Ancient Rome (extra credit)

This video from history.com gives an inside look at the happening inside the famous Colosseum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEXZgX9Em2w

Ancient Greece (extra credit)

Here is a short video that discusses the classical orders in Greek architecture.

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was the catalyst to the spread art and civilization across the world. Rome ruled a vast majority of land, and their empire included land from the Persian Gulf to Spain and also from North Africa all the way to Britain. Because Rome controlled so much of the land its influence was far spread as well. Ancient Rome can be credited with many inventions and advancements such as mastering road building, advances in columns (both decorative and structural), creating of vault and dome, and the discovery of concrete. 

Perhaps one of the greatest creations of the Romans, architecturally speaking, was the creation and construction of the Colosseum. The Colosseum was commissioned around 70 A.D. and was officially opened in 80 A.D. The opening of the Colosseum was kicked off with 100 days of games that included gladiator and wild animal fights. The Colosseum was the first arena of its kind and seated at least 50,000 people; it was created of concrete and stone and used the arch and barrel vault that Rome was known for. A couple images of the colosseum are below. 

Roman furniture was much for extravagant than furniture in the previous eras. Their furniture was typically made of wood, metal, and/or stone. Popular colors in Roman design were black, red, and gilt. Some popular Roman furniture included chairs ("cathedra"), stools ("sella") multi-purpose marble tables, and beds that had the addition of the back creating our modern day couch. Below is an image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring an ancient Roman couch and footstool. You can clearly see the red and gilt that was so popular in Ancient Roman design. 

Modern Application 

This is an image of Soldier Field in Chicago, it hold around the same amount of people that the Colosseum did. As you can see, the Colosseum had a huge influence on the design of modern arenas. 

I thought that this interior was a modern application of ancient Rome design because of the red and gold colors as well as the extravagant furnishings. 

Peer Reviews

Calley E did a great job giving tons of back ground and details about Ancient Rome and I also thought that all of her modern application pictures showcased Roman influence on design so well!

I also read Paige S's blog; she did a really good job overviewing the main architectural wonders of ancient Rome such as the Pantheon , Colosseum, and Maison Carree. I also really liked the modern application photo she shared of the interior of an apartment building that was very influenced by ancient Roman design. I thought that the ceiling of that interior was so great and beautifully intricate! 

Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is the beginning of western ideas and culture. The people of ancient Greece are remembered as masters of philosophy, science, fine arts, geography, medicine, and astronomy. The intelligence and hunger for learning in the greek culture lead to many great products in architecture and design. One of the most iconic pieces of architecture of ancient Greece is the Parthenon. 

The Parthenon is an ancient temple of the goddess Athena. This temple is located on Athenian Acropolis and is one of the most important surviving buildings and gives us a good look into Ancient Greece and their design. The Parthenon looks like the epitome of architectural perfection, but what I found so interesting is that even though it appears to be absolutely perfect, the columns are actually not symmetrical and balanced in reality. The distance between each column varies, the corner columns are heavier, and they columns bow slightly inward. The Parthenon is the cumulation of the Doric order. The Doric order is one of the three classical orders in the Ancient Greek time period; it features vertical grooves running down the column and a smooth capital that flared away from the column to meet the top. Doric columns are more masculine in look and stature. Below is a picture of the Parthenon and its Doric columns. 

Ancient Greece is the time from which trompe l'oeil painting emerged from. This paint technique gives the feeling of being in the painting itself rather than just viewing it; it has a three dimensional affect. Another signature of Greek interior design was their motifs. On the island of Crete many of the motifs contained objects pertaining to the sea such as dolphin, octopus, and other marine life. One of the most well known Greek motifs is the Greek Key, this motif was used frequently in ancient Greek and is still used today. Below is an image of a Greek motif featuring waves and a key pattern. 

Modern Application 

This modern bedroom features the greek key motif in the fabric on the bench below in the bed. 

This is a modern day take on a Greek kline. A kline was a bed/sofa that also was used for dining; it also has more rounded legs which was common in Greek furniture. 

Lastly, this image shows a modern take in the doric order. The columns used on this porch are of the doric order and are similar to those used on the Parthenon. 

Peer Reviews

I thought that Katie K's blog post did a great job explaining the importance of mythology and gods on greek architecture and design. I also learned that the home of all the gods was called Olympus and located on the tallest mountain in Greece. 

I also read Alex R's blog post on ancient Greece and thought all of her modern application pictures were great! They really exemplified the influence that ancient Greek design had on the world.  

