Ancient Greek Architecture Historical Background

ARC 110
History of Architecture I
Module 6
Ancient Greek Architecture
Module Outline
Lecture 17
Historical Background
Location and period
Social characteristics and beliefs
Lecture 18
Architecture of the Civilization
Greek Orders
Temple Architecture
Civic Architecture
Lecture 19
Greek City Planning and Design
Greek Architecture in Athens
Lecture 20
Architectural Characteristics
Buildings and other architectural elements
Building materials, construction and technologies
Architectural Organizing principles
Module Learning Outcomes
What do we expect to learn from the
civilization?
Stone construction and decoration
The introduction of Proportion in Architecture
The introduction of the classical orders of
architecture
Greek architecture of temples and civic
buildings
Principles of Greek city Planning and Design
Module 6 Lecture 17
Outline of Lecture
Lecture 17
Location and period
Social characteristics and beliefs
Location
Greek civilization occurred
in the area around the
Greek mainland, on a
peninsula that extends into
the Mediterranean Sea
It started in cities on the
Greek mainland and on
islands in the Aegean Sea
Towards the later or
Hellenistic period, Greek
civilization spread to other
far away places including
Asia Minor and Northern
Africa
Location
Most of the Greek
mainland was rocky and
barren and therefore bad
for agriculture
Most Greeks therefore
lived along the coastline or
on islands where the soil
was good for farming
The Aegean and
Mediterranean Seas
provided a means of
communication and trade
with other places
Period
The period of ancient Greek history can
be divided into four as follows:
1100 B. C. 750 B. C. Greek Dark Ages
750 B. C. 500 B. C. Archaic Period
5000 B. C. 323 B. C. Classical Period
323 B. C. 147 B. C. Hellenistic Period
The classical and archaic period are
sometimes collectively referred to as
Hellenic period
Period
Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)
The Mycenaean people were Greek in Origin
Greek civilization is therefore usually viewed as a
continuation of the Mycenaean civilization
The start of the Greek civilization is therefore
dated to the end of the Mycenaean civilization in
1100BC
Following the decline of Mycenae, the area
around the Greek mainland went into a period of
decline that is referred to as the Greek Dark ages
Period
Greece became depopulated with groups of
people moving out of mainland Greece
towards the islands of the Aegean
Mycenaean and Greek culture dwindled and
many cultural elements including writing, art
and architectural techniques were lost
Trade with Asia Minor, the Middle East and
Egypt, which was at the root of Cretan
prosperity stopped entirely
Period
As Greek people migrated from the mainland, other
people from other less prosperous mountain regions
of the north migrated to the more fertile coastline
regions
They invade the Greek mainland villages and
established their rule
The northerners brought with them a Greek dialect
called Dorian, as opposed to the Ionic Greek spoken
by the main settlers
The two dialects and cultures later mixed together to
create a Hellenic culture, which is at the root of
ancient Greek civilization
Period
These two dialects became equated with
characteristic architectural forms that evolved
in them
In the period following the invasion by the
Dorians, there was a shift in lifestyle that
produced a sedentary agricultural lifestyle and
society.
Sedentary lifestyle allowed the Greeks to
rediscover urbanized culture that ultimately
led to evolution of classical Greek culture
Period
Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)
The revival of Greece from the dark ages
started during the eight century BC
The Greeks developed a new political form
called city states
City states are cities which are ruled as
independent nations
The archaic period saw the renewal interest in
overseas trading contact
Period
Greek societies that were engaged in trade
became rich and by joining with other their
neighbors, sometimes forcefully, formed large
states
The polis or city state emerged as the natural
and desirable political entity
Early examples of these city states include
Athens, Corinth, Argos, and Sparta on the
mainland, and in the Eastern Aegean, Samos,
Chios, Smyrna, Ephesus and Miletus
Period
The archaic period marked the rise of the aristocratic
families; families that are considered noble or of
higher status
The archaic period was dominated politically by the
leading aristocratic families in each city state acting in
concert or squabbling amongst themselves for
supremacy
At times individual aristocrats were able to take
advantage of popular dissatisfaction to seize
authoritarian power
Such rulers were called tyrants
Period
Such tyrants stimulated the development of
the arts through their patronage
The archaic period marked the beginnings of
Greek monumental stone sculpture and
architecture
Around 546 BC, the rising Persian Empire
conquered some Greek city states
The rising threat of the Persian Empire
marked the end of the Greek archaic period
and of classical Greek culture
Period
Classical period (500 - 323 BC)
The Classical period of ancient Greek history
occurred between 500 BC, and 323 BC.
The period started with the Greek city states
coming into conflict with the rising Persian
Empire
The free Greek cities saw the threat that was
developing from the Persian Empire and
prepared for resistance
A seaborne expedition by the Persians to
Athens was defeated at Marathon in 490 BC
Period
Under the Persian King Xerxes, Persia attempted a
retribution in 479 BC and was defeated by an alliance
of the Greek states headed by Sparta
The Greek alliance soon transformed into an Empire
under the leadership of Athens
Pericles, the ruler of Athens between 444 and 429 BC
became a driving force for the development of temple
architecture
Pericles used the defense revenue from the alliance
for temple building in Athens to thank the Gods
Period
Athens reached its greatest political and cultural
heights during the classical period
The full development of the democratic system of
government occurred under Pericles
The Parthenon on the Acropolis at Athens was built
Philosophical schools such as those of Socrates and
Plato were founded
Between 431 and 404, Athens entered into a series of
wars with Sparta which left it in ruins
The fall of Athens gradually led to political chaos in the
whole of Greece
The 4th century saw the rise of Macedonia as a power
in the region
Period
The Macedonian king, Philip rapidly extended
Macedonian power and wealth
In 338 BC, he defeated a coalition of the
major Greek Cities including Athens and
Thebes, and created a federation of all
Greeks with him as the leader
He proposed a crusade against the Persians
but was assassinated before undertaking it
Period
His son Alexander undertook the crusade and
established himself as the ruler of the former
Persian empire
