Greek Architecture. Origins Our word “architecture” comes from the Greek architecton, which...
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Transcript of Greek Architecture. Origins Our word “architecture” comes from the Greek architecton, which...
Origins
• Our word “architecture” comes from the Greek architecton, which means “master carpenter.”
• Early Greek architecture therefore used wood, not stone.
• These early structures, as well as those of mud-brick, have not survived.
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• In moving from wood to stone,
builders had to adapt to the differing properties of their building materials.
• Stone has greater resistance strength than wood, but it lacks flexibility strength (resistance to bending or twisting).
• Therefore, columns of stone had to be thick enough to resist snapping or bending under pressure.
Origins
• Early temples had massive pillars as architects worried about their ability to support the weight above.
• Later temples appear more elegant.
Temple of Hera, Paestum
Hephaistion, Athens
Temples - Purpose• Unlike modern churches or
mosques, Greek temples were not meant to be meeting places for religious gatherings.
• They were homes for the community’s god or goddess and a place to keep offerings.
• A image or statue was usually located in the middle of the naos, or chapel.
Temples - Purpose
• In the mild climate of Greece, ceremonies generally took place outdoors.
• Even the altar, upon which sacrifices were made, was outside the temple structure.
Temple Forms• Greek temples, like
Egyptian ones, tended to follow set patterns.
• Variations are few and
usually reflect one of the classical orders, rather than new and novel design.
The Doric Order
• Doric columns are the heaviest in appearance
• The capital, or top of the column is plain.
• The shaft is thick – though it loses some of its mass over time.
• There is no base.
The Ionic Order
• This order has greater elegance.
• The capital has distinctive volutes, or curled scroll designs.
• The column is thinner than in the Doric order.
• There is a base.
The Corinthian Order
• This is also a tall, elegant form.
• The capital has distinctive acanthus leaf decoration.
• It has a base.
Parts of a Greek Temple• 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.
Parts of a Greek Temple• Above the column is
the entablature.
• If the column is the leg, think of this as the tabletop.
Parts of a Greek Temple
PEDIMENT:Depicted scenes related to the god/goddess of that temple.
Plans of Greek Temples• The greatness and value
of a temple can be seen in the number of columns it has.
• Simple temples have blank walls around a naos, or chapel. With an open area or porch in front with two or four supporting columns.
Designs of Greek Temples
• Grander temples, like the Parthenon, had columns surrounding the entire structure.
Reconstruction of the Parthenon in Nashville.
Designs of Greek Temples
• Grander still, and generally from the Hellenistic age, are dipteral temples.
• They have an inner and outer row of columns surrounding them.
Artist’s reconstruction of the Temple of Artemis, Ephesus, Turkey
Important Structures – The Acropolis
• The most famous Greek buildings topped the Athenian Acropolis.
Greek Homes
The homes of the farmers and laborers were usually small and made of mud-brick.
The middle and upper class Greeks lived in houses very similar to modern houses today.
Andron =
•________________
Gynaeceum =
•_________________
What social class do you think is represented by this picture?
The Greek Heritage
• Greek architecture had a lasting impact on the world.
• The Romans adopted it as an ideal, but modified it to meet their practical needs.
The Greek Heritage
• Today, elements of Greek architecture surround us everywhere, from the Doric columns gracing local homes to the great Ionic capitals of the Vancouver Art Gallery.