Week 3: Classical Civilization

The Classical Civilization consists of many great architectural ideas from ancient Greece and Rome. This era began with Greece having some of the most interesting and the start of architectural ideas like columns, types of art styles, furniture designs, etc. Many cultures and eras were inspired by their ideas and used what the Greeks had as their blueprint. Then later the Romans took inspiration from the Greeks and took the art of monumental architecture in a new direction, developing a new appreciation of luxury in the interior of buildings in Europe.

Columns

One of the earliest designs that Greeks made were columns. Classical architecture has various orders of columns, such as Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, each with distinct proportions and detailing. The column will have 3 features: the base, the shaft, and the capital. Columns were built and designed for palaces or large buildings like the Palace of Knossos.

Current Application

This a Modern application of Columns for the Johnson Wax Headquarters in Racine Wisconsin designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd used a lily pad design as a column for this building.

Arch

While Greece was known for its expansions on Columns the Romans focused and created different arches. An arch was not new to the Romans since many other civilizations have installed them in their designs, even the Greeks but none of them explored different designs and ideas like the Romans. Some of the new ideas that the Romans came up with were the barrel vault, which consisted of the arch being projected three-dimensionally, and the dome with the arch rotating around a single point. With the new designs they used a new material at the time: Concrete 

Current Applications

Located in Rome, The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana takes a different approach to the uses of an arch. The arches are correlated to the number of letters in the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s name.

The Domus

The Domus was a type of house built by Romans that was open to the sky. Wealthy Romans typically lived in these buildings. The layout consisted of a rectangular structure with multiple rooms that had certain uses. There is an opening space in the middle called the atrium where Romans collected rainwater. Off the side of the atrium was a room called the tablinum that held a religious shrine and it was the main room where the head of the house received visitors and held any business. There is also a room called peristyle that was an outdoor space for a garden surrounded by columns.

Current Application

Located in Marche, Italy, the Domus Contemporanea project projects a fusion between the Marche farmhouse and the Roman Domus. Like the Domus, this building includes an open space in the middle of the house. 

One Step Further

Born in Richland Center Wisconsin Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect that has designed over 1,000 structures. He is most famous for creating “organic architecture”. This phrase indicates buildings that harmonize with their inhabitants and their environment. His most famous building would have to be the Fallingwater. Located in Southwestern Pennsylvania the Falling Water was designed to rise above the waterfall over which it is built and was considered the “best all-time work of American architecture” by a poll of members of the American Institute of Architects. It’s now a National Historic Landmark that is open to the public to tour.

Extra Links:

• Video that talks more in-depth about the Domus house and its uses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pDmu13LHg0
• The video talks more about the uses of an Arch in Rome : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiDVvxXCmQ8