8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

1/35

 

The Orders of Greek

 Architecture

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

2/35

 

• For the Greeks, temples were not onlyplaces to worship the gods but alsoimpressive symbols of their society and

culture. They were built as focal points onthe highest ground of every city in Greeceand the conuered territories around the!editerranean. "eneath the templesspread public meeting places, civicbuildings, gymnasiums, stadiums,theaters, and housing.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

3/35

 

• Today, the remains of Greek cities can befound in #taly, $icily, and Turkey. One of thereasons that they have lasted so long is

that the Greeks built their temples,amphitheaters, and other ma%or publicbuildings with limestone and marble."locks of stone were held in place bybron&e or iron pins set into molten lead 'a fle(ible system that could withstandearthuakes.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

4/35

 

• Greek architecture followed a highly structured

system of proportions that relates individual

architectural components to the whole building.

This system was developed according to threestyles, or orders. )ach order consists of an

upright support called a column that e(tends

from a base at the bottom to a shaft in the

middle and a capital  at the top ' much like thefeet, body, and head of the human figure.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

5/35

 

• The capital was often a styli&edrepresentation of natural forms, such asanimal horns or plant leaves. #t, in turn,

supports a hori&ontal element called theentablature, which is divided further intothree different parts*

• The architrave (lowest part)• The frieze (middle)

• The cornice (top)

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

6/35

 

• These elements, in turn, were further

elaborated with decorative moldings and

ornamentation +see Figure -. )ach

component of a classical order was si&ed

and arranged according to an overall

proportioning system based on the height

and diameter of the columns

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

7/35

 

• Figure 1: Parts of a

column.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

8/35

 

oric

• The Greeks first constructed their orders

with wood, and then switched to stone

using the same forms. The ends of the

wooden beams holding up the roof, for

e(ample, were translated into stone as a

decorative element, called a triglyph 

+/three grooves/-, in the entablature abovethe column capital.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

9/35

 

• The Greeks started out using only one

order per building. "ut after a few hundred

years, they got more creative and

sometimes used one order for the e(terior

and another for the interior. The

proportions of the orders were developed

over a long period of time ' they becamelighter and more refined.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

10/35

 

• $ome folks think that the orders are

primarily a uestion of details, moldings,

and characteristic capitals. 0owever, in

fact, the very concept of order and an

overall relationship is really the most

important thing here. )ach of the orders is

a proportional system or a range ofproportions for the entire structure.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

11/35

 

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

12/35

 

oric

• The oldest, simplest, and

most massive of the three

Greek orders is the Doric, 

which was applied to

temples beginning in the1th century ".2. As

shown in the figure ,

columns are placed close

together and are oftenwithout bases.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

13/35

 

• "eing without a base3 the shaft of the

column springs from the top step and

tapers towards the top, the outline is not,

however, straight, but of a subtle curve,

known technically as the entasis of the

column. This column shaft is channelled

with twenty shallow channels, the ridgesseparating one from another being very

fine lines.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

14/35

 

oric• Their shafts are

sculpted with concave

curves called flutes.

The capitals 456 areplain with a rounded

section at the bottom,

known as the echinus

[16], and a suare atthe top, called the

abacus [15] .

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

15/35

 

•  A little below themoulding of the capital,fine depressions, forminglines round the shaft,e(ist and above these arepro%ecting mouldingswhich stop the flutes. Thismoulding, which is thereto convey the idea of apowerful support, is

called the echinus, and itslower portion is encircledby a series of fillets,which are cut into it.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

16/35

 

• The abacus 476, asuare stout slab ofmarble is the highest

member of the capitaland it completes thecapital of the column.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

17/35

 

• The strong proportions of the shaft, the

slight curve of its outline, the lines traced

upon its surface by the channels, and the

planting of the shaft on the suare step,

from which it springs, all contribute to

make the column look strong.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

18/35

 

