Sometimes characterized as flashy or intimidating, Greek and Roman columns have fallen out of fashion in many areas of the U.S. However, done right, they are far from ancient history, designers say.

My previous piece for The American Conservative concerned the mayhem postwar “urban renewal” wrought in Washington, D.C.’s southwest quadrant. A conspicuous feature of that mayhem is the Robert C.

From Brunelleschi’s ingenious design of the dome crowning the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, to the vast ceiling of the Sistine Chapel decorated with Michelangelo’s staggering frescoes, ...