Like our weather fronts that come and go, trends in architecture come and go as well. These trends are most often driven by social preferences of the time, advances in technology, new construction techniques and, in the case of Egyptian Revival, by an archeological discovery in 1922.

In November of that year, archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, aka King Tut. Carter's discovery of the famous tomb and its artifacts led to what is considered to be the third of several revivals of Egyptian architecture.

Historians claim that the world's fascination with the Egyptian culture and its architecture can be traced back to Napoleon Bonaparte's conquest of Egypt and his subsequent scientific expedition circa 1800. The series of publications detailing this initiative included illustrations that spanned 20 years and resulted in descriptions of buildings, temples and details that were translated into new interpretations of ancient ideas.

Both French and English architects quickly designed public buildings to resemble temples reminiscent of Egyptian architecture and its unique characteristics, including sculpted papyrus leaves, lotus flowers, palms, sphinx and pyramids.

Prior to the "Third Revival" of the 1920s, examples of Egyptian Revival architecture in America are rare. The style was used predominately in public and educational buildings — funerary structures, churches, cemeteries, prisons, memorials, mausoleums, Masonic temples and other buildings associated with permanence — and, on few occasions, a private residence. It is reported that the wrought-iron fence surrounding the 1845 Medical College of Virginia is capped with mini-mummies!

The mysteries surrounding this exotic culture and architecture naturally lent itself to theater and movie palace designs in the Roaring '20s and '30s, most notably the Grauman Egyptian Theater in Hollywood which opened in 1922. It was also during this period, when the Great Seal, featuring an unfinished pyramid, was first used on the back of the $1 Federal Reserve note in 1935.

As with all documented architectural styles, there are characteristics that easily identify the Egyptian Revival style. Details of surviving 20th-century structures include battered walls, rope-like molding, rolled roof cornice, smooth columns with lotus flower or papyrus capitals, descriptive murals, coiled snakes, felines, winged deities, feathered creatures, obelisks, decorative urns and sunbursts. The "Third Revival" period only spanned 15 years but set the stage for its successor style: Art Deco. The similarities and overlap of the two styles make them compatible and almost indistinguishable from one another.

The late 1980s and early '90s ushered in yet another short lived "revival," with the introduction of Post Modern Design. This design trend resulted in monumental references to Egyptian architecture from the Louvre in Paris to the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, both featuring iconic pyramids of glass and steel. It was also during this era when comedian Steve Martin performed his famous Egyptian dance routine made popular by his song "King Tut."

If history is any indicator of what our future holds, then we will surely experience several more revivals of this fascinating style that we call Egyptian.

This column is contributed by Gregory J. Scott, a local architect with 35 years of national experience in innovation and design.