Notes For Module - 1

Module - 1
Classical Greece
Architecture
Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College
History Of Architecture – II
2nd Semester
Contents
• Orders
• Optical Corrections
• Monumental :
Ex – Parthenon
Theatre at Epidauros
• Domestic
Ex – House Of Colline
House Of Masks
• Civic Space
Ex – The Agora
Acropolis
History Of Architecture – II
2nd Semester
Greek architecture is important for several reasons:
• Because of its logic and order.
• Because of its invention of the classical "orders“
• Because of its exquisite architectural sculpture
• Because of its influence on other schools
Because of its logic and order:
• Logic and order are at the heart of Greek architecture.
• The Hellenes planned their temples according to a coded

scheme of parts, based first on function, then on a reasoned

system of sculptural decoration.
• Mathematics determined the symmetry, the harmony, the

eye's pleasure. Greek designers used precise mathematical
calculations to determine the height, width and other
characteristics of architectural elements.
• These proportions might be changed slightly, and certain

individual elements (columns, capitals, base platform), might
be tapered or curved, in order to create the optimum visual
effect, as if the building was a piece of sculpture.
Because of its invention of the classical "orders":

• Namely, the Doric Order, the Ionic Order and the
Corinthian Order - according to the type of column, capital
and entablature used.
1
Because of its exquisite architectural sculpture:
Architects commissioned sculptors to carve friezes, statues and
other architectural sculptures, whose beauty has rarely, if ever,
been equaled in the history of art.
Because of its influence on other schools:

• Their formulas - devised as far back as 550 BCE - paved the
way for Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture, and had the
greatest possible influence on the proportions, style
and aesthetics of the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Modern architects, too, have been influenced by Greek

architectural forms.
• Louis Sullivan (1856-1924), for instance, a leading figure in

the First Chicago School, based a number of his skyscraper

designs on the Greek template of base, shaft, and capital, while
using vertical bands (reminiscent of the fluting on Greek
columns) to draw the eye upwards.
History
• The History of the Ancient Greek Civilization is divided
into two eras.
• The Hellenic and The Hellenistic Period
• The Hellenic period commented circa 900BC (with

substantial works of architecture appearing from about 600
BC) and ended with the death of Alexander the great in 323
BC.
2
• During the Hellenistic period, 323 BC – AD 30,Hellenic
culture and spread widely, firstly throughout lands conquered
by Alexander, and then by the Roman Empire which absorbed
much of Greek culture.
Origin
• Our word “architecture” comes from the Greek architecton ,

which means “master carpenter”.
• Early Greek Architecture therefore employed wood, not

stone.
• These early structure, 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.
• Design still reflected their origins in wood however.
Geographical Location
• The geographical location of Ancient Greece has a major
influence on the architecture of the time, the place was
comprised of large peninsula expanding towards
Mediterranean Sea and many islands Ionian and Aegean Sea.
• Unlike Egypt, it has long coastline with many bays and

inlets bound fertile lands with tall mountains surrounded.
3
Religious Belief
• Religious played a key role in ancient Greek architecture.
• Many of the famous structures, such as the Parthenon and

the acropolis, were influenced by a particular Greek god or
goddess.
• Although many of the buildings only purpose was to

serve as a temple of god or goddess in which they were
constructed for the structures still stand today as symbols of
the advanced time in which the ancient Greek people lived.
• The beauty and elegance of these temples was inspired by

powerful Greek gods and can still be seen in the ruin of the
structures today.
4
Orders
• In classic architecture the term “ORDER” is employed to

distinguish the varieties of column and entablature which were
employed by the Greeks and Romans in their temples and public
buildings.
Classical Orders
Doric order Ionic order Corinthian order
5
Components Of Order
6
Doric Order
• Doric columns are the
heaviest in appearance.
• The capital is plain, there

is no base.
• Frieze divided into : Metope

Triglyph
• The metope is a plain,

smooth stone section between
triglyphs.
• The capital is a simple

circular form, with some

mouldings, under a square
cushion that is very wide in
early versions, but later more
retrained.
• In stone they are purely

ornamental.
• In the Doric order, there are

clear rules about the
positioning of architectural sculpture.
• They are always arranged in predetermined areas: the

metopes and the pediment.
7
Ionic Order
• The ionic columns

normally stand on a base
which separates the shaft
of the column from the
stylobate or platform .
• Ionic columns and

•entablatures were always
•more highly decorated.
• Decorated with scroll

like design.
• Slender, fluted pillars.

