Greek Architecture
B.Architecture,
1st Semester
Ancient Greece
A Step Back In Time
Architecture
Art, method and style of
building.
Introduction!!
Thearchitecture of Ancient
Greeceis the architecture produced by
theGreek speaking people (Hellenic
people) for a period from about 900 BC
until the 1st century AD.
Ancient Greek architecture is best
known fromits temples. The second
important type of building that survives
all over the Hellenic world is theopenair theatre.
Other architectural forms that are still in
evidence are the processional gateway
(propylon), the public square (agora)
surrounded by storied colonnade (stoa),
the town council building, the public
monument, the monumental tomb
(mausoleum) and thestadium.
How They Build Their Houses..
The Greeks had to find a way to
support their bigger houses.
To
build a bigger house the
prehistoric way would have meant
the house would have fallen down.
The Greeks used columns to support
their houses.
Columns
A column was a huge stick that held
the roof up.
The
first columns were made of wood.
The Greeks ran out of wood.
They had a lot of rock, so they used
rock instead of wood.
Marble
Marble is a kind of
rock.
It comes in many
colors and is beautiful.
There was a lot of
marble in Greece.
Most of it was a
creamy white color.
Many Grecian buildings
are made of marble.
Temple
Atemple(from
theLatinwordtemplum) is a structure
reserved forreligious or spiritual activities, such
asprayerandsacrifice, or analogousrites.
Temples - Purpose
Unlike
modern churches
or mosques, Greek
temples were not meant
to be meeting places for
congregations.
They
were homes for the
communitys god or
goddess and a place to
keep offerings
cult image was
centrally located within a
naos, or chapel.
Temples - Purpose
In
the mild climate of Greece, ceremonies
generally took place outdoors.
Even the alter, upon which sacrifices were
made, were outside the temple structure.
Temple Forms
Greek
temples, like
Egyptian ones,
tended to follow set
patterns, which
were regarded as
ideal forms.
Variations are few in
any given period,
tending to reflect
the choice of a
particular classical
order, rather than
new and novel
design.
The Classical Orders
The
three
classical
orders are:
Doric
Ionic
Corinthian
The Doric Order
TheDoric
orderwas one of the three orders
of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the
other two canonical orders were the Ionic and
the Corinthian.
Doric
columns are the heaviest in
appearance.
The
The
capital is plain.
shaft is thick though it loses some of its
mass over time.
Doric Columns
The
top of the
columns are a
square block.
Under
the block is
a rounded piece.
The
columns are
thick.
The
base is a
square block.
Doric
This is a drawing of a
Doric column.
Notice the square
block at the top.
Notice the rounded
piece under the block.
The column is thick.
The base is made of a
square block.
Doric
This drawing shows
how the Doric
column was used.
The columns hold up
the roof.
The roof line was
very fancy.
The top of the
column is called the
capital.
Doric Colonnade in Zeus Palace
The capitals were very large.
Doric Columns in the Parthenon
The Ionic Order
TheIonic
order forms one of thethree
ordersofclassical architecture, the
other two canonic orders being
theDoric and theCorinthian.
These
The
have greater elegance.
shaft is thinner than its Doric
equivalent.
Ionic Columns
The
Ionic capital
looks like a scroll and
has distinctive
volutes.
The
Ionic column is
skinnier.
The
base is apparent
and has a rounded
and a square section.
Ionic Order
1- entablature
2- column
3- cornice
4- frieze
5- architrave or epistyle
6- capital (composed of abacus and volutes)
7- shaft
8- base
9- stylobate
10- krepis.
Ionic
This is a drawing of
an Ionic column.
Notice the capital is
shaped like a scroll.
Notice the column is
skinnier.
This base is square.
Many times the
bases were fancier.
Ionic
This drawing shows
how the Ionic column
was used.
The columns hold up
the roof.
The roof line was very
fancy.
The capital looks like a
scroll.
The base is layered.
Ionic Column in Athenas Temple
The Corinthian Order
TheCorinthian
orderis the last
developed of the
three principal
classical ordersof
ancientGreekan
d
Romanarchitectu
re.
Corinthian Columns
This
is also a tall,
elegant form.
Corinthian columns
were the most
decorative.
The
capitals were carved
to look like leaves.
The
columns were the
thinnest.
base is also employed.
Corinthian Columns
This is a drawing of
a Corinthian column.
Notice the capital
looks like leaves and
flowers.
The column is the
thinnest of all.
The base is the
fanciest of all.
Corinthian
This drawing shows
how the column was
used.
The column holds up
the roof.
The roof line had lots
of parts, but not so
much carving.
The capital is very
fancy and so is the
base.
Corinthian Columns in Zeus Temple
Corinthian Columns in the
Olympeian
Important Structures
1. The Acropolis
The
most famous Greek buildings topped the
Athenian Acropolis.
These include: the Propylaea, the Temple of
Athena Nike, the Parthenon, and the Erectheum.
The Propylaea
This
is the
monumental entry
point to the
acropolis.
Temple of Athena Nike
This
is a small
temple dedicated to
the victorious
Athena.
The ratio of height
to diameter of the
columns is 7:1 and
not the 9:1 or 10:1
generally found in
Ionic temples.
The Parthenon
This
is the most
important and
perfectly formed
temple on the
acropolis.
Dedicated to
Athena, it housed
an enormous cult
image.
The Parthenon
One
of the Parthenons
most impressive features
was not seen by most
worshippers the great
frieze showing the
Panathenaic Procession.
The colour of this
reconstruction is
indicative of what much
of the structure would
have looked like before
being bleached by
centuries of
Mediterranean sun.
The Erechtheum
This
is a complex
building of up to four
distinct spaces.
It is also built on a
slope, so its walls are
of differing heights.
It is dedicated to
Athena Polias and
Poseidon Erechtheus.
The Erechtheum
The
most distinctive element of this
building is the Porch of the Maidens.
2. Agora
TheAgora
was a
central spot in
ancientGreekcitystates. The literal
meaning of the word
is "gathering place"
or "assembly". The
agora was the center
of athletic, artistic,
spiritual and political
life of the city
TheAncient
Agora of Athenswas the
best-known example.
3. The Great Altar of Pergamum
This
Hellenistic
building broke
completely with
traditional style.
The
frieze was
brought down to the
level of outside
observers.
The
colonnade was
raised above it.
4. Stoa
Astoainancien
t Greek
architecture, is
a covered
walkway
orportico,
commonly for
public use
5. Theatre of Ancient
Greece
TheTheatre
Of Ancient Greece, OrAncient Greek drama, is
atheatricalculturethat flourished inancient Greece700 BC.
Thecity-stateofAthens,
was its centre.
The Greek Heritage
Greek
architecture had
a lasting impact
on the world.
The Romans
adopted it as an
ideal, but
modified it to
meet their
practical needs.
The Greek Heritage
Today,
elements of
Greek architecture
surround us
everywhere, from
the Doric columns
gracing local homes
to the great Ionic
capitals of the
Vancouver Art
Gallery.
The Greek Heritage
Greek
forms
have
become an
integral part
of the
vocabulary
of world
architecture
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