Ancient Egypt (extra credit post)

This is a great video that shares tons of interesting facts about the great pyramids in Egypt!


http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-egypt/videos/deconstructing-history-the-great-pyramid?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt brings us out of the pre-historic period and into a more civilized and evolved time period. During this time period, food and shelter were much more secured than they were in the pre-historic times, and because of this the people of ancient Egypt had more energy to pour into complex inventions and the arts, including interior design. And thanks to the Nile River, ancient Egypt was able to grow into one of the main civilizations of its day. The Nile provided transportation and allowed for an easy way to import many materials that Egypt did not have that was necessary to the construction of their buildings. Many types of woods such as Ash, Ebony, and Boxwood were imported from Lebanon. Because wood had to be imported, stone was the more common building material in Egypt. 

The climate in Egypt greatly influenced their design aesthetic. There was minimal rainfall, intense sunlight, and little variation in temperature. Thus, many of the buildings had flat roofs (as no steep was needed to have rain run off) and outdoor/open air spaces were common. Another influence on Egyptian design was religion. The Egyptians believed in a life after death, and because of this erected many monuments and objects in burial. Much of the design was also influenced by the god of that specific region. Lastly, ones social class influenced the structure and design of their house. While a craftsman's home would have been small, containing a reception, hall with windows, bedroom, and a kitchen, a country villa owned by those in high society would have been much more grand and have included areas such as an anointing room and rooms for servants. The following picture is an example of what a country villa of the wealthy might have looked like in Ancient Egypt.

This image shows an ancient Egyptian painting that would have appeared on a wall. The painting most likely was representative or symbolic of the specific religion of the creator of the art. These sort of images were very popular in Egyptian design. 

The Egyptians were the first people to invent a piece of furniture that could be easily transported. The above image shows an Egyptian folding chair or stool. This stool could be easily carried around or stowed away when not needed. 

Modern Application 

This bedroom is an example of a modern day use of ancient Egyptian design. The use of paintings of figures and symbols on the walls are similar to those found on the walls in ancient Egypt. The colors used in this room are also similar to the color pallet we see used in ancient egypt. 

This is a folding stool created by a dutch designer in the late 1950's. He created it to resemble an Egyptian stool but in a modern way. 

This home is inspired by the ancient Egyptian pyramids that were used as monument to bury the deceased. 

Peer Review:

I reviewed Nichole's blog and I thought that she did a great job explaining the contraction and building materials of this time period. I also really liked the modern application picture she shared of the art deco interior because it was clearly Egyptian inspired but it was not exactly the same as Egyptian design. 

The second blog I looked at was Paige S. One thing that really caught my eye was the picture she shared of the ruins of the Great Hypostyle Hall. The images really showed how massive the columns were and captured the great details that were carved into each column. 

Pre-Historic (extra credit post)

This is a video that talks about a recent discovery at Stonehenge. The use of laser technology helped discover previously unknown archeology monuments hidden beneath Stonehenge.  

This video takes a closer look at the discovery of Skara Brae in Scotland. 

Pre-Historic

Being able to look at design and architecture from the prehistoric times gives us a glimpse into what life was like thousands and thousands of years ago. Prehistoric homes were mostly influenced by geographic location and the materials available in that location. Unlike today, where we can import materials from around the world, the people of prehistoric times had to use whatever resources where around them to construct their homes. 

The design of the prehistoric time was rarely ornamental or decorative, but rather functional and purposeful. Everything seems to have a specific purpose and place in their lives. Furniture was also rarely used because so many people of this time period were nomads, never staying in one place for long. Although pattern and design was used in weaving, such as blankets, baskets, and rugs, the pattern imagery, and color typically served a specific purpose such as association with a group, or was used as symbolism referencing religion and/or tradition. 

This picture shows a recreation of a prehistoric home that was discovered in Scotland on the outskirts of Edinburgh and dates back to around 10, 250. Inside, the remains of several fireplace hearths were found. 

Skara Brae, Neolithic village in Scotland  

Stonehenge in England, dating from 3200-1600 B.C. showing post and lintel construction

Modern Application 

modern sandstone cave home in Missouri 

cave home in Greece 

modern post and lintel construction 

Peer Review

I looked at Calley's blog post and really enjoyed the modern application pictures she shared. I though all the modern takes on cave living that she shared were very interesting and intriguing. 

I also read Haley's blog and enjoyed the modern underground house that she shared. I thought that the oval shape of the house was such a nice modern take on a prehistoric underground home.