AR-504 History of Architecture III

AR-504
History of Architecture III
Module 1
Ancient Greek Architecture
1
Module Outline
• Lecture 1
 Historical Background
 Location and period
 Social characteristics and beliefs
• Lecture 2
 Architecture of the Civilization
 Greek Orders
 Temple Architecture
 Civic Architecture
• Lecture 3
 Greek City Planning and Design
 Greek Architecture in Athens
• Lecture 4
 Architectural Characteristics
 Buildings and other architectural elements
 Building materials, construction and technologies
 Architectural Organizing principles
2
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
3
Module 6 Lecture 17
4
Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 1
 Historical Background
 Location and period
 Social characteristics and beliefs
5
Historical Background
6
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
• Most of the Greek mainland was rocky and
barren and therefore bad for agriculture
7
Location
• 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
8
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
 500 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
9
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
10
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
11
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
 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
12
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
 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
13
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
14
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
15
•
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
16
Period
• Classical period (500 - 323 BC)
 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
17
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
18
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
19
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
20
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 Alexander’s generals as
their rulers
21
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
22
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
23
• 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.
24
 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
25
 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.
26
• 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
27
• 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
28
• 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
29
• 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
30
• 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
31
• 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
32
• 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
33
 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
34
 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
35
 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
36
 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
37
 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
38
• 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
39
• 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
40
End of Lecture
41
Module 1 Lecture 2
42
Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 2
Architecture of the Civilization
 Greek Orders
 Temple Architecture
 Civic Architecture
43
Architecture of the Civilization
44
Origins
• Ourword “architecture”
comes from the Greek
architecton, which
means “master
carpenter.”
• EarlyGreek architecture
therefore employed
wood, not stone.
Wood Features in Stone
• By the 6th Century BC,
stone replaced wood in
the construction of
important temples.
• Designs still reflected
their origins in wood,
however.
Origins
• Thetrigyph, which alternates with the metapes,

began as wooden beam ends.
Origins
• In moving from wood to stone,
builders had to adapt to the differing
properties of their building materials.
• Stone has greater compressive
(resistance to crushing) strength than
wood, but lacks tensile strength
(resistance to bending or twisting).
Therefore, while columns/posts
might be relatively thin, the
entablature/beams, must be quite
thick.
Origins
• Greektemples, like
Egyptian temples,
used basic post-and-
beam construction.
• Thisis sometimes
referred to as
trabeated.
Origins
• Early temples had
massive pillars as
architects worried about
their ability to support
Temple of Hera, Paestum the weight above.
• Later
temples appear
more elegant.
Hephaistion, Athens
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
51
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.
52
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
53
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
54
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 man’s body, its
strength and beauty.
55
The Doric Order
• Doriccolumns are the

heaviest in appearance
• The capital is plain.
• The shaft is thick –
though it loses some of
its mass over time.
• There is no base.
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
57
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
Origins
• Some experts feel that the
entasis, the outward bulging
in the middle of Greek
columns, may originally
have been an imitation of
the effect of great
compression in wooden
posts.
• It also serves as a kind of
correction to an optical
illusion, however.
Entasis
• Entasiscounteracts the tendency of
the eye to reach upward, forcing it to
travel up and down the shaft.
• Columns that are straight appear
thinner in the middle when seen
against light, making the supports
appear flimsy.
• The middle bulge counteracts this.
• The upper 2/3 of the shafts to the
right are tapered.
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.
61
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
62
The Orders
Ionic Order
• Atthe corner of rectangular
buildings, an angular volute
had to be used.
• Entasiswas not applied to
the ionic column
• TheIonic column is said to
represent the shape of a
women with its delicacy
and feminine slenderness.
63
The Ionic Order
• Thesehave greater
elegance.
• The capital has
distinctive volutes.
• Theshaft is thinner
than its Doric
equivalent.
• A base is apparent.
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
65
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
66
The Corinthian Order
• Thisis also a tall,

elegant form.
• The capital has
distinctive acanthus leaf
decoration.
• A base
is also
employed.
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
68
The Orders
Column Construction
• Thecapital was also
carved out
• Afterthey were put
together, the grooves
called flutes were cut up
and down the shaft of
the column and all
around it
• Thisgave the column its
slim and elegant look
69
Temples - Purpose
• Inthe mild climate of Greece, ceremonies generally

