Ah, the grand old days of beam-riding Talos and Terrier, where the directors had to be as big as gun turrets, and ship commanders had not, by necessity, retreated into CIC spaces.
So, ships needed to be certian dimensions, the Bridge needed clear views to navigate, and the like.
USN developed an austerity of appearance--but, this was much linked to being able to wash down the ships in case of contamination.