The architectural landscape of Minoan Crete is undoubtedly one of the most striking features of Aegean prehistory, especially when it comes to the numerous remains of Late Bronze Age buildings on the island, dating to the so-called Neopalatial period (c. 1600–1450 BC). Since Sir Arthur Evans's excavations at Knossos and his rather fanciful reconstruction of major parts of the palatial building, vivid pictures of this impressive, multi-storied building, its large central court and four wings characterised by what appears as an intricate system of access and circulation have dominated public perceptions. Furthermore, in the last decade, numerous monographs and edited volumes have presented valuable syntheses, up-to-date research and new perspectives on Minoan architecture.
And yet, this book stands out! Author Clairy Palyvou, a trained architect, has been working in the field for decades, and Daidalos at work is the product of her long-term intellectual and architectural engagement with the idiosyncrasies of the Minoan built environment. A note of caution first: the built environment in all its guises (architecture, urbanism, man-made landscape) is the main—if not the only—focus of the volume. Minoan society is mentioned occasionally, but Palyvou's phenomenological approach relies on a very generic acceptance of the human actors. They barely exist beyond their modes of interaction with the built environment.
This, however, is the major strength of the book. Here, architecture is neither merely a backdrop for human actions, nor purely the crystallisation of social norms. It is, first and foremost, an agent in its own right. Daidalos at work breathes movement and meaning into lifeless ruins. Some might say—and I concur—that direction and interpretations are lacking at times, and redundant at others. Nevertheless, this book remains a very interesting and unprecedented attempt at a comprehensive phenomenological engagement with the Minoan built environment.
It is worth noting that this book focuses heavily on Neopalatial architecture. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that the vast majority of accessible remains date from the beginning of the Late Bronze Age. These are often better preserved and therefore have come to epitomise—somewhat misleadingly—Minoan architecture. Neopalatial architecture is, however, the end-result of a long evolution of the Minoan built environment and, as such, it offers a good starting point for tackling issues concerning its various formative stages. One should nonetheless keep in mind that Palyvou's account should be understood as largely pertaining to that specific period and not necessarily to the c. 2000 years that constitute the Cretan Bronze Age.
After a brief methodological introduction discussing the overlap between archaeology and the study of architecture, and stating the author's specific perspective, Chapter 1 mostly constitutes a historiographical overview of the study of Minoan architecture. Here, Palyvou provides a critical evaluation of issues of terminology, typology and chronology, and cautions against labelling and categorising architectural forms. Underlining that the temporality of archaeology is certainly not that of architecture, she also highlights the interpretive challenges that this difference entails.
The following chapter, ‘Land matters’, focuses on the Cretan landscape and the role it might have played in shaping Minoan architecture, both morphologically and symbolically. Throughout the book, the author uses the Vitruvian triad of Firmitas (structure), Utilitas (function) and Venustas (form) to articulate her analyses of the built environment; she also provides critical accounts of the reception of these notions. Chapter 3 considers the use in architecture of the most basic shapes: the circle and the square. The discussion concomitantly mobilises the frequency and contexts of their uses as well as their main geometrical attributes “in the hope that they might reveal some of the prime underlying intentions” (p. 39).
Palyvou then explores ‘Boundaries and connectors’ (Chapter 4). Bounding elements are floors, walls and roofs, whereas connectors are points of communication (doors, pier-and-door partitions, windows, staircases); these are discussed at length, both morphologically and in terms of their potential role in the patterns of movement within buildings. This chapter ends by introducing one of the leitmotifs of the book; this characterises Minoan architecture—one should really read ‘Neopalatial’ here—as a “system adhering to the principle of least interference that allows for unobstructed synchronic use of the building by people of varying identities involved in varying tasks” (p. 76). I could not agree more, but it is disappointing that this strong conviction was not explored more thoroughly in the following chapters in which spatial configuration and its topological properties are not fully addressed.
Chapter 5 is dedicated to the most common types of spaces and rooms in Minoan buildings, their integration in the overall layout and the spatial behaviours that they potentially encouraged. In the next chapter, Palyvou focuses on the architectural design presented as a “polyparametric problem-solving” (p. 112), in which interplay between form, structure and function are of paramount importance. While addressing issues of composition, models and variations, accuracy and approximation, Palyvou lays out what she considers the “binding formula” (p. 117) of Neopalatial architecture. Although her system of “Regulating Lines” (p. 118) is convincing, it is here, especially, that her argument would have been reinforced by a more explicit discussion of topological properties.
The next three chapters are more clearly evocative of the Vitruvian triad. In Chapter 7, the author addresses structure (stability, multi-storey construction, standardisation and prefabrication, as well as response to seismic threat). Chapter 8 presents formal properties (solids and voids, horizontality and verticality, symmetry, display and concealment) as an aesthetic ensemble imbued in the Minoan built environment. Palyvou develops a compelling argument on the use of the term ‘function’, both in archaeology and architecture (Chapter 9). Together with her discussion on monumentality and the capacity of architecture to absorb and ‘tolerate’ change, this truly is one of the highlights of the volume.
Chapter 10, a good summary of the principles and characteristics presented throughout the book, also synthesises much of the author's previous work on the topic. The final chapter comparing Minoan and Modern architecture can initially leave the reader slightly nonplussed; on careful reading, however, it is key to understanding the author's stance and sensibilities.
Palyvou's enthusiastic and candid writing makes for a very stimulating journey. Of course paths of enquiry are chosen whereas others are not taken, detours may seem unnecessary while some shortcuts can confound. Having followed the author's desired lines, however, we are most definitely not where we started, exactly like when one succeeds in navigating a labyrinth.
