Greek Architecture

Parts• Pediment – tops the

columns, usually triangular and decorative

• Frieze – decorative border under pediment

• Architrave – the base of the roof that rests on the columns

• Capital – the top of the column

• Column – the pole that supports the roof

• Base – the bottom of the column

Triglyphs and Metopes• These are a part of the frieze. The

triglyph is between the decorative metopes. Often the metope tell a story.

Doric

• Earliest type of architecture (7th – 5th Century BC)

• Simple round design connecting a square top to the column. Columns usually had 20 parallel flutes.

• Design focus is harmony.

Examples of Doric

The Temple of Hepheastus

The Parthenon

Ionic

• The column is more slender than Doric.

• Usually the columns are as tall as 8 – 9 times the diameter of the column.

• Ionic columns are usually fluted.

Example of Ionic

Temple of Nike

Corinthian

• Of Greek origin, but seldom used in Greece.

• The creator of this style based it on a basket he saw at a child’s grave

• The column is almost always fluted and often has elaborate flutes

• When used, Greeks often used this type inside the temples

Examples of Corinthian

Maison Carrée