Second empire mansard roofs in the victorian era.
Second empire mansard roof.
At its most elaborate the look was sometimes described as a wedding cake.
Also called a french roof or curb roof a mansard roof is a four sided gambrel style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each side.
The second empire style s popularity led to a widespread remodeling boom during which mansard roofs were incorporated into formerly pitched roof residences.
Photo by nels akerlund.
However the tall mansard roofthat we associate with the style dates back to renaissance times.
It was one of the chief features of the french second empire style named for the period of napoleon iii in france which was given to much building and ostentation and was more widespread outside of that country than in it.
The identifying element for this style is the mansard roof a steep sided roof which is a full story high with dormers set above the main cornice.
The upper slope of the roof may not be visible from street level when viewed from close proximity to the building.
The mansard roof and second empire style a defining feature of the second empire style the mansard roof allows a full floor of living space above the cornice line of a building without increasing the technical number of stories in the structure.
A mansard or mansard roof is a four sided gambrel style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope punctured by dormer windows at a steeper angle than the upper.
Overview as its name implies the second empire architectural style also called the french second empire style or mansard style can be traced to france specifically to the reign of napoleon iii 1852 1870.
During the renaissance in italy and france many buildings had steep double sloped roofs.
As the name implies the french second empire style was imported from france in the mid 19th century.
Hegeler carus mansion c.
The mansard roof is actually one of the style s most distinguishing features.
The earliest known exampl.
The mansard roof is a ubiquitous feature in american second empire houses built between 1860 and 1890.
The steep roof with windows creates an additional floor of habitable space and reduces the overall height of the roof for a given number of habitable stories.
The mansard roof s big revival came with the high victorian styles of the 1850s through the 1870s particularly in the united states.
1876 with full second empire form styling and mansard roof.
It was the style used in the great rebuilding of paris under napoleon iii.
Photo donated by sharon wagenknecht executive director of the hegeler carus foundation which operates the property as a house museum and maintains a detailed web site.