Alexander undertook a lot of military
campaigns to extend the Greek empire and
founded many new cities such as Alexandria
in Egypt
He died in 323 BC without a heir to inherit him
The Death of Alexander marked the end of the
classical period of Greece civilization
Period
Hellenistic period (323 - 147 BC)
The Hellenistic period of ancient Greek
civilization started with the death of Alexander
in 323 BC
When Alexander died, he did not have a heir
to inherit him
The Greek empire split into smaller states
with Alexanders generals as their rulers
Period
Hellenistic period (323 - 147 BC)
The period saw the transplanting of Greek art,
civic life and culture to newly conquered areas
The period also saw a marked increase in
interest in civic buildings
The Hellenistic period ended in 147 BC, when
the Roman Empire conquered Greece and
incorporated the city states into it
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
Introduction
Greek civilization is the first major civilization in Europe
Greek civilization along with the Roman civilization are
said to be at the root of current western civilization
They two are referred to as classical cultures because
of their recognition as the root of western civilization
Greek and Roman architecture are also referred to as
classical architecture
Greek civilization started with the mingling of two Greek
cultures, the Dorian and the Ionian to create a single
Hellenic culture
The two developed a sedentary agricultural and
commercial society that ultimately gave birth to the
concept of the city state
Societal Organization- The city state
The ancient Greeks lived in self governing city-states
called "polis."
The city-states were small, independent communities
which were male-dominated and bound together by
race.
The ancient Greek world was made up of hundreds of
these independent city states
The polis started as a defensible area to which
farmers of an area could retreat in the event of an
attack as in the Mycenaean citadels
Over time, towns grew around these defensible
areas.
Every polis was different from another, even though
there were similarities between them
They were all bounded by common language and
religious beliefs
They all made efforts to preserve their own unique
identity, and each city state believed that their state
was better than all the other states
The city states often fought with one another.
The city state of Athens on the Greek mainland was
among the most famous and powerful of the city
states
It was a major center for learning and the arts.
When city-states were first formed, they were ruled by
a few wealthy men.
However, they gradually moved towards democracy.
Athens developed an early form of democracy
How did they make laws? Only men who were born in
Athens were allowed to vote.
They did this at public assemblies where upper class
citizens discussed and adopted laws that might
benefit Athens.
Social Organization And Responsibility
The scale of the polis was small.
The philosophers Aristotle and Plato believed that the
polis should be of a small size, so that members know
each other personally
The ideal size of a city state was fixed at 5040 males
by Plato
Citizens in any polis were related by blood and so
family ties were very strong.
Membership of the polis was hereditary and could not
be passed to persons outside the family
Social Organization And Responsibility
The society of the polis had a social hierarchy with
citizens at the top, followed by people who are not
citizens and finally slaves
Public life was for male citizens while women were
secluded in the house
Greek citizens did not have rights but duties
All citizens were directly involved in politics, justice,
military service, religious ceremonies, intellectual
discussion, athletics and artistic pursuits.
It was not acceptable for Greek citizens to refuse to
carryout their responsibilities
Religious Belief
The ancient Greeks were polytheistic, believing in
many different gods and goddesses
The God were regarded as all powerful but similar to
human beings in their passions, desires and appetite
All aspect of life was under the protection of the gods,
and they controlled everything, from the waves in the
ocean to the winner of a race.
All the gods and goddesses had specific roles,
controlling one or two major aspects of life
Zeus was, for example, the supreme leader of the
gods, Hermes was the messenger of the gods, and
Poseidon was the god of the sea
Religious Belief
The essential concept in religious practice was that of
contract, of obligation and the paying of obligation
Humans call on the gods for protection and make
offerings to the gods to secure this
Ancient Greeks believed that religion would make
their lives better while they were living.
They also believed that the gods would take care of
them when they died.
Religious belief was constantly changing and
developing as new cults were introduced from time to
time
Place of Worship
Temples were the focus of Greek religious worships
Temples were usually built in the cities of the Gods
called Acropolis
Temples were built in every town and city for one or
more god or goddess
The temples were considered as offerings to the gods
Each community was therefore under pressure to
make them beautiful as possible
Place of Worship
The temples were also considered as the house of
the gods
They were not designed for functional use
They usually consist of a large open hall called
sanctuary where the statue of the god to whom it is
dedicated is kept
The temples were the places for routine festivals to
the gods
The festivals included plays, music, dancing, and then
a parade to the temple where they made sacrifices
and had a feast.
Animals were usually sacrificed as a gift to the gods
Architecture in service of religion
Architecture in Greece Started in the Service of
Religions
Temples were the abode of gods
The Greeks regarded beauty as an attribute of the
gods and the conscious pursuit of beauty as a
religious exercise.
The most important task for architects was how to
make the temple beautiful
The search for ways to express architectural beauty
made the Greek civilization among the first to have
established ideals of beauty
The Greeks convinced themselves that the secrets of
beauty lie in proportions
Man was viewed by the Greeks as having the most
ideal proportions and is the measure of all things
Greek developed a system of building proportion that
reflected those of the human body
With time, they refined their system of building
proportion, and developed the classical Greek orders
which we will soon explore
The principal building material of the ancient
Greeks was stone
Clay and timber were also used
Timber was used mostly for roofing and its
scarcity coupled with limitations in its length
imposed restrictions on the width of buildings
Temples were the main building type and it
was used as a decoration element by every
city
Greek society also made buildings other than temples
