Atrium In The Odyssey

Cultural Context: CW02 – Illustrated Essay
The Atrium

The term atrium in architecture, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “an open-roofed entrance hall or central court in an ancient Roman house.” The term can also be used to describe, in a modern building, the central hall which is enclosed by a glazed roof and frequently has been risen several stories high; and in a large church built on the basilica plan, the forecourt is known as the atrium. This essay will explore and demonstrate how the atrium is one of the four spatial principles that has been derived from the prehistoric house. This paper will study London King’s Cross Railway Station, which is a contemporary example of the spatial principle atrium and will analyse how the
This begins with the oldest surviving forms of Greek literature that are known as the ‘Homeric Epics.’ An ‘epic’ is a long poem, often derived from ancient oral tradition before being written as texts, that chronicles adventures and heroic deeds of legendary figures or the history of a nation. The Homeric Epics are comprised of the two epics titled “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” that tells stories of events that occurred around 1200BC. The Iliad is compared to tragedy, whilst the Odyssey is to comedy. The texts form a connection between the Iron and Bronze ages, whilst forming a connection with the modern global world we live in today. The Iliad tells part of the story of the Trojan war, specifically the conflict between Achilles, the great warrior, and Agamemnom, the commander of the armies that went to Troy.7 Whilst the Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, the Mycenaean hero and his journey back home to Ithaca after the fall of
In the Iliad and Odyssey group meetings, similar activities to the users of King’s Cross took place such as eating and drinking, which was known as the “Equal Feast.” Everyone at the feast had a defined role, unlike in the global age atria, where everyone does their own thing.11 To conclude, this paper has explained where the atrium has derived from, exploring how the Iliad and Odyssey led to the atrium with the two distinct spaces in the relationship. This essay considered how King’s Cross Railway Station fits under the category of the atrium and the similarities and contrasts between the contemporary atrium and the prehistoric house. Finally, this study explained how the global age atrium works today and the differences and few similarities it has with the prehistoric