What is classical architecture?

Fortunately for local history buffs, Jim Barfield lives in Macon and is willing to share his wealth of knowledge about the past and about the physical reminders of the city’s past.

He frequently leads “rambles” through Rose Hill Cemetery, a repository of information on Macon’s famous, infamous and little known ancestors. Barfield also can be found teaching courses on Macon’s architecture and leading tours through the many historic neighborhoods in this city and in others throughout the state, sponsored by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

On any one of these tours, you will hear the word “classical” used frequently, especially as it refers to the design and structure of a house or of a public building. The distinctions are familiar because we are surrounded by them as we travel through our local historic neighborhoods — they are part of the personality of Macon. But, why are they given the “classical” emphasis?

Last fall, I was privileged to teach a class on recognizing and defining classical architecture at Wesleyan College as part of the WALL program, a non-credit curriculum for non-traditional students in a multitude of subjects. For four weeks, we explored what was meant by the term “classical architecture” — not just how to recognize it, but why it is considered classical.

ARCHITECTURE’S VOCABULARY

According to David Lewis, author of “A Tour Through Time,” a guidebook to Macon’s architectural wonders, one of the best sources for the origins of classical architecture is “The Language of Architecture,” by John Summerson. The Wesleyan WALL class used this book as one of its reference sources.

For the layman, particularly, Summerson’s book eliminates some of the mysticism of proportion, perspective and a “classical” order. Like any profession, architecture and its lexicon can be intimidating to those not in the know.

In his book, “J. Neel Reid, Architect,” author William R. Mitchell Jr. recounts Reid’s education in the classroom, which trained him to be an architect, and his European travels, which imbued Reid with a sensitivity and passion for ancient history of the art of architecture. Mitchell’s book is illustrated with Reid’s numerous drawings of houses and of impressive buildings and ruins, which reflect the enduring order of architecture that is pleasing to the eye.

That is what establishes architecture of ancient Rome and Greece as classical — the mathematical proportions and relativity of the components of each building make sense. As Summerson states it, “proportion creates harmony.”

Although not known as an architect, Virtruvius, a Roman who lived in the first century, is informally referenced as the father of classical architecture. There is no record of him designing a building, however, he gave names to four architectural orders — Tuscan, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian — based only on his observations of buildings and ruins throughout Italy. Today, the most popular are the latter three orders, although centuries after Vitruvius lived, a fifth order was added called the Composite (of Ionic and Corinthian).

The basic details of the three best known orders are easily recognized. The Doric is the simplest, most restrained design; the Ionic is defined by a pediment that resembles rams’ horns; and the Corinthian is the rather ornate order with an embellished pediment. The terminology applies to the entire exterior of a building, not simply the supporting columns.

AN ENDURING LEGACY AS AN ART FORM

After the Renaissance, when Vitruvius first recorded the harmonious ratios he observed in architecture, this philosophy and practice has been the guide to successfully designed houses and buildings on the classical order. By the 16th century, architecture was an acceptable art form, comparable to sculpture in its requisite proportion, perspective and pleasing composition.

Modern houses and public buildings are not as lavish in design as those in the early history of architecture, but that does not mean that they are less classical in design. There are other classical traditions that never go out of style and, like the intro, bridge and chorus of a favorite song, the well designed house will have the earmarks of classicism, if ever so subtle.

Each order is broken down into segments: the base, also referred to as plinth, the shaft, the capital and the entablature. The mathematical guidelines for the design of the columns is ratio of girth at base to height. This is available for anyone interested, but no need to bore readers with the details, except to explain the reason some designs seem not quite right.

Columns are load bearing, first supporting the entablature and, second, a roof or another level. The design of the columns, or supports, for a building are consistent throughout the design — the entablature will be carried around the facade above the column height, for instance, even if only a few columns are used.

Consistency in the design of a building, and with classical architecture, symmetry and balance, complete the final product on a commercial or residential structure. In architectural styles — which followed the antebellum period from 1820-1860 — including Victorian, Gothic Revival and Craftsman, vestiges of classicism remain in asymmetrically designed houses.

The architectural details are repeated on the exterior and, as Lewis points out in his guidebook to Macon, often reflect the design of the interior. Preservation of architectural history is alive and well in Macon. There are other books for self-guided tours of Macon, but few that surpass Lewis’ comprehensive tutorial on the neighborhoods and rich diversity of architecture available.

Lewis’ book is available for purchase in the gift shop at Historic Macon Foundation.

SAVING ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY

If learning more about the examples of architectural periods interests you, without having to explore every neighborhood in Macon, take a Sunday drive to nearby Milledgeville, to the campus of Central State Hospital, where a microcosm of architectural styles — from the early 1800s through the middle of the 20th century — stands under old oak trees and near pecan groves waiting for the preservation movement to save the buildings from demolition by neglect.

The former administration buildings, dormitories, treatment centers and railroad station reflect American and European architectural influence from antebellum and Italianate to craftsman and neo-Gothic. On this quiet campus, you cannot enter the buildings. However, you can see them and observe the adherence to the integrity of architectural classicism — now that you know what it means.

This story was originally published June 9, 2017 at 1:07 PM with the headline "What is classical architecture?."