These evolved in response to changes in need with
time
The most common buildings are amphitheaters,
council halls, public fountains and theatres, gymnasia,
schools and libraries, public baths and lavatories
As these civic buildings emerge, treatment once
reserved for temple was extended to them even
though on a less grander scale than in the temples
Greek construction was of a simple post and lintel or
trabeated construction
Their ground plans were always very simple, usually
rectangular
With a combination of simple ground plans and
trabeated construction, they were able to create
amazing buildings
Buildings were constructed by skilled craftsmen who
were in demand and traveled from one state to the
other for construction work
Designs were done on the ground by measuring out
the foundation
Blocks of stone were ordered from the quarry
Blocks were given initial preparation on the building
site
Blocks were large and retained in position by their
own weight; it was not necessary to fix them together
in any way
Roofs were of wood beams and rafters cut to square
shapes with tile roof
Carvings and other decorative work were finished
when the building is completed
Other Activities and Achievements
Greek society contributed to the earliest development
of science and scientific inquiry
Greeks attempted to explain the world through the
laws of nature.
Greeks found out that the earth was round and A
Greek person is credited as being the first to measure
the circumference of the Earth
The Greeks also made significant contributions to the
arts, particularly in sculpture and painting
Other Activities and Achievements
They wrote many stories and plays that continue to
be performed today.
The ancient Greeks were huge sports fans and sports
was considered a part of religion
Every four years, the Greeks held the Olympic
Games in the stadium at Olympia.
The best athletes in Greece competed in different
events
Because the games were religious, anyone who was
caught cheating during the games was never allowed
to compete again
End of Lecture
Module 6 Lecture 18
Outline of Lecture
Lecture 18
Greek Orders
Temple Architecture
Civic Architecture
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Classical Architecture can be divided into
three phases: Greek, Hellenistic, Roman.
The Classical orders are ancient styles of
classical building design distinguished by
the type of column and entablature
(architrave, frieze and cornise) used.
There are five recognized orders: Doric,
Ionic and Corinthian are Greek; Tuscan
and Composite are Roman.
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Parts of a column:
3 parts: base, shaft, capital.
Parts of a classical building
Upper horizontal part: entablature (part
supported by the column).
Entablature is divided into: architrave, frieze,
cornice.
The capital is used to distinguish between the
orders.
The Orders
Introduction
Refer to the entire set of form
that makes up the principal
elevation of a temple.
Composed of a base, an
upright column or support with
its capital, and the horizontal
entablature.
All the parts of an order are
proportionally derived from the
size of the base of the column.
It determines all aspects of the
elevation of a building
including its shape and the
arrangement and proportion of
its parts
The Orders
Introduction
Greeks are credited with
originating the three orders
of the classical language of
architecture, Doric, Ionic
and Corinthian.
Columns were understood
by the Greeks to be
anthropomorphic or
representative of the body
of a human
The base suggests the feet,
the shaft the torso and the
capital the head.
The Orders
Introduction
Each order had its own
conventions about the
design of the entablature
The entablature is divided
into three sections; the
cornices, the frieze and the
architrave
According the rules of
classical architecture, the
entablature should always
be divisible into these
three zones
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Parts of a column:
Capital: function capital
is to concentrate
weight of
entablature onto
the shaft Shaft
Entablature: 3
layers:
Architrave: bottom
Frieze: middle
Cornice: top
Base
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Measurement:
columns are
measured as a ratio.
It is the diameter of
the shaft at its base
compared to the
height of the column
The Orders
Column Construction
Do you wonder how the
columns of the Greek
orders were constructed?
Each column was made
up of several drums of
marble
They were held together
by a stone peg in the
center
The stones were
assembled and put
together in their rough
form
The Orders
Column Construction
The capital was also
carved out
After they were put
together, the grooves
called flutes were cut
up and down the
shaft of the column
and all around it
This gave the column
its slim and elegant
look
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Greek Orders:
Doric:
originated on Greek mainland.
Simplest of the orders.
Short, heavy columns with plain,
round capitals.
4-8 diameters in height.
Shaft: channeled with 20 flutes
Frieze of Doric order is divided
into triglyphs and metopes:
Triglyph: 3 vertical bands
separated by grooves
Metopes: plain or carved reliefs.
The Doric column is very similar to the
Tuscan model but has more refined
elements.
The base is D high with a square
plinth 8/6 D wide by D high. The upper
half of the base consists of a torus,
bead, and fillet.
Both radii of the torus and bead share
the same centerline which also
defines the edge of the fillet, or
cincture, above.
The shaft is divided into 20 grooves.
A channel is separated by a defined
straight edge, or arris.
Each arris is 18 degrees apart, the
width slightly less than 1/6th D.
The channels begin and end where
the upper and lower cong of
the shaft end and the column is
straight.
The Doric capital is D high and is
divided into three equal parts: the
abacus, echinus and neck.
The abacus which is 7/6 D wide has a
small cap made of a small fillet and
cyma reversa.
The echinus mirrors the composition of
the upper portion of the base; the larger
ovolo is followed by a bead and fillet.
Both the ovolo of the echinus and torus
of the base are twice as big as the
combined bead and fillet which follows
each molding. Sometimes the ovolo of
the echinus is shown with egg and dart.
The neck at 5/6 D wide is typically plain
although it can be decorated with
circular flowers. Below the neck is the
astragal which can be drawn within a
1/16D by 1/16D square.
The bead of the astragal is twice as tall
as the fillet below.
The Orders
Doric Order
The Doric order was the
earliest to be developed
By the 6th century, a set of
universal proportions for the
Doric temple had been
developed.
The Doric order is made up of
three elements; stylobate,
Column and entablature
The stylobate is a podium
raised three steps on which
the temple sits
The Doric column is further
divided into the shaft and a
square capital
The Orders
Doric Order
