I recently came across this magnificent image of the Cleveland Public library in Architectural Digest, and the reference to the ancient Roman Baths is unmistakable. The cross-vaulted ceiling, the octagonal coffers… the Roman baths were the subject of my research paper, so the influence was instantly recognizable!
The ancient Baths were magnificent structures, pulsating with a rhythm of large open spaces, arches, domes, barrel vaults and cross vaults. You see their influence (built nearly 2000 years ago!) in contemporary architecture time and time again. Taking it a step forward, or modernizing it, but respecting the original form.
The public baths were, in fact, a major source of pride for the citizens of that time. A place to bathe, lounge, read, gossip, exercise or relax after a long day’s work. There were hot and cold baths, steam rooms, a swimming pool, libraries, large exedras and gardens to walk the grounds or engage in debate, and gorgeous sculptures and mosaics that filled its walls and floors. A luxury club, if you will!
I thought I’d share a few drawings of the ancient Baths, and a few images of present-day architecture inspired by the Baths. Prepare to be blown away.
The ancient Baths -
The Baths of Caracalla (Rome) built nearly 2000 years ago.
The Baths of Diocletian (now a church!).
The image is a little skewed - but you can see the beautiful cross-vaulted ceiling. And of course the massive columns and the marbled floors.
Contemporary architecture inspired by the Baths -
Cleveland Public Library, Reading Room.
That coffered ceiling is awe-inspiring!
The Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, architected by Henri Labrouste.
This is a space I would honestly never leave. It’s sublime. Love the balance between the sail vaults above, and the wood floors below. And all that light pouring in through the oculi.
Also, the photography by Thibaud Poirier is other worldly.
And closer to home…
Old Penn Station, New York City.
The scale is incredible. The windows alone were 38 ft tall (yes you read that right!) . Art historian, Hilary Ballon, rightfully described it as a place that “did not make you feel comfortable; it made you feel important.”
