Castle Architecture Vs Medieval Architecture

Historically, designing and constructing monumental architecture was a practice only feasible for wealthy or powerful individuals, and was often built as a symbol of their prestige; more specifically, castles served two primary purposes: defense and nobility. Looking at various castles over the 900 years they were built, a dramatic evolution in form and function is evident. For example, castles constructed during the Medieval and early Renaissance periods vary greatly in both appearance and function in order to fit different needs. Arguably, the shifts in culture and political structure are what drove these castle designs to develop from a place of defense to primarily a status of wealth.

If we wish to understand the evolution of castle design,

The elevated entrance and sturdy stone made the castle more difficult to capture, however, the design was still flawed. The occupants of such structures soon realized that the sharp corners of the square-shaped fortresses posed many complications while defending the castle. The sharp angle made visibility difficult when navigating around the castle, leaving the defendants in a vulnerable position. Blind spots were also created by the sharp angles when one was looking outward from within the castle. During the twelfth century, experimental structures were erected, creating a bit of a transitional period in castle design.

One of the most renowned transitional buildings is Orford castle, erected by Henry II in Suffolk during the year of 1165. The core shape of this castle is polygonal, hence eliminating the sharp corners of a square building and increasing the defensibility of the structure. This castle displayed such innovative design and upstanding masonry work, that some argue it changed the game in terms of what is considered a great architectural

This type takes the best aspects of each castle type and molds them into an expression of defensive strategy. Concentric lines of defense were the main strategy displayed by this castle type through two layers of walls, often separated or surrounded by moats, with the keep residing directly in the center. The multiple lines of defense proved to be extremely effective in keeping enemies out, or running their military numbers down substantially while the defendants could retreat behind a whole new line of defense. There were also a wide variety of cultural aspirations being addressed by this new castle type—churches and chapels began to be incorporated within the fortress, stables were moved within the walls, and more people were housed within the castle. This is most likely an outcome of job specialization, and the fact that groups or empires grew so large, not every single person needed to defend themselves; the castle grew to be many moving parts working as one whole.

This concentric castle is also what one might think of when building a sand castle, as circular towers round out the corners of the structure; these towers not only provided more tensile strength than rectangular ones, but they also allowed someone to look out the window and have a wider line of sight without blind spots. The Harlech Castle, built by one of England’s greatest warrior kings,