Architecture Paper

Architecture paper: Comparison of Greek and Gothic Fantasia Friend HUM/266 Edward Zevin January 17, 2013

Architecture Paper

This paper will discuss the comparison between the Parthenon temple, which is an example of classical Greek architecture and the Salisbury cathedral, which is an example of medieval gothic style architecture. An in depth description will be giving of each architectural style, including the era in which they were built and the purpose they served. Key design characteristics will be identified as well as some major architectural innovations used in both classical Greek and Medieval Gothic architecture. Lastly the symbolism of each architectural style will be discussed explaining what the artist was trying to do and say with their work. Classical Greek Architecture Most Classical Greek architectural structures were very large and beautiful; structures were design with special attention to detail and most buildings had a symmetrical design. The temples in ancient Greece have become some of the most famous architecture in the world. The temples were used to discuss politics and to worship the gods. There are three architectural styles that were mainly used to assemble the great structures found in ancient Greece. The Doric style was commonly used in classical Greek architecture; these columns were made sturdy with a plain top. A popular example of the Doric order style is the Parthenon temple, other examples of this style can be found in the mainland of Greece. The Ionic order style is a more sophisticated, graceful designed column, this column is thin in width with a curled top. A popular example of Ionic order style architecture is the Erechtheum also known as the temple of Athena Nike. The Corinthian order style is a very decorative style column with a top that looks like leaves. This style is not seen a lot in classical Greek architecture but the Monument of Lysicrates is one of the rare examples of this. The Parthenon

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The Parthenon was built in Athens Greece; construction started on the Parthenon in 447 BC and was later completed in 432 BC. The temple was devoted to Athena the goddess of wisdom, divine intelligence, and warfare. The people of Athens wanted to give thanks to the goddess for their success so the temple was built in her honor. The main architects responsible for the design of the temple were Ictinus and Calibrates. Phidia and Kalamis were responsible for the beautiful sculptures and detailed decorations found in and around the temple. The Parthenon was constructed from penteli marble which came from Mount Pentelicus, located northeast of Athens. The Parthenon was positioned on a piece of land that was part bedrock and part stone, the reason for this was for the building to be flexible enough to withstand an earthquake. The Parthenon is a classic example of Doric style architecture, there were roughly 13400 stones used to construct the building in its original form. The Parthenon had a base that was 70 meters long and 26 meters wide. The building had 17 columns that went along its length accompanied by eight columns along the buildings width. These columns are ten meters high and are two meters in diameter. The design of the building creates an optical illusion that makes the structure look top heavy. The Parthenon columns utilize an architectural effect called entasis, and get gradually thinner from the middle up ("The Parthenon", n.d). the columns tilt inwards nearing the top this is said to represent the grace and power of the Greek people. A large statue of the goddess Athena draped in gold and ivory stood in the center of the temple, the statue was over 12 meters high. Other architectural innovations include the Frieze of the Parthenon; remints of the Frieze can still be seen in the temple today. Designed by Phidia the Parthenon Frieze is two and a half inches thick and one meter tall. It depicts a procession of 360 noble Athenians, as well as numerous animals and gods ("The Parthenon", n.d). The Parthenon Frieze bordered the higher walls of the temple.

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Medieval Gothic Style Cathedrals Gothic style cathedrals are a truly captivating sight, developed from Romanesque architecture, medieval gothic style architecture originated from northern France and can be found all over Europe. This style was pioneered by Abbot Suger in the mid-12th century. From 1137 through 1144 Abbot Suger served as an advisor to the French kings. Medieval gothic style architecture was developed to be a part of the Christian world and to be a representation of Christian faith. Medieval gothic style cathedrals were made to attempt to touch the heavens literally. Popular features of the gothic style cathedrals are vast stained- glass windows that sometimes have biblical stories painted on them. The colorful images bring a vibrant warm feeling to the cathedral. Gargoyles and sculptures can be found in the entranceways and on the roof of the cathedrals. Groin vaults and flying buttresses are used to support the weight of the roofs and the walls. Pointed arches are a feature used in medieval gothic style architecture opposed to round arches used in Romanesque architecture. Salisbury Cathedral Construction on the Salisbury cathedral begins in 1220 and is completed in 1258. Located in Salisbury England, the Salisbury cathedral is an example of English gothic style architecture. The church has a simple layout that is in the shape of a cross and is devoted to the St Mary. The spire on the cathedral was added some 50 years later and is the tallest in Britain. The most common material used to construct the cathedral was Purbeck marble which is not actually marble but crystalline limestone. The architects behind Salisbury design were George Gilbert Scott, Richard Poore, Elias of Dereham, and James Wyatt. The design of the cathedral