• The capital has
distinctive volutes.
• Ionic columns have

greater elegance.
• The Ionic Column is

little more decorative.
• The shaft is thinner than its Doric equivalent.
8
Corinthian Order
• The Corinthian
order takes its
name from the
city of Corinth in
Greece.
• The Corinthian
order is stated to
be the most ornate
of the orders,
characterized by
slender fluted
columns and
elaborate capitals

decorated with
acanthus leaves and
scrolls.
• Base and shaft similar

to Ionic.
• The Corinthian capital was much taller than either the

Doric or Ionic capital, being ornamented with a double row
of acanthus leaves topped by voluted tendrils.
• Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian capital unlike the

ionic capital is designed to be seen from all directions.
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Optical Corrections
• Optical corrections refers to the implementation of some of
the mathematical proportions in construction of the structures
which is known as GOLDEN PROPORTIONS.
• Entasis – This technique was used by Greek.
• A swelling or curving outwards along the outline of a

column shaft, designed to counteract the optical illusion which
gives a shaft bounded by straight lines the appearance of
curving inwards.
• Entasis refers to the practice of optical correction in Greek

temples.
• All buildings are arranged with a slight curve to correct

for optical illusion when they are viewed.
• This is done to counteract the concave appearance

produced by straight edges in perspective.
• The shaft of the column is built to be slightly convex in

shape for optical correction.
• Columns were also built with a slight tilt.
• The best example of the application of entasis is found in

the Parthenon.
• The application of entasis is an expression of the desire

for perfection by Greek Architects
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12
• The drawing to the right explains entasis.
• Diagram one on top shows how the ancient Greeks wanted

the temple to appear .
• If the temple is built without correction, then diagram two

shows how it would actually appear.
• To ensure that it appears correctly as desired in one, the

Greeks introduced the distortions shown in diagram three.
Diagram 1

The temple as it visually
appears with correction
Diagram 2
The temple as it would
appear without correction
Diagram 3
The temple as it actually
built with correction
13
Parthenon
Introduction :
• The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis,
Greece, dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena.
• Its construction started in 447 BC and ended in 438 BC
• Architects: Ictinus and Callicrates
The Temple Form :

• The Parthenon is a Doric Temple, named because of the
style/order of column used in its construction.
• The Parthenon was a Doric temple. The Doric was

considered the most ancient and the most dignified order.

• The Parthenon’s form grew out of other, earlier Greek
temples. The simplest temples had a cella and a pronaos.
• The Parthenon is 60 meters in length, 30 meters wide and

18 meters in height.
• The Parthenon is the best example in Greek temple

architecture of the practice of optical refinement.
• 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”.
14
• Furthermore, the spacing between the columns appear
smaller towards the centre.
• Therefore, they were spaced wider apart accordingly.
• This temple was built on top of the Athenian Acropolis.
• The Acropolis was the highest land of Athens.
• In the past, the Acropolis was the place where they built their
government building, as the people said, it was the highest land
in Athens, hence they built the most important building on top
of it. Now, the Parthenon was built on it.
15
16
Cella :
• The inner, main

chamber of a
temple.
• Greek term:
Naos.
• This chamber
containing the
image of the
god was the
principal part of the
temple.
• Generally the

cella received its
light through the
open door alone, but
sometimes there
was also an opening
in the roof or
possibly
windows on either
side of the door.
17
Pronaos :
In the Greek temple, the porch,
portico, or entrance-hall to the
temple proper or cella.