It had a height of between 5
and 6 times its diameter.
The shaft is tapered and made
to bulge slightly to provide
correction for optical illusion.
The shaft is usually divided
into 20 shallow flutes.
The entablature is divided into
an architrave, a frieze and the
cornice.
The Doric column represents
the proportions of a mans
body, its strength and beauty.
Doric Order
Entasis
A characteristic of the Doric order is
the use of entasis
Entasis refers to the practice of optical
correction in Greek Doric temples
All buildings are arranged with a slight
curve to correct for optical illusion
when they are viewed
This is done to counteract the
concave appearance produced by
straight edges in perspective
The shaft of the column is built to be
slightly convex in shape for optical
correction
Columns were also built with a slight
tilt
Doric Order
Entasis
The drawing to the right explains
entasis
Diagram one on top shows how the
ancient Greeks wanted the temple to
appear
If the temple is built without correction,
then diagram two shows how it would
actually appear
To ensure that it appears correctly as
desired in one, the Greeks introduced
the distortions shown in diagram three
The application of entasis is an
expression of the desire for perfection
by Greek architects
The best example of the application of
entasis is found in the Parthenon
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Ionic: Originated in Ionia.
Slender, fluted shaft.
Large base
Capital: Two volutes (scrolls).
24 flutes in shaft
Doric triglyph and metope.
Frieze: continuous ornament: carved figures.
The Orders
Ionic Order
The Ionic order evolved and took
its name from Ionia in modern
day Turkey
The ionic column including the
capital and base had a height of
9 to 10times its diameter
It had 24 flutes, which is more
than that of the Doric column,
even though it is smaller in
diameter.
The flutes were rounded at the
top and bottom.
The Orders
Ionic Order
The Ionic order had a capital
developed from a pair of volute
about two-thirds the diameter of
the column in height
Ornaments are used to decorate
the area between the capital and
the volute
The Ionic column has a base
One of the limitations of the Ionic
order is that it is designed to be
seen from the front only
The Orders
Ionic Order
At the corner of
rectangular buildings, an
angular volute had to be
used.
Entasis was not applied
to the ionic column
The Ionic column is said
to represent the shape
of a women with its
delicacy and feminine
slenderness.
The Ionic column shown in the plate
illustrates the Attic Base which is
commonly used in the Ionic order.
This base has an extra torus or above
the lower torus. Both tori are separated
by two fillets and a scotia.
As with the Doric order, the base is D
high and has an 8/6 D wide plinth.
The plinth is 1/6 D high or 1/3 the height
of the base. A large torus sits above the
plinth and has a fillet at its centerline.
To draw the scotia, it is best to first
construct the smaller torus with its
flanking fillets and then place a
swooping curve between the offset fillets
of the two tori. Note that the upper fillet
above the smaller torus is part of the
shaft and not the base.
The shaft is divided into 24 semicircular
hollows or flutes which are separated by
fillets.
Each flute is four times wider than the fillet.
When drawn freehand, the flute is about 1/9
D.
The Ionic Capital is shown in front elevation
which shows the scroll volutes in elevation.
From the top of the abacus to the bottom of
the volutes is slightly more than D.
Drawing of the capital is facilitated by the use
of a dashed line on each side of the column
centerline which follows the line of lower D.
From that line, the square abacus projects
1/18 D. The volutes below the abacus follow
the geometry of the abacus and help visually
mediate between the round echinus and
astragal below.
On the left side of the capital, a section
through the capital at the centerline shows
the horizontal channel of the volutes which is
straight in relation to the rounded elements.
The eye of the volute is
centered down 1/3 D
from the top of the
abacus and across D
from the center line of
the column; its
diameter is 1/18 D.
Drawing the volutes
with precision can be
accomplished by
following the diagram
on the succeeding
plate.
If the volutes are drawn by hand at a small scale, they can be drawn by
creating a series of half circles which get progressively smaller as they move
closer to the eye.
There is a space of 2/3 D between each volute.
Horizontal dimensions for the echinus and astragal can be carried over from
the section to construct these elements in elevation.
The echinus almost always has the egg and dart or egg and talon
ornamentation. There are generally three eggs visible. Sprigs of honeysuckle
fill in the gap between the end eggs and the volute.
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Corinthian order:
Most ornate of the
orders.
Slender, fluted column,
24 flutes
Ornate capital
decorated with
acanthus leaves.
Carved with two rows of
leaves and four scrolls.
The Orders
Corinthian Order
The rich decorative effect of the
Corinthian capital made it
attractive.
Because of its symmetry, the
Corinthian capital unlike the
ionic capital is designed to be
seen from all directions
The Corinthian column, the
most beautifully ornate of the
three orders represents the
figure of a maiden
This order was not extensively
used during the Greek period
It became popular during the
ancient Roman period
The Orders
Corinthian Order
The Corinthian order takes
its name from the city of
Corinth in Greece
It however appeared to have
been developed in Athens in
the 5th century BC
This order is similar in its
proportions to the Ionic order
but has a different capital
The core of the capital is
shaped like an inverted bel.
The bell-like capital is
decorated with rows of
carved acanthus leaves
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Entablature: Upper
section of wall that is
supported by
columns. Consists of
architrave, frieze,
cornice.
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Architrave: lowest
section of classic
entablature. Rests
directly on the capital
of the column.
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Frieze: Part of
entablature between
the architrave and
cornice. Largely
decorative and is the
most important part of
the entablature.
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Cornice: Upper most
section of entablature.
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Elements of Classical
Architecture:
Triglyph: rectangular block
with 3 flat vertical band, often
decorates a frieze but can
decorate other places as well.
Metope:
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Metope: part of the
frieze, plain or carved.
triglyph
metope
CLASSICAL
ARCHITECTURE
Pediment: Triangular
space formed at the
roof on a classical
temple.
Corinthian
Doric
Ionic
Temple
The most recognizably Greek

