Have you ever wondered why we keep returning to ancient design elements? Doric, Ionic, Corinthian columns; the sensual shape of a scroll; the elongating effect of graceful fluting -- why do we find comfort and a sense of order in these shapes? I read an interesting transcript of a lecture by a scholar who said that these familiar forms began as primitive embellishments on wood pillars set up in a circle to create temples where ancient rites and sacrifices were performed. They have filled our visual memory for so many centuries that they are now part of us.