took place outdoors.
• Eventhe 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.
Parts of a Greek Temple
• There are four distinct parts to a greek
temple.
 The bottom, horizontal part is the steps.
Most Greek temples had three of them.
 This part is called the stylobate.
• The next section is vertical and is the
column.
 Most columns had a base (though not the
Doric), at the bottom, a shaft in the middle,
and a capital at the top.
 The shaft may be smooth or fluted.
•
Above the column is the entablature. If
the column is the leg, think of this as the
tabletop.
 It has 3 parts: the architrave, a kind of
base.
 The frieze, a decorated part
 The cornice the top.
• Thetop section is angled
and is called the pediment.
 The sloping top part is called
the sloping cornice.
 The triangular part below is
called the tympanum. This
is often carved and
decorated.
 Sometimes there are caved
features sticking up from the
room. These are called
antifixae or acroterions.
Plans of Greek Temples
• The grandeur and evident
expense of a temple can
be seen in the number of
columns employed.
• Simple tempes have
blank walls around a
naos, or chapel. With an
open area or porch in
front, called a pronaos,
with two or four
supporting columns.
Designs of Greek Temples
• Grander temples, like

the Parthenon, had both
a front and back porch,
as well as a colonnade
surrounding the entire
structure.
• Thisis called a
peripteral temple.
Reconstruction of the Parthenon in
Nashville.
• Grander still, and

generally from the
Hellenistic age, are
dipteral temples.
• They have a double
colonnade
surrounding them.
Artist’s reconstruction of the Temple of

Artemis, Ephesus, Turkey
Temple Architecture
Introduction
• 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
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Temple Architecture; Introduction
• 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
83
• 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
84
• 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
85
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
86
Temple Architecture
Doric Temple
• The columns on the front are 9,
while on the sides they are 19
• 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
87
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
88
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
89
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
90
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
91
The Parthenon
• Thisis the most
important and perfectly
formed temple on the
acropolis.
• Dedicatedto Athena, it
housed an enormous
cult image.
Parthenon
• Thisbuilding is the
culmination of
Classical Greek
architecture.
• Opticalrefinements are
many, and the result is a
building reflecting the
Greek concept of arete,
perfection.
Click here to see a NOVA video clip on the Parthenon’s optical

refinements.
The Parthenon
• One of the Parthenon’s 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.
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
96
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
97
Temple of Athena Nike
• Thisis 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.
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.
99
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
100
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
101
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
102
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
103
End of Lecture
104
Module 1 Lecture 3
105
Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 3
 Greek City Planning and Design
 Greek Architecture in Athens
106
Greek City Planning and Design
107
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
108
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.
109
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
11
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
11
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
11
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
11
Greek Architecture in Athens
Architecture, Planning & Design
• Athensis a very good example of a typical ancient
Greek city
• Thecity 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.
11
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
115
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.
116
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
117
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
118
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
119
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
120
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
121
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
122
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
123
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 temple’s alter was placed on the
Eastern side
• During the Christian period, the
Parthenon was used as a church
124
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
125
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
126
The Erectheum
• Hewas 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
127
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
128
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
129
Temple of Nike
• Justbeside 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 Atheniansworshipped
Athena Nike in the hope of
victory
130
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
• Thetemple looks the
same from the front and
back
131
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
132
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
133
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.
134
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
135
End of Lecture
136
Module 1 Lecture 4
137
Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 20
 Architectural Characteristics
 Buildings and other architectural elements
 Building materials, construction and technologies
 Architectural Organizing principles
138
Architectural Characteristics
139
Buildings & Other Arch Elements
140
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
141
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
142
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
143
Materials, Const. & Tech.
144
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
145
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
146
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
147
• 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
148
• 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
149
Principles of Arch. Organization
150
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
151
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
152
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
153
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
154
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
155
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
156
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
157
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
158
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End of Module 1
176

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History of Architecture III

• The classical and archaic period are sometimes collectively referred to as

• Thetrigyph, which alternates with the metapes,

• Doriccolumns are the

• Thisis also a tall,

• Inthe mild climate of Greece, ceremonies generally

• Grander temples, like

• Grander still, and

Artist’s reconstruction of the Temple of

Click here to see a NOVA video clip on the Parthenon’s optical

• This is an ionic temple

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