structure is the temple (even
though the architecture of Greek
temples is actually quite diverse).
Tearliest shrines were built to
honor divinities and were made
from materials such as a wood and
mud brickmaterials that typically
don't survive very long.
The basic form of the naos emerges as early as the

tenth century B.C.E. as a simple, rectangular room
with projecting walls (antae) that created a shallow
porch.
This basic form remained unchanged in its concept for
centuries. In the eighth century B.C.E. Greek
architecture begins to make the move from ephemeral
materials (wood, mud brick, thatch) to permanent
materials (namely, stone).
Greek temples are often
categorized in terms of their
ground plan and the way in
which the columns are
arranged.
A prostyle temple is a temple
that has columns only at the
front, while an amphiprostyle
temple has columns at the front
and the rear.
Temples with a peripteral
arrangement (from the Greek
(pteron) meaning "wing)
have a single line of columns
arranged all around the exterior
of the temple building
Dipteral temples simply have a double row of columns surrounding the
building.
One of the more unusual plans is the tholos, a temple with a circular ground
plan; famous examples are attested at the sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi and
the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidauros.
Temple Architecture
The most important Greek

building was the temple
The temple had the finest
building materials and the
richest decoration.
It was also the most complex of
architectural form.
It was designed not to hold
worshippers, but as symbolic
dwelling of the gods
The temple is usually
rectangular in plan
It is lifted on a podium, and in
plan has colonnades on all its
external sides
Temple Architecture;
The number of columns is always
even to allow the location of the
entrance in the center; temples
with odd number of columns are
uncommon
Temples with 2 columns in front
are diastyle, 4-tetrastyle, 6-
hexastyle, 8-octastyle and 10-
decastyle
Greek temples usually have twice
the number of columns in front
plus one by the side; A hexastyle
temple =six columns in front &
thirteen on side
Temple Architecture; Introduction
Colonnades define a portico around the temple
The temple building is made up of four walls
enclosing a rectangular space called the naos or
sanctuary
This was the house of the god to whom the
temple is dedicated
The interior rectangular space of the naos is
framed by a pair of colonnades on the long side
creating a central processional space
At the head of the processional space is the
statue of the god to whom the temple is
dedicated
The temple interior was generally dark, with only
the entrance as a source of light
Temple Architecture;
The temple always faced east so
that the rising sun would light the
statues inside
Temples were designed to be
admired from the outside rather
than used
The Greek temple is believed to
originate from the Mycenaean
megaron
From the megaron, it went
through several stages of
evolution as shown in the
diagram
By 500 BC, the final form of the
Greek temple had emerged
Temple Architecture
Doric Temple
The Doric temple is based
on the Doric order
Both the Doric order and
temple went through a
simultaneous process of
evolution
The Basilica at Paestum
550 BC is an example of
early Doric temple
It was built during the
archaic period of Greek
civilization
Temple Architecture
Doric Temple
The columns on the front
are 9, while on the sides
they are 18
The Doric columns appear
heavy in comparison with
later temples
The columns have a bulge,
pointing to the practice of
optical correction or
entasis by the time of its
construction
The capitals are also huge,
heavy and very wide
Doric Temple
Temple of Aphaia at Aegina
The Temple of Aphaia at
Aegina 490 BC is a later
temple than the Basilica
at Paestum
Temple of Aphaia is much
less heavy than Paestum
The entablature is less
thick
The columns are slimmer
with less entasis or bulge
The capitals are also
smaller
Doric Temple
Temple of Aphaia at Aegina
This temple is hexastyle but
has only 12 flanking columns-
early temple
The interior columns are
divided into a row of two
columns separated by an
architrave
This allowed the designers to
avoid using columns with a
large diameter
The temple has triangular
pediment on n the Eastern
and Western sides decorated
with stories from Greek myths
Doric Temples
Temple of Hera Argiva at Paestum
The Temple of Hera Argiva
(or Neptune) at Paestum
460 BC was built later than
the Temple of Aphaia
It is one of the best
preserved of all Greek
temples
It is more mature in its
proportions than all the
others examined
The columns are 8.8 meters
high and about 4.3 times
their lower diameter
Doric Temples
Temple of Hera Argiva at Paestum
The temple is hexastyle but
with 24 columns on its flank
It also has a double row of
columns in the interior, and
divided into two separated
by a stone architrave
The most perfect of the
Doric temples is the
Parthenon; We will examine
this temple later
Ionic Temples
Introduction
Ionic temples were built using
the Ionic order
The most famous of the Ionic
temples is the temple of
Artemis at Ephesus
It was considered one of the
seven wonders of the ancient
World
It was commissioned by
Alexander the Great and was
believed to have been built
and destroyed several times
Unfortunately the temple has
not survived to the present
time
Ionic Temples
Introduction
There are also
uncertainties about its
arrangement in plan
The temple stands on a
platform 2.7 meters high
It had 36 columns in its
front and they had an
additional relief sculpture
at the base
The best surviving Ionic
temples is the Temple of
Athena located at the
Acropolis at Athens
Corinthian Temples
Introduction
The Corinthian order was not
widely used during the Greek
period
Earliest known example is
inside the 5th century Temple
of Apollo at Bassae.
The temple of Olympian
Zeus in Athens was in the
Corinthian order
The column was constructed
in 131 A.D. well after the
Roman conquest of Greece
The Corinthian order became
very popular during the
Roman period.
Civic Architecture
Introduction
During the Hellenistic period Greeks became
very fascinated by civic buildings
Treatments once reserved for temples and the
gods, were gradually extended to civic and
government buildings.
The Agora or market place also became very
important in Greek cities.
The theater and council chamber are examples
of civic buildings found in every Greek city
Theater
The Greek theater was a
large, open-air structure
used for dramatic
performance.
Theaters often took
advantage of hillsides and
naturally sloping terrain
and, in general, utilized
the panoramic landscape
as the backdrop to the
stage itself.
The Greek theater is composed of the seating area (theatron), a circular
space for the chorus to perform (orchestra), and the stage (skene).
Tiered seats in the theatron provided space for spectators. Two side aisles
(parados, pl. paradoi) provided access to the orchestra.
The Greek theater inspired the Roman version of the theater directly,
although the Romans introduced some modifications to the concept of
theater architecture.
Civic Architecture
Theaters Theater Epidarus
The Greeks invented
the theater design that
is still used in movies
and auditoriums today
Every important Greek
city had a theater
Their theater was built
into a hilly landscape
The theater had a bank
of seats steps created
from the landscape
Civic Architecture
Theaters Theater Epidarus
The theater had a bank
of seats steps created
from the landscape
It would usually
commands a view to the
landscape
The image shown is of
theater Epidaurus
This was the largest
theater in ancient Greece
It is still in use today
Civic Architecture
Council Chamber Bouleterion, Miletus
The Bouleterion is where the
Boule or council of the city
state met
It was a covered chamber
fitted with banks of seats like
a theater
The example shown is from
the city of Miletus
Similar buildings were found
in every Greek or Hellenistic
city
End of Lecture
Module 6 Lecture 19
Outline of Lecture
Lecture 19
Greek City Planning and
Design
Greek City Planning and
Design
Planning and Design Principles
The ancient Greek civilization had established
principles for planning and designing cities
City form were of two types
Old cities such as Athens had irregular street
plans reflecting their gradual organic
development
New cities, especially colonial cities established
during the Hellenistic period, had a grid-iron
street plan
Certain things were common among cities
Planning and Design Principles
Towns had fixed boundaries and some were
protected by fortifications
Much of the town was devoted to public use
The Greek City was usually divided into three
parts; the acropolis, the agora and the town.
Site planning and design was centered on the
appreciation of buildings from the outside.
