San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane

who is the archiect? (patron)

Frencesco Borromini

Where is the building? (setting)

Rome, Italy

Is the building related to any cultural o religious tradition? (tradition)

The church is trinitarian and is dedicated to St Charles borromeo

when people walk inside this building, what do they see?(focus)

The entrance, or façade, of the building is highly decorated with sculptures and columns. When people enter the main sanctuary and altar, bright, white curved walls are lit by the four half-domes and central oval dome.

what is the buildings structural support system?(focus)

The floor plan indicates columns based on the dark colored circles around the circumference of the dome and half-domes.

What mood or message is the building intended to communicate and how is that achieved? (content)

The variety of geometric shapes and the ellipse in the center are characteristic of the trinity in the christian religion.

what other natural elements are around it? (setting)

There are fountains at each corner of the intersection, and one within the architecture of the building.

why was it built? (function)

it was built for the holy order of the trinity.

what are the building materials?(focus)

stone and stucco

how is the building decorated? (content)

the building is decorated in the Italian baroque style, highly ornamented with geometric patterns and religious symbols.

what is the buildings basic shape?(focus)

the christian central floor plan notes a shape of a rectangle and a fountain built in the corner, and a slight slope in the north wall to accommodate the odd shape of the piece of land.

what other buildings are around it?(setting)

the church is located at an intersection.

Who is the patron of the building? (patron)

the church was commissioned by cardinal Francesco Barberini

what is the purpose of this building? (function)

the floor plan shows an altar and a chapel , giving evidence that this is a church.

how does the ornamentation communicate? (content)

the ornamentation contributes the blending of mathematics and religion.