakening that spread across all of Europe in the 15th, 16th, and 17th Centuries — which, in the realm of architecture, made for a loosely connected yet maddeningly diverse array of forms and aesthetic principles specific to each individual country. Renaissance Revival architecture is no different. Broadly speaking, in Buffalo the most popular varieties of Renaissance Revival architecture were the French and Italian styles, though you'll also see some scattered examples of other traditions such as Dutch and Flemish. In North America, the Renaissance Revival's heyday was a relatively brief period of a decade or two on either side of the turn of the century.
*the '''Renaissance Revival''', the latest of these styles to come into vogue. The original Renaissance was, of course, a movement of cultural awakening that spread across all of Europe in the 15th, 16th, and 17th Centuries — which, in the realm of architecture, made for a loosely connected yet maddeningly diverse array of forms and aesthetic principles specific to each individual country. Renaissance Revival architecture is no different. Broadly speaking, in Buffalo the most popular varieties of Renaissance Revival architecture were the French and Italian styles, though you'll also see some scattered examples of other traditions such as Dutch and Flemish. In North America, the Renaissance Revival's heyday was a relatively brief period of a decade or two on either side of the turn of the century.