Classical Civilizations

 Summary & What I Learned

For this week, I read the Classical Civilizations chapter in the History of Interior Architecture by Mark Hinchman. In this reading, I developed a better understanding of the foundational influences that ancient Greece and Rome have on modern architecture and interior design. This chapter focuses on the evolution of architecture from the Minoans, who favored nature-inspired, colorful, and open spaces, and the Mycenaeans, known for their monumental and defensive structures, to Classical Greece, which prioritized proportion, order, and the relationship between architecture and the human body. Rome then adapted and expanded Greek ideas, using arches, vaults, and concrete to create elaborate interior spaces such as baths and villas, richly decorated with mosaics, murals, and marble. The chapter shows how Greek and Roman innovations in structure, proportion, and decoration became a foundational influence on the history of architecture and interior design today.

New vs. Old

The Minoan column is a feature that I found to be interesting. Unlike the Greek columns that usually become wider toward the bottom, Minoan columns taper downward. Their unusual proportions demonstrate that ancient designers were already thinking about structural elements as well as appearances. A specific example of this is the columns in the Palace of Knossos in Crete. The way the top of the columns comes out and cushions the top structure is the complete opposite of Greek columns. A more modern example of this is Frank Lloyd Wright’s SC Johnson building. He used the idea of Minoan columns, which shows that ancient design continues to influence architects thousands of years later.

Palace of Knossos (1.1)

SC Johnson Building (1.2)

The Greek approach to furniture was very fascinating. Because very little original wooden furniture survived, historians have learned about Greek furniture through vase paintings and other visual sources. These images show stools, tables, couches, beds, chests, and chairs. My favorite example is the klismos chair. Its curved back and dramatically splayed legs make it look surprisingly modern. The chair was designed around the human body and movement, which connects furniture design directly to the Greek interest in human proportion. Modern versions maintain the characteristic curved back and sweeping legs while using new woods, upholstery, and manufacturing methods. An example is the designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, who did an updated version of the chair in the twentieth century. Although he kept its original curved back and splayed legs, it doesn’t feel the same and loses part of the essence of the original.

Poetry Depicting the Klismos (2.1)

Modern Klismos by Robsjohn-Gibbings (2.2)

The discovery of Pompeii gives us an unusually detailed look at Roman interiors. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius preserved houses, furniture, wall paintings, mosaics, and everyday objects. Roman interiors could be extremely decorative, using painted architectural details, illusionistic perspectives, landscapes, figures, and rich colors. The tablinum of the house of Marcus Lucretius Frontinus is a great example. Its black, red, and yellow color scheme really stands out even thousands of years later. Present day, this would simply be the equivalent of a home office combined with a formal parlor or foyer. This demonstrates how even though the way we build homes and how we style them has changed, functionality and use have remained almost the same.

House of Marcus Lucretius Frontinus (3.1)

Modern Office and Parlor Combination (3.2)

One Step Further

The architect I found most interesting from this chapter is Iktinos. What interests me is that his work shows that Greek architecture was more experimental than the stereotypical image of “perfect columns” or temples. Iktinos is associated with the Parthenon at Athens and the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. The Parthenon demonstrates his involvement with highly controlled proportions and optical refinements, while Bassae demonstrates his willingness to experiment with different architectural orders and an unusual orientation. The Temple of Apollo at Bassae is especially interesting because it combines Doric columns on the exterior, Ionic elements inside, and an early Corinthian column. That combination suggests that classical architecture was developing through experimentation rather than following one constant “recipe”.

Iktinos (4.1)

Parthenon at Athens (4.2)

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae (4.3)

Conclusion

After studying this chapter, I understand classical design as much more than a collection of columns, temples, and decorative details. The Greeks and Romans developed ideas about proportion, structure, material, furniture, color, light, symmetry, movement, and the human experience of space that continue to influence designers today. The Greeks were particularly interested in creating visual harmony and relating architecture and furniture to the human body, while the Romans expanded the possibilities of interior space through arches, vaults, concrete, domes, and sophisticated residential interiors. What I find most interesting is that classical design continues to change as each generation interprets it differently. A modern house can use a classical column, a contemporary chair can reinterpret the klismos, and a public building can use Greek elements without literally becoming an ancient Greek building. Furthermore, this shows why classical civilizations remain so important to interior architecture. Their greatest contribution was not one specific style, but a design vocabulary that later generations continue to reinterpret.