Antiquity everywhere all at once (Blog 4)

 I walk into the architectural wing of the candidate center, along a stone-paved, column-supported lobby. I gaze through the window divisions following the golden ratio, onto the marble courtyard. In the background looms the majestic, fan-shaped figure of an amphitheater.

Undergrad center's stairs and columns

The amphitheater of Otaniemi campus.

When considering how ancient architecture is manifested in today's built environment, the answer feels overwhelmingly apparent — antiquity is everything and everywhere. It is not only present in our university designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto, who idealized Italy. It feels like wherever I look and search, I find traces of antiquity. Whether it is the upper window of a metro station lobby reaching towards the sky, a row of trees along a residential street, an archway in a gateway, paintings on the ceiling of a stairwell, or the rhythm of stairs. It is in my hometown, with its long streets reaching towards main squares, markets, and churches.

The column systems, arches, and decorative motifs created by ancient Greeks and Romans are the most visible and explicit reminders of ancient craftsmanship in our modern environment. The spatial program of a luxurious Roman urban residence, the Domus, is not far from the ideals of contemporary residential architecture — it includes an entrance hall, bedrooms, a dining room, a study, and atriums and peristyles serving as charming inner courtyards. On the other hand, broad and universal concepts such as symmetry, harmony, and proportions trace back to ancient times and their theories. And not only that, but ancient materials such as brick, stone, marble, and concrete are still the most commonly used building materials in today’s construction.

                

Traces of antiquity can be found in many places and occasions.

It seems that even after thousands of years, human needs and ideals have remained surprisingly unchanged. Our eyes still find peace in rhythm and designs that conform to our proportions. On the other hand, over the years, systematic designs have been seen as demonstrations of power by various dictatorships and governments, and strict symmetry still evokes associations with warlike or authoritarian architecture. The architecture of power is evident in buildings, parks, public spaces, and cities, harnessing the environment as a pedestal for its ruler, much like the Roman emperors. It is no wonder that the buildings of today's wielders of power still aim for this scale that diminishes individuals and magnifies authority.

Therefore, antiquity does not consist solely of our built environment but has shaped Western civilization as a whole, our self-image, and historical self-understanding, thus becoming a fundamental part of our culture. The history of antiquity is the history of all of us, and in order to learn from history, we must first understand it. That is why recognizing, interpreting, and understanding the characteristics of antiquity will always be essential.

From where you are right now, can you find traces of antiquity?