Estipite
The estipite column is a type of pilaster used in buildings in the Mannerist and Baroque styles,a moment when many classical architectural elements lost their simple shapes and became increasingly complex, offering a variety of forms and exuberant decoration. This sort of column has the shape of an inverted pyramid or obelisk. Sometimes the shaft is wider in its middle part than in the base or capital. Examples include Michelangelo’s Biblioteca Laurenziana. It became later a signature element of the Churrigueresque Baroque style of Spain and Spanish America in the 18th century.
Characteristics
Form
The shape of the estipite has a narrow base and the shaft is in the shape of an inverted obelisk. This is a variation to previous uses of the pilaster which deviates from classical architecture with its form. In classical architecture, pilasters give the impression that they have a load bearing function. However, due to the obelisk shape of the estipite, this tradition is disrupted. The estipite is not supposed to look solid, instead be dynamic and create movement. Creating an apparent lightness to the structure.Manuel Toussaint defines estipites as:
“A supporting member, square or rectangular in section, and formed of multiple elements: pyramids and truncated prisms, parallelepipeds, superimposed foliage, medallions, garlands, bouquets, festoons. The ornament is all vegetable, applied to geometric forms”.