ASSIGNMENT-3

“READING A BUILDING”BY-
SURAJ WANKHEDE ; VII-SEM
PARTHENON
The Parthenon is a Doric peripteral temple,
which means that it consists of a
rectangular floor plan with a series of low
steps on every side, and a colonnade (8 x
17) of Doric columns extending around the
periphery of the entire structure.

• MIXING OF TWO STYLES

Address: Athens 105 58, Greece Parthenon is innovative because it mixes a
Construction started: 447 BC two architectural styles:-
Destroyed: Partially on 26 September 1687 DORIC (OLDEST)
Architectural styles: Doric order, Classical IONIC (NEWER)
architecture
Architects: Ictinus, Callicrates

• Architectural Features

• COMPARISON

• Stylobate
The temple rises from the ground on a three-
tiered platform. This platform is 228 feet
long and just over 101 feet wide, and bulges
slightly in the centre.

• PLANNING
• DORIC • GOLDEN RATIO IN COLUMN
Simplest of all, not at all fancy.

Height of the columns – The structural

beam on top of the columns is in a golden
ratio proportion to the height of the
columns. Note that each of the grid lines
is a golden ratio proportion of the one
below it, so the third golden ratio grid line
from the bottom to the top at the base of
the support beam represents a length that
is phi cubed, 0.236, from the top of the
• ICONIC beam to the base of the column
IT HAS A BASE AND SCROLL patten on
top. • THE GOLDEN RATIO SPIRAL ON
COLUMNS.
• SCALE & PROPORTION
GOLDEN RATIO

The Parthenon is 30.8 meters wide and

69.51 meters long (101 and 228 feet,
respectively). This equals a 4:9 ratio.
This 4:9 ratio also is found in other parts
of the building, including the width of the
Parthenon's front columns, and in the
height of the façade to its width.
• OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
REFINEMENT
• COLUMNS
The architects calculated for perspective, for
the optical illusions that make edges of
objects appear concave and for the fact that
columns that are viewed against the sky look
different from those adjacent that are
viewed against a shadowed wall. However,
the narrowing is not regular, but gently
curved so that each columns appears to
have a slight swelling called entasis below
the middle.
• FLOOR OF TEMPLE
The plinth of the temple floor if slightly
made convex at the centre, so when it
viewed from far, the floor will appear
straight. It is achieved by using larger stones
at the centre and much thinner stones
towards the end of the plinth.
• COLLONADES AT THE
ELEVATION
The series of columns which shows the
strength and power of the Greek empire
was the most important element which
needs to convey what it is meant to. So to
make it look stronger and longer, these
colonnades are slightly inclined inwards
which looks straight when viewed from at a
far distance.
• THE INTERIOR DECORATIVE
ELEMENTS.
All the members which are to be above the
capitals of the columns, that is, architraves,
friezes, corona, tympana, gables, and
acroteria, should be inclined to the front a
twelfth part of their own height, for the
reason that when we stand in front of them,
if two lines are drawn from the eye, one
reaching to the bottom of the building and
the other to the top, that which reaches to
the top will be the longer. Hence, as the line
of sight to the upper part is the longer, it
makes that part look as if it were leaning
back. But when the members are inclined to
the front, as described above, they will seem
to the beholder to be plumb and
perpendicular.
• BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES
IN PARTHENON.
SYMMETRY
The Parthenon is a masterpiece
of symmetry andproportion. Parthenon r
eflects the symmetry of a human face.
Even the columns could reflect the line of
the human body.
GROUPING
Grouping of cavalry on north frieze
of Parthenon.
PATTERNS; CONTINUITY;
RHYTHM;HARMONY;REPITITION;
UNITY IN COLUMNS.
• COMMON TERMS
(ARCHITECTURE OF PARTHENON)
METOPE: Is a rectangular architectural
element that fills the space between
two triglyphs In a Doric frieze, which Is a
decorative band of alternating triglyphs
and metopes above the architrave of a
building of the Doric order.
FRIEZE:ln architecture the frieze /' fri:z/ I s
the wide central section part of
an entablature and may be plain In the Ionic
or Doric order , or decorated wlth bas-
reliefs..
TRIGLYPH:Is an architectural term for the
vertically channeled tablets of
the Doric frieze , so called because of the
angular channels In them , two perfect and one
divided ,the two chamfered angles
or hemlglyphs being reckoned as one.
PEDIMENT :is an element in which the tympanum ,
or triangular area within the pediment ,was often
decor at ed with relief
sculpture depicting scenes from Greek and
Roman mythology or allegorical
Fig u r e s .