INT231-History of Interiors Blog

 INT231-History of Interiors Blog 

By:Nicol Valeria Torres Villamil

 

Week 1 – Prehistoric Architecture and Interiors 

This week we studied Prehistoric Architecture and Interiors, focusing on the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. These early examples of architecture involve a lot of creativity and invention. To begin with the progress, humans initially lived in temporary homes. The settlements they built were made of stone, thatch and mud, and they were typically used.

The most amazing example that can be noticed in the period is the Lascaux Caves in France, that paints a picture of how art existed way before the civilisation structuring that we know of today. Starting from Neolithic period, people stacked stones to make megalithic monuments. Inrelating to the preceding statement, menhirs and dolmens, capped either or both ways of stone pink to white, introduced post-and-lintel, which advanced a significant lot in the field of Architecture.  

One of the most captivating prehistoric monuments is England's iconic Stonehenge (3200–1600 B.C.) with unquestionably ritual origins, and represents one of the first examples of monumental European architecture. Additional notable monuments include Skara Brae, an Orkney, Scotland Neolithic site, which includes a village complete with furnished stone houses outfitted with hearths as well as other primitive amenities.

Historical Images

Stonehenge in England

 Stonehenge is a Neolithic monument built with post-and-lintel construction, used as a ritual and ceremonial site.

Lascaux cave paintings

The Lascaux caves contain over 6,000 Paleolithic paintings, showing early human creativity and spirituality 

Dolmen in Ireland 

This dolmen, made of upright stones with a horizontal capstone, is an example of megalithic tomb construction.

Skara Brae village remains

 Neolithic homes in Skara Brae included stone hearths, beds, and cupboards, reflecting early domestic interiors.

 Catal Huyuk excavations 

 Catal Huyuk was an advanced proto-city with public and private buildings, one of the earliest examples of urban planning.

Current Applications

Modern building using stone blocks

 This modern building uses massive stone blocks, recalling the strength of megalithic structures

Circular plaza inspired by Stonehenge 

 The circular design of this plaza is inspired by the spatial layout of prehistoric henges like 

Stonehenge

 Living room with a central fireplace

The fireplace remains the heart of the home, just as the hearth was central in Neolithic houses

 

Furniture made of stone or raw wood 

This rustic furniture echoes the use of natural materials in prehistoric interiors

Architecture with massive stone walls

 

Massive stone walls in modern architecture show continuity with the megalithic tradition of durability and permanence

One Step Further – Tadao Ando

As my “Beyond One Step” topic, I decided on the Japanese architect Tadao Ando (b. 1941). Though he has design views that are modern, they directly mirror the concepts of simplicity, scale, and material use that are present in prehistoric architecture. As like the builders of Stonehenge and Skara Brae, Ando gives focus on stone and concrete, asserting them as essential materials, which he utilizes in moulding and shaping of spiritual and defined physical material. 

For example: 

Church of the Light (1989, Osaka, Japan) 

Geometric concrete walls with symbolic use of light

 

Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum (1992, Japan)

Integration of natural landscape with monumental forms

 

The Hill of the Buddha (2015, Hokkaido, Japan)

 A circular design surrounding a monumental statue, similar in concept to ritual spaces like Stonehenge

 Through his designs Tadao Ando demonstrates how ancient architectural principles simplicity, monumentality, and connection with nature, continue to inspire contemporary architecture.

Reflection

Studying prehistoric architecture showed me how through the course of human history, people have been trying to link functionality of spaces with spiritual values as well as symbolism. Even the simplest stones arranged in a particular order carries a meaning that even today people try to decode. This kind of relation between architecture categories like form, functionality and symbolism still exists today.