The location of buildings was therefore such that
it could command a good view to it.
The Acropolis
The Acropolis was the city of temples
It is the location where all the major temples of a
city are located
It was built to glorify the gods
Greeks considered high places to be important &
sacred
The Acropolis were usually located on the highest
ground
Other public buildings such as gymnasia, stadia,
and theaters were generally regarded as part of
religious rituals
They are normally found attached on lower
ground to the hills of the Acropolis
The Agora
The Agora was the most important gathering place in a
Greek city
It started as an open area where the council of the city
met to take decisions
With time buildings were constructed to define and
enclose the space
It also transformed into a place for combined social,
commercial and political activities
It emerged as the heart of Greek intellectual life and
discourse.
It was usually located on a flat ground for ease of
communication
It was placed to be easily accessible from all directions
In many cities, it is also located close to the Acropolis
The Town
The town was where the people lived
This was the domain of women, who did
not have any public role
Early Greek towns had an irregular street
pattern, resulting from its organic growth
Later Hellenistic towns such as Prienne
had a formal rectilinear pattern
The town was made up of only residential
houses
The Town
Houses were usually constructed of mud
bricks
Houses were of the courtyard type, with
rooms arranged around a courtyard
Houses vary according to standing in the
society
Houses of poor people were very simple
compared to the house of the rich, which
had more rooms and better finishing
Architecture, Planning & Design
Athens is a very good example of a typical
ancient Greek city
The city has the three components of acropolis,
agora and town found in a Greek city
The Acropolis and Agora in Athens also have
some of the best examples of ancient Greek
architecture
We will examine the Acropolis and Agora in
Athens to understand Greek architecture,
planning and city design.
The Acropolis in Athens
The acropolis in Athens was a
religious precinct located on
one of the hills of the city.
The Earliest versions of the
Buildings in the Acropolis
existed until 480 BC
In 480 BC, the Persians under
Xerxes burnt Athens and the
Acropolis to the ground
Not long after that the Greeks
defeated the Persians
The Acropolis in Athens
The Acropolis in Athens was
rebuilt in about 450 BC
The rebuilding of the Acropolis
was begun by Pericles, the wise
statesman who ruled from 460
BC to 429 BC
Pericles commissioned artist
and architects to build a new city
of temples to glorify the gods
The acropolis combined Doric
orders and ionic orders in a
perfect composition in four
buildings; the Propylea, the
Parthenon, the Erechtheumn,
and the temple of Nike.
Acropolis Athens
The best example of Greek
emphasis on visualization in
design and site planning is
seen at the Acropolis at
Athens
All the buildings on the
Acropolis are designed to be
seen than use
All the temples on the
Acropolis are place at an
angle that enables them to be
seen on two sides
If a building cannot see be
from two sides, it is
completely hidden
Acropolis Athens
From the entry at the
Propylae, a visitor has a
view of all the prominent
buildings in the Acropolis
Buildings are also position
at a distance that ensures
the appreciation of their
details
The central axis of view
from the propylae is left
free of building for a view
into the country side
Propylae
The propylae is the entrance to the
Acropolis
It was built around 437 B.C by
Mnesicles
The image highlights what is
currently left of the propylae
To reach the acropolis, people had
to enter through the center section
of the propylae
The two wings on either side were
never finished
The columns on the outside of the
propylae were Doric
The columns in the interior were
however Ionic
Propylae
Explanation for this is found in the
proportions of the Doric and Ionic
columns
If the Doric order were used in the
interior, the height of the roof would
make its diameter very large
To overcome this difficult, the designers
used the Ionic column which is much
slender than the Doric column
Inside the propylae was a library and
picture gallery with a place for people to
read and rest
In times of peace, the gates of the
propylae were usually left wide open
When an enemy threatened, the
wooden doors of the propylae were
closed and there was no other access to
the acropolis
The Parthenon
The Parthenon was the
most prominent building
on the Athenian Acropolis
It was designed by
Ictinus and Callicrates in
447 BC
The Parthenon is the
most perfect Doric
temple ever built.
It was lighter and more
graceful than previous
temples
The Parthenon
It also embodies the
perfection of the Greek
system of proportioning
The proportions of the
Parthenon are based
on the proportions of a
man, which is seven to
one
The ideal human body
was seven heads tall
The Parthenon
The Parthenon is an octastyle
temple with 8 columns in front
and 17 columns by its side
In the Parthenon we also find
the best example of the
application of entasis
The Parthenon had two rooms
in plan; the treasury, which is
most often empty and the
naos or inner sanctuary
An ivory gold statue of
Athena, 11 meters tall carved
by Phidas once stood in the
noas or inner sanctuary of the
Parthenon
The Parthenon
The statue reached the
wooden roof of the temple
Parts of the inside and outside
of the Parthenon were once
painted
The inside of the temple was
often not used
Processions and ceremonies
were held outside
The temples alter was placed
on the Eastern side
During the Christian period, the
Parthenon was used as a
church
The Parthenon
Later the Turks converted it
into a Mosque
In 1687, the Turks used it to
store ammunition and when
they were attacked by the
Venetians, it exploded
The images shows what
remains of it
In 1801 An English man
gathered the broken pieces
and shipped them to the
British museum in England
The Erectheum
The erechtheum is located at
the point of a mythical fight
between Poseidon and
Athena for the possession of
Athens
Athena is believed to have
won the fight and so Athens
was named after her
The erechtheum was named
after Erechtheus, the
legendary king of Athens,
whose mother was the
goddess of the earth and
whose father was the fire god
The Erectheum
He was brought up by
Athena and is believed
to have judged the fight
between Poseidon and
Athena
The shape of the
erechtheum is not a
perfect rectangular and
it does not have a
colonnade surrounding
it
The Erectheum
Two porches spring out from the
core rectangle of the temple at
different levels
A small porch faces the Parthenon
This has columns in the shape of a
woman called caryatid
The caryatids are linked to a
historical story
The caryatids are a people who
lived in Asia minor
They were believed to have fought
with the Persians against the
Greeks
When the Greeks won, they
destroyed the cities of the caryatids
The Erectheum
They killed all the men and
brought back the women as
slaves
For revenge the Greeks copied
the Caryatid slave women in
stone and forced them to carry
the roof the Erechtheum for all
time
The weight of the roof is carried
from the top of the head of the
caryatid through their leg
A larger porch on the northern
side has ionic columns
The ionic columns have all the
characteristics of the Ionic order
Temple of Nike
Just beside the propylae
is the Temple of Athena
Nike, meaning victorious
Athena
It was built around 420
BC and was designed by
Callicrates during the
Peloponnesian wars
The Athenians
worshipped Athena Nike
in the hope of victory
Temple of Nike
This is an ionic temple
It had a pediment that
no longer exist
The temple has an
entrance of four ionic
columns on two sides
The temple looks the
same from the front
and back
The Agora
The Agora in Athens was a
space used for social,
commercial and political
activities
The Agora at Athens was
located at the base of the
hill of the Acropolis
Civic and religious
buildings were
progressively erected
around the perimeter of the
Agora space
The Agora
Of all the buildings, the
stoa was the most
important
Stoas were useful
buildings in the context of
the Agora
They provided shelter
and served for many
other purposes
They also served to
embellish the boundary of
the Agora
Stoa
Stoa () is a Greek architectural
term that describes a covered walkway
or colonnade that was usually designed
for public use.
Early examples, often employing the
Doric order, were usually composed of
a single level, although later examples
(Hellenistic and Roman) came to be
two-story freestanding structures.
These later examples allowed interior
space for shops or other rooms and
often incorporated the Ionic order for
interior colonnades.
Greek city planners came to prefer

