Passages: Doorways in the Carnegie Museum Hall of Architecture

Ever since childhood, the Hall of Architecture has been my favorite room in the Carnegie Museums.

 But each time I tried to take my kids there in 2013, I found it closed for renovations. 

 It was great to find the exhibit reopened today, though I'm not sure what they've been renovating.  It looks just exactly the same as it did in the 1970s.

 I wonder if there's not something hopelessly utilitarian about a culture that no longer puts any aesthetic effort into its entrances and doorways.

 In modern times, even the entrances to prominent public buildings are typically undecorated, ugly metal and glass.  They seem to say, "Get in here, get your business done, then get out.  Accomplishment is the only thing that matters."

 These ancient doorways convey a powerful emotional message.  They say, "When you enter these doors, you are entering into more than just a building.  You are entering into a story, a tradition, a community that is bigger, and older, and infinitely wiser than you are alone."

 This ecclesiastical doorway might be my favorite, with fantastic creatures nesting in its intricately vining tracery.  It comes from medieval Norway.  

This one is Roman.  Nice, but I far prefer the ones with nature themes.  They look like something from The Hobbit.