Renaissance Revival architecture is a broad term for the revival of Renaissance, Mannerist, and Baroque architecture. Difficult to define precisely, the wide variety of influences available resulted in many different compositions. In its heyday, it was a very popular style, used on just about every program imaginable.
Renaissance Revival architecture began c. 1810 in Europe. One of the first designs was Peter Speeth's Women's Prison in Wurzburg, which is highly eclectic but takes cues like the palazzo form and rusticated base from Renaissance architecture. Early Renaissance Revival architecture was very literal and honest in its design, usually adhering to one specific era or architect of the time. Leo von Klenze's Palais Leuchtenberg, built from 1817-1821, is almost an exact recreation of an orthodox palazzo.
As the movement developed within Europe, Renaissance Revival architecture began to incorporate Mannerist, Baroque, and even Gothic features. Architects of the time viewed Mannerism and Baroque architecture as essentially a continuation of Renaissance design. It became a popular choice for public and government buildings, banks, and the residences of the rich by the 1850s.
In the United States, Renaissance Revival architecture caught on near the end of the 19th century. Wealthy families commissioned mansions or brownstones with Renaissance and Chateauesque designs, and the style was popular for religious architecture and even the newly developed skyscrapers.
Renaissance Revival architecture is generally influenced by the three styles of the Italian Renaissance--the Renaissance style itself, Mannerism, and Baroque. Though some designs strictly adhere to one style alone, others freely blend features from all three. Forms can be as simple as a rectangular palazzo or as complex as the elaborate mansions and opera houses of the time. Decorative features are commonly classical (as the Renaissance was), including the orders, colonnades, vaulting, loggias, pedimented drip molds, entablatures, and sculpture. More elaborate buildings could include towers, mansard roofs, and dormers.
Renaissance Revival interiors may have introduced the concept of treating inside rooms differently than the exterior of a building, as it was the advent of various furniture and decorative styles. Interior comfort was a priority for architects, and decoration was often very elaborate. Additionally, the invention of plate glass allowed larger windows. Grand staircases and large entrance halls were a common sight upon entry.
Renaissance Revival architecture generally was in decline by the turn of the 20th century, but late examples (usually American skyscrapers) dated to the 1920s or later. Beaux-Arts architecture could include Renaissance features as well. The style was supplanted by early Modernist designs.