The Architecture of the Classical Interior [Hardcover]

Steven W. Semes (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classical America Series in Art and Architecture | Publication Date: February 2004

The principles of classical architecture applied to the design of interiors, both residential and public.

A practicing architect shows how the elements that constitute the classical interior-wall and ceiling treatments, doors and windows, fireplaces, and stairs-can be composed into rooms satisfying both aesthetic and practical criteria. Historic and contemporary examples illustrate both generic and specific solutions for designers working in the classical tradition today. 25 color, 150 b&w photographs

Editorial Reviews

Review

Comprehensive and crystal clear. (New Urban News )

Author Steven Semes provides a comprehensive study of the architectural conception and treatment of rooms designed in the classical tradition. . . . Semes' hearty text strives to give readers a keen appreciation for the variety of the classical interior. . . . [R]eading The Architecture of the Classical Interior is the armchair equivalent to taking a master class in design. (Shelter Interiors )

A practicing architect shows how the elements that constitute the classical interior can be composed into rooms satisfying both aesthetic and practical criteria. (New England Antiques Journal )

Should remain on the shelves of bookstores and personal libraries for as long as the art of gracious living remains. . . . He has gathered together a great deal of widely scattered information and assembled it all into one slender, graceful and elegant volume. The organization of the book is lucid and useful. . . . his book offers a useful index, an extensive bibliography and an equally extensive reading list. . . It was indeed Semes' good fortune to be granted the opportunity to write an unprecedented book on an important subject. (Period Homes )

[A] seminal book and will most certainly serve as a springboard to even greater vigor in the growth of the knowledge and practice of traditional architecture, both from the standpoint of sheer volume and from the more significant standpoint of quality. (D.V. Marcantonio - American Arts Quarterly )

Exploring the rich array of expressions, styles, materials and treatments that have come to define classical interiors, this book reveals an architectural model that is not limited in its artistic possibilities but rather free to assume any numbers of its identities.  Each chapter is dedicated to a particular principle of the classical interior exploring themes that have shaped it throughout history.  Illustrated with photographs, original drawings and plans of historic interiors, uncovering a rich language unique to classical design. (Period House )

About the Author

Steven W. Semes is Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture and Academic Director of its Rome Studies Program. A practicing architect for over thirty years, he has designed a wide variety of projects for preservation and new construction throughout the United States. He is also the author of The Architecture of the Classical Interior (Norton) and a contributor to The Elements of Classical Architecture (Norton). His essays and reviews have appeared in the National Trust Forum Journal, Traditional Building, Period Homes, and American Arts Quarterly. He is a Fellow Emeritus of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393730751
• ISBN-13: 978-0393730753
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Interior Design > Professional Reference

More About the Author

Steven W. Semes is the Academic Director of the Rome Studies Program and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame. A practicing architect for thirty years, he has designed a wide variety of projects for preservation and new construction throughout the United States. Steven Semes is the author of The Architecture of the Classical Interior and a contributor to The Elements of Classical Architecture, both published by W. W. Norton & Co. His essays and reviews have appeared in Traditional Building, Period Homes, American Arts Quarterly, and the National Trust Forum Journal. He is a Fellow Emeritus of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America and was educated at the University of Virginia and Columbia University. He currently resides in Rome.