Link for Purchase
Available in Early 2026
Reclaiming Classical Design
Reflections on the Harmonious and
Beautiful Building
Upcoming Release in Early 2026!
In Reclaiming Classical Design: Reflections on the Harmonious and Beautiful Building, Kristen Wagner challenges the sterile and uninspiring buildings that dominate our modern landscape. She argues that these structures not only deny our humanity but also compromise our health and well-being. Drawing from her extensive experience in the design industry and her Catholic faith, Wagner presents a compelling case for the revival of classical design principles.
Wagner delves into the rich philosophical traditions of ancient Greece and the humanistic ideals of the Italian Renaissance, illustrating how these historical frameworks can inform contemporary architecture. She emphasizes the importance of creating spaces that resonate with beauty and harmony, which can profoundly impact our daily lives. By exploring architectural treatises from the past, Wagner offers practical and affordable alternatives to the soulless designs prevalent today.
Through her reflections, she invites readers to envision a world where buildings inspire awe and wonder, much like the magnificent structures of centuries past. By reclaiming classical design, we can foster environments that promote peace and well-being, ultimately enriching our lives. Wagner's insights serve as a guide for architects, designers, and anyone interested in creating spaces that uplift the human spirit. Reclaiming Classical Design is not just a call to return to the past; it is a vision for a future where beauty and functionality coexist, nurturing our minds, bodies, and souls in the process.
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Excerpt from Chapter 10: Harmony Brings Beauty and Peace
One of my 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 gigantic, 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 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 colossal 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 magnificent architecture—where heaven meets earth.