Zuilengang in het stadhuis van Manchester before 1878

This photograph captures the colonnade in Manchester Town Hall. The arches and columns evoke classical antiquity, symbols of power, law, and civic duty that became prevalent during the Renaissance. These architectural motifs are far more than mere structures. Consider how the arch, a form known in ancient Rome, reappears in the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages, then again here. The meaning has shifted: in Rome, it signified imperial power, while in the cathedrals, it reached towards heaven in spiritual aspiration. Now, in Manchester’s Town Hall, it embodies civic pride and the robust strength of industry. One may find similar use of repeated forms and symmetry in the work of the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, whose designs were deeply influenced by classical ideals of harmony and proportion, which can also be felt in the work before us today. These recurring motifs resonate with our collective memory, stirring subconscious feelings of order and stability. Each appearance of this ancient form is a rebirth, carrying echoes of past meanings, adapted to new contexts.