Portals, Thresholds, and Transitions
From Signs of Fortuna, Aries: the Present DayLong before people built houses, cathedrals, skyscrapers, or even villages, they discovered a remarkably simple idea: two supports with something spanning a space of transition between them.
Historically, architects have called this a post-and-lintel system. The concept is easy to understand. Two upright elements support a horizontal beam above. Yet this simple arrangement has appeared throughout human history in forms both practical and symbolic.
In very ancient structures, the construction itself was the decoration. Massive stones demonstrated their own strength. Heavy timber beams revealed how a building stood. Nothing was hidden. The beauty came from the visible relationship between support and span.
Some of the world's most recognizable structures are based upon this idea. Ancient standing stones rise from the landscape and support massive stone beams. Classical temples, formed with perfect columns and entablatures, created monumental entrances and gathering places.
In Japan, torii gates mark the entrance to sacred spaces. Unlike a building, a torii may have no walls and no roof. It exists primarily as a threshold; a marker that signals a transition from one experience to another.
Similar ideas appear throughout the world. A portal, a bridge, a monument, a temple entrance, or a simple doorway all invite us to cross from one place into another.
This excerpt is taken from the Architect's Alcove bonus section of Signs of Fortuna, Aries: The Present Day.
To explore the full narrative alongside all three bonus sections, order your copy on Amazon or visit the Official Book Launch Page.