the stoa as a device for framing the
agora (public market place) of a city
or town.
The South Stoa constructed as part
of the sanctuary of Hera on the
island of Samos (c. 700-550 B.C.E.)
numbers among the earliest
examples of the stoa in Greek
Stoa is a covered walk through or porticoes that was first constructed
and used in Greece and later used in the Roman empire.
It was usually for public usage.
Early Stoas were open at the entrance with columns, usually of
the Doric Order, however was sometimes built using the Ionic
Order, lining of the building.
It was one of the most popular constructions built in the Greek
period. Later examples were built as two stories, with a roof
supporting the inner colonnades where shops or sometimes offices
were located.
They followed Ionic architecture. These buildings were open to the
public; merchants could sell their goods, artists could display their
artwork, and religious gatherings could take place.
Stoas usually surrounded the marketplaces of large cities.
Stadium
The Greek civilization has made a lot of very important
inventions and designs that changed the course of
Architecture.
One of them is the stadium a oval shaped construction
that held sport events in it. The oldest known stadium is
a stadium in Olympia, Greece where the Olympic
games of antiquity were held from 776BC.
The Olympic games was a celebration in favour of the
gods, where the best athletes from all over the country
gathered and showed their skills to win the competition
for their cities.
It could be no-one but Heracles (Hercules in the Roman
world), the mythological hero of strength and of
exertion, to set the length over which the athletes had
to compete against each other in the only competition
of the first Olympic Games.
Legend has it that six-hundred feet of the hero, one
after the other, determined in 776 BC the length of the
track of the running event, a length just exceeding 192
m after which the competition itself and the facility
welcoming it were named: "Stadion".
Hippodrome
The Greek hippodrome was similar to the Roman

