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GREEK ARCHITECTURE
Presentation · January 2024
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36313.49764
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GREEK
ARCHITECTURE
9TH BCE – 6TH CENTURY CE
GREEK ARCHITECTURE
produced by the Greek-speaking people (Hellenic people)
whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland,
the Peloponnese, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies
in Anatolia and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until
the 1st century AD.
Ancient Greek architecture is best known from its temples,
many of which are found throughout the region, mostly as
ruins but many substantially intact.
Created equilibrate and proportional works.
Greeks are credited with originating the three orders of the
classical language of architecture, Doric, Ionic and
Corinthian.
INFLUENCES
- GEOGRAPHICAL
- GEOLOGICAL
- CLIMATICAL
- HISTORICAL
- RELIGION
GEOGRAPHY
➢ Their mainland and
islands are rocky,
mountainous with few
substantial forests.
➢ Almost completely
surrounded by
the Mediterranean
Sea.
➢ Greece has more
than 1400 islands.
GEOLOGY
➢ The most freely available building material is
stone.
➢ Limestone was readily available and easily
worked.
➢ There is an abundance of high quality
white marble both on the mainland and
islands, particularly Paros and Naxos.
CLIMATE
➢ typical of the Mediterranean climate: mild
and rainy winters, relatively warm and dry
summers and, generally, extended periods of
sunshine throughout most of the year.
HISTORY
Greek civilization is the first major civilization in
Europe
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
5000 B. C. – 323 B. C. Classical Period
323 B. C. – 147 B. C. Hellenistic Period
Archaic Period
(750 B.C. - 500 B.C.)
The revival of Greece from the dark ages
started during the eight century BC
The Greeks developed a new political form
called city states(POLIS)- ruled as
independent nations
The archaic period saw the renewal interest in
overseas trading contact
The archaic period marked the rise of the
aristocratic families; families that are
considered noble or of higher status
Such tyrants stimulated the development of
the arts through their patronage
Classical Period
(500 - 323 BC)
It is the period of democracy
Every art manifestation reached its
zenith
it is the period of political, economic
and cultural expansion of the polis
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
Hellenistic Period
(323 - 147 BC)
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
RELIGION
➢ Ancient Greek theology was polytheistic, based on
the assumption that there were many gods and
goddesses.
• ZEUS – King of Gods, Sky-God
• POSEIDON – God of Sea and Earthquake
• HADES – God of Death, Underworld
• HELIOS – God of Sun
• APHRODITE – God of Love, Beauty, Pleasure
➢ The Greeks believed in an underworld where the
spirits of the dead went after death.
ARCHITECTURAL
CHARACTERS
-THE ORDERS
-GREEK TEMPLE
-TEMPLE TYPOLOGY
THE ORDERS
➢ Refer to the entire set of form that makes up
the principal elevation of a temple.
• Base
• Upright column or support
with its capital
• Horizontal entablature
THE ORDERS
➢ 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.
➢ Each order had its own conventions about
the design of the entablature and divided into
3 sections:
• CORNICE
• FRIEZE
• ARCHITRAVE
DORIC ORDER
➢ Represents the proportions of a man’s
body, its strength and beauty.
➢ Made up of three elements
• Stylobate - a podium raised three
steps on which the temple sits
• Column
• Entablature
➢ A square capital
➢ Had a height of between 5 and 6
times its diameter
➢ Shaft is usually divided into 20 shallow flutes.
DORIC ORDER
➢ A characteristic of the Doric
order is the use of entasis
Entasis - refers to the practice
of optical correction in Greek Doric
temples
➢ The best example of the application
of entasis is found in the Parthenon
IONIC ORDER
➢ The Ionic column is said to represent
the shape of a women with its
delicacy and feminine slenderness.
➢ The Ionic order evolved and its
name from Ionia in modern
day Turkey
➢ The ionic column including the
capital and base had a height of 9 to
10 times its diameter
➢ It had 24 flutes
➢ The Ionic order had a capital
developed from a pair of volute about
two-thirds the diameter of the column
in height
IONIC ORDER
➢ At the corner of rectangular buildings,
an angular volute had to be used.
➢ One of the limitations of the Ionic order is
that it is designed to be seen
from the front only
CORINTHIAN ORDER
➢ The Corinthian column, the most
beautifully ornate of the three orders
represents the figure of a maiden
➢ 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
CORINTHIAN ORDER
➢ The core of the capital is shaped like an
inverted bell.
➢ The bell-like capital is decorated with
rows of carved acanthus leaves
➢ Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian
capital unlike the ionic capital is designed
to be seen from all directions
ARCHITECTURE: BASIS
It is an architecture to be seen (temple)
▪ Sculptural values, volumes
▪ Building is conceived as an sculpture
Beauty= Proportion and Measure
▪ conceived from the human point of view
▪ is anti-colossal
Temple is the essential building, residence of god, not a
place for people
BUILDING SYSTEM
Dominant lines are horizontal and vertical
The column is the essential element
Walls are made of regular ashlars
Buildings were polychrome
Building materials were limestone and white
marble
GREEK TEMPLE
Structure
- Rectangular Plans
- Longitudinal Axes
- Circular Plan
Internal Distribution
-PRONAOS: Open Entrance
- NAOS or CELLA: Chapel for God’s image
-OPISTODOMOS: Room for holding the
treasure of the temple
TEMPLE TYPOLOGY
ANTA
(TEMPLE IN ANTIS)
Pillars of the side
exceed the wall
THOLOS
Circular Temple
AMPHIPROSTYLE
Columns in both
facade
PROSTYLE
Columns only in
one facade
DIPTERAL
Double columns
around the building
PERIPTERAL
Columns around
the building
PSEUDOPERIPTRAL
PSEUDODIPTERAL
PROPYLEA- or porch was a monumental
entrance to a temenos or holy area
STOA- A long narrow hall with an open
colonnade that was used as exhibition room
AGORA- commercial center of the city
PALESTRA OR GYMNASIUM- the social
centre for male citizens
THEATRE- was used for meeting and
dramatic performances
ODEON- Small theatre
STRUCTURES
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