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Greek Architecture
Geographical setting
of
Greek Architecture:
A country surrounded on 3
sides by sea, i.e.
Mediterranean Sea, Ionic Sea
and Aegean Sea
It had natural harbors along
its coastline which proved
beneficial for development of
trade and commerce
It had a hilly terrain with
scarce connectivity which
divided the population of the
country into small pockets.
As the terrain was rough and
hard, the inhabitants had to
develop themselves to cope
up with it
Geology
Rocky terrain where marble was
the predominant mineral. The
abundance of marble and its
properties made it the most
widely used building material
Copper, silver and gold were also
found
Climate
Religion
Grecians preferred worship of
nature and natural phenomenon
Each Greek town had its own
set
of
deity
and
religious
practices
The priest did not enjoy
authority
as
in
Egyptian
civilization
The temples and other religious
monuments were accessible by
all (the restricted sanctuary or
chambers of Egyptian temples
gave way to cella which was
open for everyone in the society
Timeline of Greek
Civilization
Architectural
character
Architectural
character
Architectural
character
The vertical features were inclined inwards
to prevent the illusion created by tall
vertical features of falling outwards.
The columns with sky as the backdrop were
made thicker than the ones having the cella
as their backdrop because the bright sky
due to irradiation would make the columns
look slimmer
The size of fonts used in the inscriptions on
the Temple of Priene were varied. The fonts
on the top were of larger size, while the
fonts near the base were smaller in size.
This was done to make the inscription
appear uniform in size
Architectural
character
Sculptures of highest class and finish were used to embellish the
exterior surface of the buildings
The Greeks developed the Orders of Architecture namely Doric, Ionic
and Corinthian. The Romans added another two orders Tuscan and
Composite and together they form the 5 orders of Architecture
An order in Greek and Roman architecture consists of the columns
which is divided into base, shaft, capital and entablature. The
entablature is further sub-divided into Architrave, Frieze and
Cornice
The proportions and moulding details of each order varies from the
other
Temples formed the most important building type during this period.
The temples were built with special emphasis on its external
appearance (and visibility from a distance)
The temples constituted of a cell (Naos) which housed the shrine/
statue of the deity. The cell is usually rectangular in shape and is
oriented along the east west direction
Column supported portico are placed both at the front (antae or the
pronaos) and the back (opisthodomos). The rear portico was often used
as a treasury (e.g. Parthenon, Athens). This arrangement was
occasionally surrounded by a colonnade (peripteris). The entire setup
was based on a three tiered raised platform known as stylobate
In larger temples multiple colonnades were laid to support the roof.
On the front and the rear faade of the temple above the columns a
triangular shaped pediment was placed (which was usually decorated
with motiffs and sculptures)
These are the oldest order with some historians claiming their genesis
from timber structures of Mycenaean period
The Doric column does not have a base and rested directly on a
stylobate.
A. Propylae
B. The Parthenon
The Parthenon was the
most
impressive
structure
inside
the
Acropolis.
It
was
a
perfect
Doric
temple
dedicated to the patron
It is a peripteral octastyle
god of Athens Athena
temple with 8 columns in the
front and back portico and 17 on
the sides. However, there is a
diversion from typical Greek
temples. The rear portico has an
access to a chamber supported
on 4 columns (served as
treasury)
It had strong sense of proportion
and was constructed keeping in
mind the Golden ratio
It housed the ivory statue of
Athena (11m in height) in the
sanctuary or naos
C. The Erechtheion
The Bouleuterion was the meeting place of the Boule or members of the
senate of the city
It is said to be the place where democracy was born, debates on public
affairs and society used to take place here
It was a covered chamber fitted with banks of seats like a theater
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