• The entablature which

formed the

superstructure

consisted first of asuare marble beam

'the architrave 486,

which, it may be

assumed, representsa suare timber beam

of primitive structures.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

19/35

 

oric

• The entablature has adistinctive frie&edecorated withvertical channels, ortriglyphs 496. #nbetween the triglyphsare spaces, calledmetopes 4:6, whichwere commonlysculpted with figuresand ornamentation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DoricParthenon.jpg

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

20/35

 

• On this rests a second member called the frie&e, theprominent feature of which is a series of 4:16 slightlypro%ecting features, known as triglyphs +three channels-+Fig. ;8-, from the channels running down their face.These closely resemble, and no doubt actually represent,

the ends of massive timber beams, which must haveconnected the colonnade to the wall of the cell in earlierbuildings. At the bottom of each is a row of smallpendants, known as gutt

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

21/35

 

oric

• The frie&e is separated

from the architrave by a

narrow band called the

regula [10]. Together,

these elements formed arectangular structure

surrounded by a double

row of columns that

conveyed a bold unity.The oric order reached

its pinnacle of perfection

in the =arthenon.

http://smb//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Doric.JPG

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

22/35

 

 Ancient Greek temple

of the oric Order*

 . Tympanum, >. Acroterium,

 8. $ima  5. Cornice

 7. !utules  1. Freize 9. Triglyph  :. !etope 

?. @egula  . Gutta 

>. Taenia  8. Architrave

5. Capital  7. Abacus 

;. )chinus  1. Column9. Fluting  :. Stylobate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tympanum_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acroteriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutuleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freizehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglyphhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metope_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regula_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guttahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taenia_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architravehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinus_(molding)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluting_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluting_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinus_(molding)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architravehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taenia_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guttahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regula_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metope_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglyphhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freizehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutuleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_(architecture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acroteriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tympanum_(architecture)

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

23/35

 

#onic

• The ne(t order to be developed by the

Greeks was the Ionic +see Figure 8-. #t is

called #onic because it developed in the

#onian islands in the ;th century ".2.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

24/35

 

#onic

• @oman historian itruvius compared this

delicate order to a female form, in contrast

to the stockier /male/ oric order.

• The #onic was used for smaller buildings

and interiors. #tBs easy to recogni&e

because of the two scrolls, called olutes, 

on its capital. The volutes may have beenbased on nautilus shells or animal horns.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

25/35

 

#onic

• "etween the volutes is a curved section

that is often carved with oval decorations

known as egg and dart. 

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

26/35

 

#onic

•  Above the capital, the entablature is

narrower than the oric, with a frie&e

containing a continuous band of sculpture.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

27/35

 

#onic

• One of the earliest and most striking

e(amples of the #onic order is the tiny

Temple to Athena Cike at the entrance to

the Athens Acropolis. #t was designed andbuilt by 2allicrates from about 559D5>

".2.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

28/35

 

2orinthian

• The third order is the 2orinthian, which

wasnBt used much by the Greeks. #t is

named after the city of 2orinth, where

sculptor 2allimachus supposedly inventedit by at the end of the 7th century ".2.

after he spotted a goblet surrounded by

leaves.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

29/35

 

2orinthian

• the 2orinthian is similar to the #onic order

in its base, column, and entablature, but

its capital is far more ornate, carved with

two tiers of curly acanthus leaves.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

30/35

 

2ompensating for illusions

• The Greeks continued to strive for

perfection in the appearance of their

buildings. To make their columns look

straight, they bowed them slightly outwardto compensate for the optical illusion that

makes vertical lines look curved from a

distance. They named this effect entasis, which means /to strain/ in Greek.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

31/35

 

2ompensating for illusions

• @elationships between columns, windows,

doorways, and other elements were

constantly analy&ed to find pleasing

dimensions that were in harmony withnature and the human body. $ymmetry

and the unity of parts to the whole were

important to Greek architecture, as theseelements reflected the democratic cityD

state pioneered by the Greek civili&ation.

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

32/35

 

2ompensating for illusions

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

33/35

 

2ompensating for illusions

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

34/35

 

2orinthian

8/17/2019 Orders of Greek Arch. (1)

35/35

2orinthian