Classical Rome - Discussion

Margaret has an excellent blog post on Rome. She goes through many different aspects of Roman culture at that time. She describes the Maison Carree in detail - which is very interesting. She also included a fun fact that after Romans used concrete that it wasn't used again for centuries. I had no idea!

In Emily's post, she describes an insula and it made me think about current multi-use buildings. It seems like such a current trend in making new places to live/work/play. However, like most things, it's history repeating itself. There are ways of building that work really well in cities that you would see replicated over time. 
 
You can find their blog posts here: 
http://www.history1msb.blogspot.com/2014/01/march-into-ancient-rome_26.html
http://www.history1evp.blogspot.com/2014/01/chapter-3-classical-civilization-rome.html

Classical Greece - Discussion

I read Megan's and Lindsay's blog posts this week. Megan pointed out that motifs were a large part of Greek design. It's very true that these are a large part of Greek design that we see today in modern designs. It is remarkably easy to look through any design magazine or website and find examples of the motifs associated with Greece - such as the fret or egg-and-dart. 

Lindsay pointed out that details were very important in Greek culture and you can see that clearly in the amount and style of ornamentation of that time. The work and design that goes into a mosaic floor, to plaster and paint walls, and to carve out all the details on the corinthian columns was really significant. 

You can read their blogs here: 
http://www.history1mmd.blogspot.com/2014/01/greece.html
http://www.history1lcb.blogspot.com/2014/01/ancient-greece.html

CLASSICAL ROME

One thing that is really unique about the architecture of Rome is the use of the arch. Also, using the arch along a corridor creates a barrel vault and in the round creates a dome.

 

Rome used concrete! I think of concrete as primarily a modern building material that is “cheap” and not as regal as marble or stone. However, it makes sense that the discovery of the material for the Romans was monumental and allowed them to create far more than with stone or brick alone.

It's really interesting that the Roman empire used a grid system in creating cities in conquered lands, however Rome itself is considered less "Roman" because its design is much more organic.

When Rome conquered foreign lands, rather than eliminate local culture they recognized that preserving some traditions and customs of the people there would be beneficial. Also, that bringing the advancements achieved by the Roman empire could improve local infrastructure. Therefore, in many Roman colonies you would find bathhouses which would appeal to the local population.

I found it really interesting that there are classifications of the types of paintings one would find in classical Rome.

• Mimicking materials such as marble.

• Mimicking architectural construction, and enhanced with perspective and shading.

• Unbuildable or fantastical architecture, and landscapes. Related to Republican Rome – Augustus and Tiberius.

• Representational or large scenes, or vistas. Related to the reign of Claudius.

Influence on Modern Design

The elements of design that we see in Classical Rome have had major influences on modern culture. Two examples of this are the modern domes, and the use of concrete in large-scale applications. The dome shown below tests the limits of modern materials - which is the exact thing that the designers of the Pantheon were doing. 

Also, while concrete is a utilitarian substance in modern building, it is also used in decorative ways as well, just as it was in the ceiling of the Pantheon. 

CLASSICAL GREECE

The most recognizable examples of architecture in classical Greece were temples built to honor their gods, such as the Parthenon. The design of these buildings was based on columns and post-and-lintel. The columns supported grand structures and were intended to house a single statue in the interior. It’s really fascinating that during this time, architects and designers considered the perception of these large monuments and used techniques like entasis (modifying the strict geometry of columns or other structures for perceptual effect) to make an impression on viewers.

History isn’t always well informed when it comes to modest ways of living. However, we get a lot of rich information about daily life in ancient Greece from the pottery left behind. They were highly decorated and showed furniture and everyday life. Interestingly, they were also rich with information on mood. Because of the images on pottery, we are able to discover the beautiful style of the Klismos chair.

Influence on Modern Design

A primary influence on modern design is that of the column. Not only do we still use them as a structural member, but we still see principles of entasis in modern columns. The column shown below is spindle-like, and rather than giving visual interest through an appearance of security, it seems that the large slab of the building is delicately balancing on the column. 

There are many examples of neoclassical style in the US today, but one well-recognized example is the US Supreme Court building in Washington, DC.

The style of the Klismos has been so pervasive that we still see almost exact replicas in modern homes today.

Also, the greek key design is found in many modern homes. 

Ancient Civilizations - Discussion

http://www.history1ah.blogspot.com/2014/01/ancient-egypt.html
http://www.history1hje.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-1-ancient-civilization-5000-bce.html

For my discussion post this week, I looked to Ariana's and Hannah's blog posts. 

I think Ariana made a really good point that when you hear "Egyptian style" you think of theme restaurants or really over-the-top furnishings. 

However, when you look back at the actual pieces discovered, the furniture did seem regal and sophisticated for the time, but not over done. It seems that some details that are commonly found in a time period are exaggerated when there is a revival of that style.


