Atrium, << AY tree uhm, >> was the central room of early Roman houses. The atrium contained the hearth and was used for cooking, sleeping, and entertaining. A hole in the center of the roof allowed the smoke to escape. As the design of Roman houses became more advanced, the kitchen and hearth were removed to other locations. The atrium remained as a formal reception area and center of family life. Rain falling through the roof opening was caught in a central marble basin called the impluvium. A typical later Roman atrium was richly decorated.
In later times, the word atrium came to refer to any open courtyard surrounded by an arcade. An atrium led to the entrance of many early Christian churches from the 300’s to the 500’s. See Architecture (Early Christian architecture).
