Classical Architecture

The architecture of ancient Greece and Rome is one of humanity’s greatest achievements; it stands at the very origins of western civilization. An essential question in this course will be how and why these forms have endured as ideals of beauty for 2,500 years. The course is divided into three two-week segments devoted respectively to Greece (including Paestum and the Acropolis of Athens), ancient Rome (including the Roman Forum and Pompeii), and neo-classical architecture from the Renaissance to the present (including Palladio, Burlington, Jefferson, and modern classical revivals).

Recommended Readings:

Selections from literature from a variety of ancient and modern sources will be made available electronically

David Spurr is Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Geneva. Many of his publications explore the relations between architecture and literature. With this interdisciplinary approach in mind he has taught architectural history at Geneva, as well as in visiting appointments at the universities of Innsbruck and Iceland.