I have written a classical design book, and I have had interest from book publishers, but no offers have been forthcoming. If you work in the publishing industry, and this project sounds interesting to you, please contact me. The manuscript has been completed.
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Book Summary
The sterile and ugly buildings that dominate the modern world deny our humanity and the existence of God and, as a result, compromise our health and well-being. The Western classical masters knew better. They designed harmonious and beautiful buildings that stimulate our minds, uplift our spirits, and nourish our souls. The magnificent buildings they created centuries ago fill us with awe, wonder, and a sense of transcendence today.
In Reclaiming Classical Design: Reflections on the Harmonious and Beautiful Building, Kristen Wagner provides a classical framework for designing spaces that inspire peace—mind, body, and soul. Building on her extensive experience in the design industry and the inspiration she draws from the Catholic faith, Wagner explores the Western philosophy of ancient Greece, the humanistic thinking of the Italian Renaissance, and architectural treatises from long ago to suggest viable and affordable alternatives for today. She shows us how, by reclaiming classical design, we can experience a more harmonious and beautiful life.
Excerpt from Chapter 10: Harmony Brings Beauty and Peace
One of my defining transformative experiences with a harmonious building was with a beautiful Roman temple. I visited the Pantheon in Rome for the first time years ago, on a balmy September afternoon. Walking towards the ancient temple, I was struck with how alive it seemed, like a human with an honorable character beckoning me to step inside. Despite the grandeur of the triangular pediment facade, the proportions and scale were perfect and seemed in harmony with my human form. My defenses dropped as I crossed the entrance threshold and dipped into the coolness of the columned portico. Rows of massive, pearly grey and pink granite columns, crowned with exotic, acanthus leaf capitals, glowed enticingly in the dimly lit atmosphere and I sensed that I had found a place of refuge.
I continued walking forward through the enormous bronze doors and entered with astonishment into the radiance of the unobstructed, domed interior space. I spun in circles absorbing the panoramic view of the colorful, marble columned niches, graced with sculptures and paintings of noble Christian saints. I gradually looked higher to the elaborate panels and cornices that defined the spring of the enormous coffered dome, and then higher still to the oculus at the top, perched serenely in the center. I stood in silence and watched the sky change its mood like a change of clothing. Sunlight streamed down from the heavens, like a proclamation from almighty God and struck the lower part of the dome, leaving mystical patterns of shadow and light in its wake.
I returned a week later for another visit and was promptly greeted by a thunderstorm and the spectacular sight of huge sheets of rainwater pouring through the oculus and cascading across the ornamented marble floor below.
The mystery of that harmonious building with its vast, beautiful interior space, and the eternal moments that I spent there, still resound throughout my life today. I continue to appreciate the understanding it implanted in me of what constitutes great architecture—where heaven meets earth.