Opisthodomos :
The Parthenon had a double cella
with a pronaos and opisthodomos
(“a porch at the
rear of the cella which often
served as a rear entrance.”)
18
Plan Of Parthenon

Opisthodomos 2nd Cella 1st Cella Pronaos
19
Reconstruction drawing of interior of Parthenon, showing
statue of Athena Pantheons
20
• The cella on the west was dedicated to Athena Parthenon,
from which the whole building got the name Parthenon.
• It’s likely that the western cella was used as a treasury.
• Its doors were probably reinforced with bronze bars.
The cella is surrounded by a series of columns, called a

colonnade; at each end it also has an additional set of columns
between the outside colonnade and the cella.
Side Colonnade
21
22
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Theatre At Epidauros
• The main archaeological site at Epidaurus is its ancient
theatre, one of the many Greek achievements in terms of
ancient construction.
• Apart from the symmetry and perfect proportions of this

Hellenistic structure, the theatre is unique because of its
excellent state of conservation, which allows it to be still in
working order.
• Another distinctive detail about this construction is the

perfect acoustics it is said that you could drop a pin on the
stage and it can be heard even if your sitting at the last seats of
the theater.
• It was used for meeting and dramatic performances.

• It consisted of several parts :
Skene : Place for the performance
Orchestra : First line of seats for the chorus
Seats : Divided in areas to make it possible for the
movement.
• There were small theatres for reading poetry, they were

called Odeon.
• Theaters often took advantage of hillsides and naturally

sloping terrain and, in general, utilized the panoramic
landscape as the backdrop to the stage itself.
• The Greek theater is composed of the seating area

(theatron), a circular space for the chorus to perform
(orchestra), and the stage (skene).
24
• Tiered seats in the theatron provided space for spectators.
• Two side aisles (parados, pl. paradoi) provided access to the

orchestra.
• The Greek theater inspired the Roman version of the theater

directly, although the Romans introduced some modifications to
the concept of theater architecture.
• Since theatrical performances were often linked to sacred

festivals, it is not uncommon to find theaters associated directly
with sanctuaries.
• The theatre had a bank of seats steps created from the

landscape.

• Every important Greek city had a theatre.
25
26
House Of Colline
• The upper floor

is reached by means
Of a simple staircase
in wood, the
Dimensions and type
of which accord very
closely with current
domestic practice.
• The house is
entered from the
west through a
vestibule which
opens directly
on to one of the porticoes surrounding the peristyle.

• A main portico or " promenoir " occupies the full width
of the house and links the principal rooms which lie
along the north side.
• These latter include the " living room " and two lesser
rooms, which have access to one another.
• Immediately south of the vestibule is the kitchen, and

on the opposite side is a " salon de repose "-perhaps a study
•or library.
• Although the majority of the rooms had windows facing

the street, these were placed high up, an indication that the
desire for enclosure and privacy was still present, although
27
the strict turning
inward of the rooms to
a peristyle was
relaxed.
• This basic
proportion finds a
constant echo in the
internal
arrangement.
• The key to the

arrangement of rooms
appears to lie largely in a desire for immediate contact with the
open air.

• Pastas, like a veranda, were prevalent features throughout
Greece and could run the length of the house.
• Houses were founded on stone socles (bases) but the super

structure was primarily mud-brick.
28
29
House Of Masks
• The Greek word for the family or household, oikos, is also
the name for the house. Houses followed several different types.
• It is probable that many of the earliest houses were simple

structures of two rooms, with an open porch or "pronaos" above
which rose a low pitched gable or pediment.
• The construction of many houses employed walls of sun

dried clay bricks or wooden framework filled with fibrous
material such as straw or seaweed covered with clay or plaster,
on a base of stone which protected the more vulnerable elements
from damp.
• The House of the Masks is named after the mosaic motif

of theatre masks decorating ivy scrolls arranged in strips around

a central surface area decorated in a cubic pattern.
• The more intricately decorated mosaics are found in four

different rooms branching off from the peristyle courtyard
•paved with marble chips, with corridor mosaics
utilizing amphora fragments.
• In the center of one mosaic is the figure of Dionysus riding

a leopard against a similar black background to the mosaic in
the House of Dionysus.
• Another central mosaic features a flute player and a dancing

figure, the latter perhaps representing Silenus.
•Only the Dionysus figure employs the vermiculatum method.
30
• The other mosaics of the house fail to achieve the naturalism
of finer figure scenes and motifs, but they nevertheless
demonstrate an attempt at mimicking their illusionist qualities
with the tesselated technique.
• The house consists of several small rooms connected by a

large, central courtyard.

