Mycenaean to Johnson

The photo of the Philip Johnson's Painting Museum in New Canaan, Connecticut and the Treasury of Atreus in Mycenae are very similar . As one approaches the Painting Museum the path rises and falls. However, in the Treasury of Atreus the entry is a level path.

It is the need for a processional way to the tomb of Agamemnon in 1325 B.C. inspired this structure. Although it was called the Treasury it has been know as the "Tomb of Agamemnon" as a reference is a' tholos 'or a beehive shaped chamber built into the earth and reinforced with stone and burnt clay bricks. The reference to the sacredness of art is referenced as one moves from the large funnel like entryway to the vestibule of the museum which is a very compressed space. All these forms and spaces heighten the contents of the building. The visitor to Phil Johnson's museum experiences the space for a different reason than the visitor to the Treasure of Atreus. The volumetric experiences of both are exceptional.The connections between these two structures which spans almost 3500 years is a reference to recycled architecture.

The first attempts of civilization when the groups of small villages began to emerge as a cities. What is meant by city is the creation of grouping of people in an area where some did not have to work the soil or hunt to provide food for themselves, but instead had others to provide for their needs. This led to the eventual king system , priest class and merchant class. This may be the next evolution of our buildings.