PREFACEⅠ
序言一

Catherine Knight, AIA, Principal Knight Architects, LLC凱瑟琳·奈特 美國建筑師協會會長奈特建筑有限責任公司

The Parthenon in Athens or the Pantheon in Rome are considered as two greatest buildings of the true “classical” style of architecture. The Parthenon, built in the 5th century B.C. is a stunning example of the Doric style, a rectangular building with Doric columns (simple with rounded tops) across the front. The Pantheon was built in 126 A.D. It is a round building with a square front having Corinthian columns (fancier than the Doric column in that it has more ornate carvings or images at the top) again across the front and the full height of the building. This “classical” style was revived in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and America and became known as the “Neo-classical” style of architecture.

The word “Neo-classicism” is defined in Webster's Dictionary as“relating, or constituting a revival or adaptation of the classical especially in literature, music, art or architecture”. The Neo-classical style is not one singular style but incorporates a variety of styles (Greek Revival, Federalist, Anti-Bellum and Beaux Arts). Although these styles were different, they all shared some common elements: columns, pediments, domes, and a symmetrical balance in the design. In England in the 18th century, the Greek Revival style became the dominant force for architecture and is visible today in many of Britain's most important public buildings, including the Theatre Royal, Covent Gardens, the British Museum and the National Gallery, to name a few.

In the United States, the Greek influence caught on in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and can be seen in many of our public buildings (The White House and The Supreme Court) but became very popular for residential buildings. One of the most famous examples of neoclassical architecture in a residence is that of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Virginia. It is symmetry on a grand scale. If you look at a picture of Monticello, you can see many of the elements of Neo-classical style: the dome, columns, the balance of each wing and the essence of style. Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, also in VA, is another good example of the Neo-classical style.

Particularly in the Southern and Eastern United States, the neoclassical influences abound in residential, public and private buildings, particularly institutions of higher learning. In residential buildings, this style does seem to symbolize wealth and success, but the beauty of the style is in the symmetry of both the front and rear of the home. You will typically see the columns in the front with a doorway which may have a decorative surround and a pediment above the door, evenly spaced windows divided into 6 or 8 panes and the rear of the home may have a porch again with columns and a feeling of balance. As you review the homes in this book, you will note many of these qualities and sense the grandness, the simplicity of balance and how the elements all work together to create a timeless and extraordinary design.

雅典的帕特農神廟和羅馬的萬神廟可謂“古典主義”建筑的代表作。帕特農神廟建于公元前5世紀，是典型的多利克式建筑，長方形的建筑，前部飾有多利克石柱（簡單的石柱，頂部為圓形）。萬神廟建于公元126年，為圓形建筑，前部飾有科斯林柱（比多利克柱更繁復，頂部雕有裝飾花紋或圖形）。古典主義在18世紀和19世紀的歐洲得到了復興，被建筑界稱為“新古典主義”。

在韋氏詞典中，“新古典主義”一詞被定義為“在文學、音樂或建筑等領域復興或者改進古典主義的內容”。新古典主義不止一種風格，它包含一系列的風格（希臘復興、聯邦風格、戰前風格、美術風格），雖然它們不盡相同，但都具有一些共同的元素，如石柱、山墻、穹頂以及建筑設計中的對稱結構。在18世紀的英國，希臘復興建筑成為主流建筑，許多英國重要的公共建筑物得以保存至今，如皇家劇院、科芬花園、大英博物館和倫敦國家美術館等。

在美國，希臘復興建筑的流行始于18世紀末19世紀初，從許多公共建筑上（白宮、最高法院）都可以窺見一斑，后來該風格開始在民間流行。新古典主義最著名的例子是托馬斯·杰弗遜在弗吉尼亞為自己設計的故居——蒙蒂塞洛莊園，它是整體對稱的。如果你看一下蒙蒂塞洛的照片，就會發現很多新古典主義的核心元素：穹頂、石柱、兩邊側翼的平衡等。弗吉尼亞州的另一著名建筑——弗農山莊，喬治·華盛頓的故居，也是新古典主義的典型范例。

新古典主義建筑對美國公共建筑和民居的影響主要是在南部和東部地區，尤其是高等學府。在民居中，這樣的風格代表著財富和成功，但其美感卻在于建筑物的前后對稱。在門廊處飾有石柱，柱身有裝飾，正門上方有山墻。作為平衡，窗戶大多有6或8個窗格，房子的后部也有帶柱子的門廊。當看到這些房子的圖片時，你會發現很多這樣的特征，會感受到它們氣勢恢宏、簡潔對稱。所有這些元素結合在一起，成就了恒久流傳、超凡脫俗的建筑風格。