Also, Hannah pointed out the extensive use folding items in order to make them more portable. It was ingenious that they developed these pieces. The hinges and construction of folding items are far more complicated than simply building a traditional piece of furniture. The design insight to see how to transform a stationary object into a collapsed form, and then create the hinges and connections to achieve that is really spectacular. 

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

The second chapter of our book discusses three ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia. The difference between the architecture of the prehistoric era and these ancient civilizations is monumental. Also, these three civilizations interacted and influenced one another greatly.

The first of these civilizations is Mesopotamian, also referred to as Assyrian, located in the geographic area of modern-day Iraq. During this time period major advancements such as the wheel have been developed along with writing and record keeping.

The architecture has advanced to a state where large-scale buildings are constructed and ornamentation is being used. Finishes are applied to walls, such as skim coats of mud or plaster, which are then painted or carved with reliefs. The differences in finishes are used to distinguish between quarters of different classes.They also highlighted prominent points and entryways with differently colored bricks or a change in finish.

They used wall ornamentation to proclaim wealth and as a form of visual communication. These images were intended to impress and intimidate viewers, often to instill a sense of decorum. These images also show furniture such as chairs, table, couches, thrones, and footrests. 

The ancient Egyptians had lots of stone in their environment, unlike the Assyrians, and with a strong centralized power they were able achieve architecture on a scale that had not been seen before. 

Furnishings were preserved in the tombs of pyramids and demonstrated a box-like conception of the world. Furnishings would start off with a grid or boxlike shape, then as an early example of ergonomics, they would modify these shapes to better fit the human form.

The Nubian civilization was located at the headwaters of the Nile river in modern-day Sudan and Ethiopia. They had abundance of natural resources such as metals which they traded with Egypt. The Egyptian and Nubian cultures were heavily intermixed and even with the influence of Egyptian style, the Nubian style was very clearly African. 

Influence on Modern Design

Each of these ancient civilizations has influenced modern culture. One example would be the large-scale interiors meant to impress and even intimidate on occasion. Two examples are below.

Also, we still see large art installations or murals that seek to send a message - a story about the history of a place or a commentary on a culture. 

Prehistory - Discussion

I read Dana and Desiree's blog posts for the Prehistoric period. Both of these posts focus on the examples of architecture during the prehistoric era. For instance, Skara Brae (a neolithic village in Scotland) was similar to modern homes in that the kitchen/cooking areas tend to the be the heart of a home. Also, we see the first examples of furniture that have survived, much of it built in stone. It's difficult to find many artifacts from this time period - however, the Venus of WIllendorf is a carved object that has survived and is one of the only clues about the culture left from this period. Also, just as in prehistoric times, the people in Matmata, Tunisia build homes underground using the natural landscape for structure and protection.

You can read their blog posts here: 

http://www.fcs338dthomas.blogspot.com/2014/01/prehistoric-periods.html

http://www.history1dls.blogspot.com/2014/01/prehistoric-period-during-paleolithic.html

PREHISTORY

The first time period of study is the Prehistoric era. In this section two stone ages are covered, the Paleolithic and Neolithic, and then ends with the Bronze Age. It’s important to note that the Neolithic and Bronze ages do overlap where we see cultures in certain geographic areas advancing faster than others. 

The author of our book stresses that without written history we must take artifacts that we find and try to understand that culture through them. For instance, symmetry appeared to be an important design factor in these time periods. Also, understanding foundation myths can help one understand decoration in these ancient dwellings and ceremonial sites. 

In the Paleolithic era (it isn't just a diet!) dwellings would have been natural, such as caves, or non-permanent because of the nomadic nature of hunter-gatherer societies. During this time, the natural environment has a major impact on daily life and shelters were primarily functional and not decorative.

Caves

Huts

In the Neolithic era, we see more permanent building taking place. This permanence created a demand for “furniture” usually built into structures. Basic structures, primarily ceremonial, dominated in this time period: menhips – large upright stones, dolmen – post-and-lintel structure creating interior space, and henges – circular monuments.

Dolmen

During the Bronze Age, rather than creating most things from stone, we see more objects being made from metal. Also, shelters are becoming more sophisticated in their structure and organization. 

Influence on Modern Design

Although this prehistoric time period may be viewed as irrelevant to the study of architecture or interiors because of the relative lack of sophistication, there are many examples of these primitive structures in modern dwellings. Cave homes are prevalent in certain parts of the world to this day because of the consistent interior temperatures and secure shelter they provide. The basic design of the post-and-lintel system is fundamental in many modern structures. 

Caves

Post-and-lintel

Post-and-lintel

WELCOME!

This personal blog will be a place for me to journal my experience of studying the history of Interior Design from the prehistoric time period until the 1800's. 

Each week I will post two journal entries about the period we are discussing in our class. The first post will be a description of what I've learned from the time period, along with images of architecture, furniture, or interior design of that period, as well as current applications. The second post will be a discussion of entries posted from two of my fellow classmates. 

I will also post a total of three hand-rendered illustrations representing a contemporary application of the time periods we have studied in the course. 

- Melanie