Greek architectureCLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE

Greek architecture

Greece has been the source of highest artistic inspiration and its architecture has influenced all

styles almost down to our own periods.

It is said that Greek architecture was created in a short time for all times. Their ambition was to erect buildings, human in scale that is a classically ideal

architecture.

Their success may be measured by the fact that their work have been copied on and off for some 2500

years and have never been superseded.

Though severely damaged Parthenon remains the most nearly perfect building ever erected.

PREFRENCES AND INVENTIONS IN ARCHITECTURE

GREEK ORDERS

OPTICAL ILLUSION

ENTASIS

GOLDEN SECTION

CARPENTRY IN MARBLE

GREEK MASNORY

ACROPOLIS

AGORA

construction system

TRABEATED SYSTEM

The construction system of Greek architecture was self-evident and in-complicated i.e. no arch, no vault and no dome were used and the simplicity of lines and

proportions gave them the timeless look.

CARPENTRY IN MARBLE

The Greek architecture is developed from a wooden structure of upright posts supporting beams and slopping rafters.

Greek columns and their entablature were at first entirely of wood with terra-cotta decoration in upper trabeation but was reproduced in stone around 600 BC.

As the translation from wood to marble was quite direct and the imitation was imitated with remarkable exactness, it is called carpentry in marble.

DORIC AND IONIC CAPITALS

GREEK ARCHITECTURE

GREEK ORDERS

The best known Greek contribution to architecture was a set of styles called orders.

They used 3- basic orders.

DORIC ORDER

IONIC ORDER

CORINTHIAN ORDER

EACH HAS THEIR OWN DISTINCTIVE DECORATION AND CHARACTER

GREEK ORDERS

Doric Ionic Corinthian

The Doric style is sturdy and its top is plain. This style was

used in mainland Greece and the

colonies in southern Italy and Sicily.

The Ionic style is thinner and more elegant. Its top is decorated with a

scroll-like design (a volute). This style

was found in eastern Greece and the

islands.

The Corinthian style is seldom used in the

Greek world, but often seen on Roman temples. Its capital is very elaborate and

decorated with acanthus leaves.

ORDERS

3 MAIN PARTS1.Entablature-

Cornice,Frieze,Architrave2.Column-Capital,Shaft,Base3.Pedestal-Cap,Die,Base

PARTHENON

The Parthenon

SIMPLE AND POWERFUL

Capital- a circle topped by a square.

Shaft -- 20 sides.

NO base in the Doric order.

The area above the column, called the frieze had simple patterns.

The metope is a plain, smooth stone section between triglyphs. Sometimes the metopes had statues of heroes or gods on them.

The triglyphs are a pattern of 3 vertical lines between the metopes.

GREEK ORDERS

DORIC ORDERPOPULAR

Origin is wood, Square abacus

Column

It stands without a base.

Its height including the capital is 4 to 6 times the diameter of base.

Entablatures—3 PARTS

Cornice

Frieze

architrave

golden sectionLotus, shell, ram horns

Scroll capital Ionic order

Column

It was slenderer than Doric.

Base at lower end to spread the load transmitted.

Its height, including the capital and base was 9 times lower diameter.

Entablatures---2 parts

Architrave

cornice

Ionic capital and base

ACANTHUS LEAVES

Capital-inverted bell with leaves and flowers

CORINTHIAN ORDER

COLUMN

Base and shaft resembles Ionic.

More slender than ionic

10-times its diameter in height.

Entablature

Almost like ionic.

Sometimes both Doric and Ionic were used

CORINTHIAN

2 ROWS OF LEAVES4 SCROLLS

MOST DECORATIVE PLANT

CORINTHIANIDEA

Callimachus-ARTIST ACANTHUS-PLANT

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

GREEK MASONRY AND COLUMNS

In the mid 5th century, Greek masonry reached its height in refinement. No mortar was used and the blocks were fitted

together with extra ordinary precision. They made their bedding surface slightly concave to obtain a hairline joint

on the face of the wall.

columns

This method was also applied in case of columns. Each huge column was made of circular stones, shaped like huge drums and piled on top of one another. Metal dowels connecting the drums together were encased in wood to prevent them from splitting the stone.

GREEK MASONARY

Each block was joint to its neighboring block by a metal Dowell, either bronze or iron. And these were fixed in position with molted lead. Exposed surface was left rough and then dressed in Situ.

The Parthenon-OPTICAL REFINEMENT(447 and 438 B.C)

Designed by Iktinos Due to the presence of optical illusions, the Parthenon

has what are known as “optical refinements” built into its structure.

These illusions are physiological and psychological in nature. They are not geometrical effects.

To the unaided eye, columns tend to look narrower in the middle than at the top or bottom. Each of the columns in the Parthenon was built with a slight bulge in the middle, to make them appear “straight”.

The Parthenon-OPTICAL REFINEMENT(447 and 438 B.C)

Designed by Iktinos

Columns tend to “contract” near the top, and hence the base of each column was built a little thicker. Columns further away from the centre appear thicker. To counteract this effect, the columns in the centre were built a little thicker.

Horizontal lines appear to “dip” in the middle, and hence the centre portion of the floor was slightly raised.

Optical refinements

Optical correction in ArchitectureENTASIS

ENTASIS-This device was used by Greek builders and adopted by Romans.

It is the slight curvature of a column CLASSICAL COLUMN that diminishes as it rises.

In the Doric column of Parthenon,34ft high and 6ft 3in. In diameter at the bottom the total convexity is only 3-4 in.

U

The

TEMPLE

ATHENA ZUES

PARTHENON(440)BC

THEATERS

EPHIDARUS

DELPHI the Athenians built the Parthenon in the 440's

GREEK THEATER

PARTHNON

PARTHENON

ACROPOLIS

The Fibonacci numbers are Nature’s numbering system. They appear everywhere in Nature, from the leaf arrangement in plants, to the pattern of the florets of a flower, the bracts of a pinecone, or the scales of a pineapple. The Fibonacci numbers are therefore applicable to the growth of every living thing, including a single cell, a grain of wheat, a hive of bees, and even all of mankind.”

Acropolis

Acropolis in Greek means "The Sacred Rock, the high city". All around the world the Acropolis of Athens is known as 'The Acropolis'.

The Acropolis is primarily dedicated to the Goddess Athena.