Reviews of Classical Greece

I appreciated Kristina's approach to comparing modern applications of ancient ideals.  Her representation of how the Grecian sculptures each posed for a story or a person, and then comparing it to the Statue of Liberty was perfect, as it does the same for us today. She also went into great detail about the Doric order and its 3 classic column designs which I find to be a great reflection of an advancement in design during this time period.

I also visited Ali's blog, and the picture she used as an example of Greek implication into 21st century design was holistic and very accurate.  It represented the splayed legs and curved back of the Klismos Chair as well as the intricacy of the architectural elements on the walls and ceiling.

CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS: GREECE

Greece and Rome made up the Classical Civilizations.

ANCIENT GREECE 3000 BC - 1100 BC

Ancient Greece marked the beginning of Western ideas and cultures.  They were inspired and fluent in different influences through philosophy, science, art, geography, medicine, and astronomy.  Their geographic location was a mountainous region surrounded by three bodies of water.  Their climate consisted of scorching summers and treacherous winters.    

Architecture

There were huge advancements in Architecture during this era.  Similar to Ancient Egyptian architectural influences, Grecian architecture surrounded their relationship they had with their Gods. 

THEN:

Palace of Knossos is the most important structure on Crete.  It was constructed sometime in the late Bronze Age.  Rather than having large individual rooms, it had the presence of smaller and many more.  It had an elaborate exterior facade and was organized around a central courtyard.  The courtyard was open to the exterior giving the interior some natural light.

NOW:

Modern Day courtyards exist in homes and come in all sizes.  They provide natural light for the rooms surrounding it, and gives some more outdoor square footage to the home that allows for extra living space in an enclosed, private area. 

THEN:

The Golden Age brought us the Parthenon, a temple built in 438 BC that was dedicated to the goddess Athena.  It is considered the culmination of the doric order.  In that, that exterior of the temple is made up of Doric columns, the simplest of the three Greek style columns.

NOW: 

Columns are used both for architectural and aesthetic use, both interior and exterior applications. Stemming from the ancient Greece innovation in design, columns with different design elements both plain and complex are used all over the world.

Furniture

THEN: 

Greek furniture is discribed as proportionately related to humans.  The Klismos Chair is a signature piece of Greek furniture, and is one of the very few found that needs little to no improvement.  It has splayed legs with leather straps weaved within one another on the seat.  The back of the chair curves to the frame of a back.  It is the earliest example of furniture that is related and designed to the body's movement and function.

NOW:

Furniture manufacturer's have adopted the style of the Greek Klismos Chair and have adapted and altered it to be used in modern design.

Reviews of Ancient Civilizations

Hannah went into intricate detail in her explanation of their modern day living and housing.  She provided her readers with a great visual of a schematic design that spatially explains the relationship and the interconnection that each space had with one another.  She also went into a bit of detail with how some of the elements are represented in residential housing today.

Yo had such an innovative approach to his relation to the lifestyles of the Ancient Egyptians.  He started by pointing out the little that they had then and how it would never compare to how much we have to be thankful now, and concluded that they were most likely closely related to nature and what it represents to them rather than needed more than the essentials to survive.  He also shared a bit of personal information about his connection to this concept which was a great addition to his post.

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia were the three civilizations that made up the ancient world of the Middle East from 5,000 BC - 656 BC.  Even though they were all separate in an assortment of advancements, they all were interrelated with military, cultural and commercial implications.  Our focus will be directed towards Ancient Egypt with its impressive monuments and colorful characteristics.

Ancient Egypt: 2650 BC - 1070 BC

This period is divided into the Old
Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New
Kingdom.  With its geographic location
being close to the Nile River and
surrounded by the Sahara Desert, Egypt was a major world power during this time period.  In addition, architecture had shed a new light at an unprecedented scale that was likely thanks to their strong centralized power.






Artifact and architecture preservation was possible because of the climate and their religion.  The area had minimal rainfall and little variation in climate. With their religion being so centralized around death and the afterlife, objects that were represented and appreciated by the individual were included in his or her tomb and served to comfort them and to supply them with the essentials in their afterlife.  Thanks to this practice, one of the oldest pieces of furniture on record is wooden.  This played a huge role in historians understanding life during this time period.

Architecture

THEN:

The Old Kingdom was the age of the pyramids.
Massive compilations of workers and slaves worked obscene hours to build these massive triangular
structures out of block-cut stone, a material that
Egypt had an abundance of.

NOW:

The Musee du Louvre in Paris, France has an exquisite glass pyramid that represents the same elements as the Egyptian pyramids.  The pyramid and its underground lobby was completed in 1989 with four small decorative pyramids adjacent to each tip of the main structure

THEN:

During the New Kingdom, the reign of Ramesses II brought a different style of architecture to the community.  Ramesseum in the Valley of Thebes is Ramesses II's memorial pylon temple with hypostyle halls.  He also was in charge of the Temple of Abu-Simbel, a rock-hewn structure with four monumental statues of himself over 65 feet high.

NOW:

Modern Greek Style Architecture holds the same hypostyle elements of the ancient temples in the New Kingdom.  It has modernized the construction by using concrete for the columns and roof as well as expanded the use of different interior materials to make the end result aesthetically pleasing.

Furniture

THEN:

The age of art and architecture achievement flourished during the New Kingdom.  Tutakkhamen was the only royal tomb that was completely intact after all these years.  Being a pharaoh, a wealth of furnishings and artifacts were discovered.  Furniture was rare, but made to use mostly in travel.  A fold-able wooden bed was found in his tomb, along with many other wooden furniture pieces.

 NOW:

It is customary for hotels to have the option of another bed per each     customer's request.  These roll-away beds are extremely portable and  offer easy mobility with wheels and the bi-fold design.