The
ultimate retreat: A Roman bath
By DW
Hamilton
The last child has
flown the coop, and the room that
once was the proud repository of
soccer trophies, a boom-box, and
smelly gym uniforms stands empty.
It beckons, underutilized as a
guestroom and screaming for a new
purpose. What will it be? A home
office? A hobby den? Perhaps, but
maybe it’s time to go deep into
our subconscious and envision the
ultimate timeless sybaritic
retreat: a Roman bath.
The inspiration for a Roman bath
is truly grand, as bathing in
ancient Rome was a communal
activity, conducted for the most
part in public facilities that
resembled modern spas. There was a
cultural side to the baths since
the establishments at their peak
even had libraries, lecture halls,
colonnades, and promenades. But
now, we mainly think of bathing as
a very private activity
conducted exclusively in our
home. So, unless you’re Bill
Gates, maybe you might want to
skip the library and promenade as
a feature of your master bath. But
room for exercise or a chaise
lounge? Why not?
Before scoffing
that this dream of a classically
proportioned master bath centered
on a huge soaking tub as just too
grandiose for your empty nest,
consider that after the kitchen, a
bathroom remodel delivers one of
the highest resale value returns
of any home improvement
investment.
Current trends are toward
larger, more luxurious master
baths in new homes, and given the
über high cost of any home
on today’s real estate market,
people are expecting more house
with better features to help ease
the pain of sticker shock.
According to Remodeling Online (http://www.remodeling.hw.net)
the average cost of an upscale
bathroom addition is around
$41,587 of which $33,747 or 81.1
percent of the initial investment
could be realistically expected to
be returned. Generally, a project
of this size with its zoning
requirements will require a
general contractor working with a
plumber and a tiling or masonry
subcontractor. Hot Rock Masonry
can fabricate granite or marble
countertops, or sink and tub
surrounds to order, as well as
install stone tiling in showers or
bathrooms. To see what they can
do, visit the Hot Rock Masonry
Website at
www.hotrockmasonry.com or call
360-376-5505 and talk to owner
Steve Cohan. It is something to
think about if you are currently
considering home renovation.
So, how do you plan and execute a
Roman bath of one’s own? The road
to authenticity is research,
research, research. One aspect of
classical design is that it
withstands the test of time.
Writers were still praising
the ‘good taste’ of the Classical
tradition into the 1880s. In this
case, the Classical style is a
broad category of architectural
styles based on a common set of
rules of symmetry, proportion and
architectural detail modeled on
the marvels of ancient Rome.
Proportion
is the relationship of the size of
two things.
The first century
A.D.
Roman
writer,
architect and
engineer
Vitruvius said that the
proportions of a building should
correspond to those of a person,
and laid down these precepts when
describing a plan for a garden:
“The length of a
Basilica is twice the width,
with a central nave. The width
being divided into ninths, five
are allocated to the nave, two to
each of the porticoes.
The
length also divided into ninths,
one for the alcove.”
If, instead of saying “nave” we
say bath, and reserve one alcove
for a shower, and the other for
the toilette. . .our little
bathing temple starts to come into
form.
Symmetry
is one side of an
object being the mirror of the
other side, and this couple with a
hierarchy
achieved by
graduating heights in equal
intervals, puts the most important
element (in this case the bathtub)
front and center.
Architectural details such as
those available in ancient Rome
give the authentic note regardless
of being off-the-shelf
reproductions.
A
short glossary:
MOSAIC: A
picture or decorative design made
by setting small colored pieces,
as of stone or tile, into a
surface.
CORNICE: The
molding at the top of the walls of
a room, between the walls and
ceiling.
FRIEZE:
A plain or decorated horizontal
part of an entablature between the
architrave and cornice. A
decorative horizontal band, as
along the upper part of a wall in
a room.
PILASTER:
Rectangular
pier attached to a wall for the
purpose of strengthening the wall;
also a decorative column attached
to a wall.
PILLAR:
A column used for
supporting parts of a structure.
PEDIMENT:
A triangular
space formed in the middle of a
gable; also used as a decoration
above a door.
STATUARY:
Statues. Look for reproductions
of ancient Greek or Roman
sculptures such as Apollo or
Venus.
The ultimate bathing platform
would be crowned with a vaulted
roof, another Roman innovation.
Before them, the Greeks built
temples and other large buildings
by supporting large flat roofs
with many columns. The Romans
improved on the design, building
curved roofs with a keystone
dropped into the top of the vault.
The downward thrust of the
keystone pushed the sections
outward, creating a pressure that
held the entire roof together. The
curved roof makes central columns
unnecessary, freeing the interior
space for the bathing area below.
Something incredibly calming
happens to the viewer of a piece
of Classical architecture that
seems to take it to higher plane.
And who doesn’t want to be taken
to a higher plane of consciousness
while soaking in their bath? More
to the point, imagine how you will
feel soaking in this amazing
retreat, locked away blissfully
away from anything resembling
stress.
©
2006 All content property of European Weekly unless where otherwise
accredited
