FORUMS

The School of Athens

Density: 55 People

The scene depicted at the School of Athens has a scale that creates a singularity of experience while supporting multiplicity of activities.

Distinguished Faculty

Zeno of Citium, Epicurus, Heraclitus, Democritus, Anaximander, Averroes, Pythagoras, Alcibiades, Antisthenes, Aeschines, Parmenides, Socrates, Heraclitus, Plato, Aristotle, Diogenes, Plotinus, Euclid, Ptolemy, Protogenes …

A diversity of focal points, activities, and interactions.

Even though there is a clear spatial center marked by Plato and Aristotle, the scene depicted at the School of Athens suggests a diverse, non-hierarchical environment, populated by a range of activities with a variety of participants.

Setting

“The building is in the shape of a Greek cross, which some have suggested was intended to show a harmony between pagan philosophy and Christian theology. The architecture of the building was inspired by the work of Bramante, who, according to Vasari, helped Raphael with the architecture in the picture. Some have suggested that the building itself was intended to be an advance view of St. Peter’s Basilica.”

Setting: Relocation

Once the grand civic space is lost, how can the School of Athens embody the spirit of Renaissance?

Labyrinthine Spaces: School of Athens re-contextualized