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focuses on height and light, the total interior length of the cathedral is 449 ft. The cathedral has huge marble columns throughout the structure. There are two main structural innovations to be found at Salisbury one is the flying buttress the other is the ribbed vaulting. Comparison of the Parthenon and the Salisbury Cathedral The Greek and Gothic styles compare and also differ in terms of design and importance. The Gothic style or architecture which originated from France was popular during the medieval period especially during the high and middle ages of the 16th Century. According to Dobbins (2001), this style spread throughout Northern Europe, and was used in the construction of structures such as Cathedrals and in Religious churches. The Greek architecture on the other hand was popularly used in structures such as temples. The Greek style flourished during the Hellenic era in the Greek history. The Hellenic era began in the 17th century (Whitley, 2001). Examples of structures that can be referred to when comparing the Greek and Gothic styles include the Salisbury Cathedral and Parthenon Temple. Salisbury Cathedral and the Parthenon Temple were both used as places of worship. The Salisbury Cathedral was constructed using the Gothic architecture while the Parthenon Temple was constructed using the Greek style. Comparatively, the Salisbury Cathedral was of a larger size than the Parthenon (Evan, 1985). In addition, it had complex structural forms such as a very tall spire, a large cathedral cloister displaying a high level of contemporary architectural style showing the work of accomplished and skilled craftsmen unlike the Parthenon. In both structures, local materials and techniques were used. In addition, supportive stone columns were used in both the Salisbury Cathedral and Parthenon Temple architectural styles. The Salisbury columns and arches were used to emphasize vertical height and allow a lot of light into the

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building while the columns and buildings in the Parthenon temple were proportioned according to mathematical ideals of harmony, including the golden mean (Dobbins, 2001). Weather was factored in the two styles. For instance, since Greece was warmer than Northern Europe, The Parthenon structure is characterized of open spaces. As a result, the building was at least partly open to outside elements of weather (Neils, 2005). In contrast, the Salisbury Cathedral was built with closed windows with heavily stained glass and smaller exterior doorways in order to keep the structure warm during winter seasons in Northern Europe. The decorative stone work in the Parthenon comprised of marble. The marble were partly curved in high relief and had an ionic frieze. This made the Parthenon to appear highly colored and decorated than that of the Salisbury Cathedral which had paintings on its walls (Neils, 2005). The Parthenon and Salisbury Cathedral also had detailed life-size sculptural designs around and inside. However, these sculptural designs had different meanings. In conclusion, there was a lot of repose, simplicity, harmony, and perfect proportion depicted in the Parthenon temple which represents the Greek style. On the other hand, the Gothic style as depicted by the Salisbury cathedral was characterized of variety, elegance, and life. The most interesting thing about both architectural styles is the importance they both place on detail. Another interesting fact is how many people still appreciate the beauty in these structures today.

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References Dobbins, J. (2001). Architecture of the world. New York: Cambridge University Press. Evans, S. (1985). Salisbury Cathedral: A reflective Guide. Salisbury: Michael Russel Publishing. The Parthenon. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/29a_p1.html Neils, J (2005). The Parthenon: From Antiquity to the present. New York: Cambridge University Press. Whitley, J. (2001). The Archeology of Democracy: Classical Athens: The Archeology of Ancient Greece. New York: Cambridge University Press.

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