circus.
The hippodrome was not a Roman amphitheatre
which was used for spectator sports, games and
displays, or a Greek or Roman semi-circular
theater used for theatrical performances.
The Greek hippodrome was usually set out on the
slope of a hill, and the ground taken from one side
served to form the embankment on the other side.
One end of the hippodrome was semicircular, and
the other end square with an extensive portico, in
front of which, at a lower level, were the stalls for
the horses and chariots.
At both ends of the hippodrome there were posts
(termai) that the chariots turned around. This was
the most dangerous part of the track, and the
Greeks put an altar to Taraxippus (disturber of
horses) there to show the spot where many
chariots wrecked.
A large ancient hippodrome was the
Hippodrome of Constantinople, built between AD
203 and 330. However, since it was built to a
Roman design, it was actually a circus.
Introduction
The Agora at Athens
contains other
administrative buildings
There was the bouleterion
for the meeting of the
council
There was also a tholos, a
circular building where the
standing committee of the
council when in office
dined at state expense
There were also two
buildings for the meeting
of the jury court.
Introduction
And a shrine where the
remains of Alexander was
buried
The central area of the Agora
was free of building
This image shows a
reconstruction of how social
life may have taken place in
the Agora
People would be in the space
of the Agora carrying out all
sorts of activities with the
Acropolis prominent in the
background and the gods
hopefully looking after them
End of Lecture
Module 6 Lecture 20
Outline of Lecture
Lecture 20
Buildings and other architectural elements
Building materials, construction and
technologies
Architectural Organizing principles
Buildings & Other Arch
Elements
Buildings & Other Arch. Elements
Building Types
The major architectural element of the Greek civilization is
the order and their principal building type is the temple
Greek buildings also feature civic buildings such as theater,
council chamber, stoa, etc
Greeks invented the classical orders of architecture
Their invention of the orders was a result of the search for
rational methods of expressing beauty
The orders embody a system of proportion that determines
how the whole building looks
An order consist of a column shaft with its base and
capital, and an entablature
All its dimensions were derived from the diameter of the
column
The entablature is further divided into architrave, frieze and
cornice
Building Types
Three orders of architecture were invented by Greeks;
Doric, Ionic and Corinthian
Doric was the earliest and has a square capital and the
stoutest proportion, resembling the power of a man
Ionic was taller in its proportion, has a volute capital and
resembles the proportion of a maiden
Corinthian has the same characteristics with the Ionic
except that its capital is decorated with the Acanthus leaf
Temples were the principal building types of the Greeks
Temples were considered as house of the Gods and
efforts to beautify them pushed architectural development
Building Types
Temples were design to be seen and
appreciated rather than used
The evolution of the orders led to standard
temple forms based on them
Towards the later part of the Greek civilization,
there was also a focus on civic construction
The Greeks needed civic buildings to support
their democratic institutions and also satisfy
their social and recreational needs
Council chambers, theaters, Stoas, were
among the civic buildings that became popular
with the city states
Materials, Const. & Tech.
Materials, Construction & Tech.
Materials
Examination of Greek architecture points to three
common materials of construction
These are Stone, timber and clay
Stone was the most common construction material for
buildings
Greece had an abundant supply of stone, particularly
marble
Stone was used for all types of temple and civic
construction
It was used for all type of building elements
The characteristic grey color of the stone of the area is
also what gives most ancient Greek buildings their
characteristics color
Materials
Timber was used mainly for roofing
It was a very scarce commodity and it also had
limited length
This limited its use
The limitation in length meant that the width of
buildings was restricted and only very important
buildings such as the Parthenon could go
beyond a certain width
We did not examine Houses but clay was used
mostly in housing construction
Clay was made into sun dried blocks for use in
construction
Construction and Technology
The principal Building Material of ancient Greece
was stone
The principal construction system was trabeated
or column and beam construction
Combined, the two were used for temples and
civic buildings
Construction technology involves ordering
stones in semi-prepared state from quarries,
On site, they were roughly shaped and placed in
position on the building
Elements placed in position would be been sized
to the right proportion
Building blocks were not bonded, but are rather
held in position by their weight
Then the rough stones were finished to achieve
the final form and treatment of the building
Finishing enables the builders to create
buildings of a particular order
It is in finishing that the Greeks showed their
mastery of construction
Finishing work involved creating the fluting, base
and capital decoration on columns
The Frieze and cornices of buildings were also
decorated with appropriate relief carving
Pediments were also finished with relief carvings,
which in temples depict stories of the gods
Full statues of gods were also carved and placed
on strategic places on the outside of the temple
and also as the major element in the interior
The Greeks essentially formalized architectural
sculpture and decoration
They were able to effectively translate their ideas
of beauty into tangible buildings
Ancient Greeks did not make significant
contributions in the aspect of building
technologies
Principles of Arch.
Organization
Principles of Arch. Organization
Principles
It is possible to understand forces and
principles shaping Greek architecture by
examining the following issues;
The role of religion in architectural
development
Ideas about architectural aesthetics
Principles of architectural organization
Principles of city planning and urban design
The Role of Religion in Arch. Dev.
Religion played a significant role in the
development of Greek architecture
Architecture started in the service of religion
The important question for Greek architects was
the right form of the temple
Temples were the house of the Gods
The duty of the architect was to make them
beautiful
The search for how to make the temple beautiful
resulted in the establishment of Greek ideals of
beauty
Greek ideals of beauty was rooted in
mathematical proportions
Ideas about Architectural Aesthetics
The Greeks believed that mathematical
proportion is at the root of beauty
They also believed that the human body has the
best of proportions
Greeks also valued harmony, balance and
symmetry in design
Greeks developed principles based on their
believes about aesthetics
These principles were refined over time as they
are applied in building
With time they developed into a standard that is
widely applied
Ideas about Architectural Aesthetics
Builders exerted great effort in ensuring
that buildings were created to meet the
aesthetic ideals of the society
The Greeks in essence became the first
society to have well established ideas
about architectural aesthetics with
principles for their translation into
physical design
Principles of Organization
The Greek ideals of mathematical
proportion was applied in architecture
through the use of the orders
The orders provide a means to codify
mathematical proportioning, by linking all
the elements of the building with the
diameter of the column
The orders were also viewed as
anthropomorphic, representing the human
body
Principles of Organization
The Doric represents a man and the Ionic
and Corinthian represent a woman
The use of the orders also provided a
means for the Greeks to design buildings
to meet their ideals of harmony, balance
and symmetry
The use of optical correction, entasis, is a
pointer to the desire of the Greeks to
achieve their ideals of beauty in
architecture
Principles of City Planning & Design
Ancient Greeks not only develop ideals of architectural
aesthetics, but they also developed principles for the
design and planning of cities as location for architecture
The ancient Greek city states developed a standard plan
of the city
The city consisted of three defined elements; the town,
acropolis and Agora
Principles were developed for organizing each element of
the city based on activities and its symbolism
The town was a place to retire for the day
It was composed of simple courtyard houses separated
by streets
It could either be organic or grid-iron
Principles of City Planning & Design
The Acropolis was the city of the gods
This is where buildings reflecting the highest ideals of
beauty were placed to be seen rather than used
The principle of its design is that of isolated objects
arranged in open space
The objects are arranged to be seen in three-dimension
The Agora was a mundane place for social, commercial
and political activities
The principle of its design centers on creating boundaries
to contain space for activities
In practice, stoas and other civic buildings are used to
loosely define the space
These are usually treated with continuous colonnades or
porticoes along the side of the court with occasional
penetrations by footpaths
End of Module 5

Ancient Greek Architecture Historical Background

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Ancient Greek Architecture Historical Background

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ARC 110

The most recognizably Greek

The basic form of the naos emerges as early as the

The most important Greek

Greek city planners came to prefer

The Greek hippodrome was similar to the Roman

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