Lifestyle & Seasonal

Raise your backyard’s game with Olympic influences

The 2016 Rio Olympics are in full swing. We love to watch the Games’ thrilling events and see the amazing achievements of our US team. But being stone experts, the Olympic Games also reminds us of something else we love – Greek architecture! The ancient culture’s mark can be seen not only in our government buildings but also in our home and Hardscape designs.

It is thought the first Games were held in the city of Olympia. The early stadiums were quite simple, made of merely a track. Over the years, the stadiums used stone to build out spectator seats, tunnels, “exedras” (stone dais to hold judges) and “palaestras” (practice areas for athletes). The 2004 Olympic Games’ shot put event was held in the stadium that still stands in Olympia, Greece.

Some of the elements of Olympia can be seen in our stone architecture here in the US. The Olympia stadium has a famous vaulted stone archway that looks familiar, as we see stone archways often in church yards or university buildings. The stone walls and passageways that directed foot traffic in and out of the Olympia stadium are the inspiration for many stadium designs today. We can also find similar “crowd-control” solutions in home and landscape design. Garden walls are used to keep plants from being walked over. Walkways and paths escort guests to gathering spaces or the front door. And let’s not forget the columns! Nothing connects us with ancient cultures like columns.

Incorporating the look of ancient stone architecture into your patio or outdoor kitchen design is simply a matter of choosing the right elements and materials for your space. Thankfully modern techniques make construction of Greek Revival spaces much easier than they were in ancient times. EP Henry offers many different solutions to help you get in the spirit. One of the most popular additions to a Hardscape is a collection of columns. You can add columns in a few ways. Here are some examples:

  • Columns can turn a ho-hum, functional fence into a beautiful wall
  • Smaller columns can support planters for a raised garden
  • Garden walkways can be lined with columns in a portico style
  • Column support adds strength and beauty to a pergola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By bringing a little bit of Olympia into your Hardscape, you can keep the spirit of the Games with you every day of every year.

For more examples of how columns are used visit:http://ephenry.com/photo-gallery/walls/

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