• It is well known for its intricate mosaics, most notably one
depicting Dionysus riding a leopard.
• Built sometime between 150-100 BC, the house saw less

frequent use after an attack on Delos by the troops of
Mithridates VI of Pontus in 88 BC.
• By the 2nd century AD, the island was mostly abandoned

and the House of Masks fell into ruin.
31
32
33
The Agora
• The Agora of Athens today is an archaeological site
located beneath the northwest slope of the Acropolis.
• The word "agora" applies to an assembly of people and by

extend marks the gathering place.
• In modern Greek the term means "marketplace".
• The Agora was the most important gathering place in a

Greek city
• It started as an open area where the council of the city met

to take decisions with time buildings were constructed to define
and enclose the space
• It also transformed into a place for combined social,

commercial and political activities

• It emerged as the heart of Greek intellectual life and
discourse.
• It was usually located on a flat ground for ease of

communication
• It was placed to be easily accessible from all directions
• In many cities, it is also located close to the Acropolis
34
35
• The Agora in Athens was a space used for social,
commercial and political activities
• The Agora at Athens was located at the base of the hill of

the Acropolis
• Civic and religious buildings were progressively erected

around the perimeter of the Agora space
• Of all the buildings, the stoa was the most important
• Stoas were useful buildings in the context of the Agora
• They provided shelter and served for many other purposes
• They also served to embellish the boundary of the Agora
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• It was the normal venue for the festal processions.
• The open area serves as a market place at all times,

permanent shops came to be erected on its periphery.
• Temples were included among the buildings on its borders

while, small, open air sanctuaries and altars frequently occurred
within the square.
• In later times the intellectual life was more consciously

fostered by the inclusion of libraries and lecture halls in the
equipment of the agora.
• The public buildings were themselves frequently of fine

design and they were commonly adorned with sculpture and
paintings which, combined with the monuments that eventually
stood in grooves within the square, made of the agora a

national art gallery freely open to all at all times.
38
39
Acropolis
• A settlement , especially a citadel, built upon an area of
elevated ground – frequently a hill with precipitous sides, chosen
for purposes of defence.
• The Acropolis was the city of temples.
• It is the location where all the major temples of a city are

located.
• It was built to glorify the gods.
• Greeks considered high places to be important & sacred.
• The Acropolis were usually located on the highest ground.

• Other public buildings such as gymnasia, stadia, and
theaters were generally regarded as part of religious rituals.
• They are normally found attached on lower ground to the

hills of the Acropolis.
40
• The acropolis in Athens was a religious precinct located on
one of the hills of the city.
• The Earliest versions of the Buildings in the Acropolis

existed until 480 BC
• In 480 BC, the Persians under Xerxes burnt Athens and the
Acropolis to the ground
• Not long after that the Greeks defeated the Persians
• The Acropolis in Athens was rebuilt in about 450 BC

• The rebuilding of the Acropolis was begun by Pericles, the
wise statesman who ruled from 460 BC to 429 BC Pericles
commissioned artist and architects to build a new city of
temples to glorify the gods

• The acropolis combined Doric orders and ionic orders in
a perfect composition in four buildings; the Propylea, the
Parthenon, the Erechtheumn, and the temple of Nike.
• The best example of Greek emphasis on visualization in
design and site planning is seen at the Acropolis at Athens
41
• All the temples on the Acropolis are placed at an angle that
enables them to be seen on two sides
• If a building cannot see be from two sides, it is completely
hidden
• From the entry at the Propylae, a visitor has a view of all

the prominent buildings in the Acropolis
• Buildings are also position at a distance that ensures the

appreciation of their details
• The central axis of view from the propylae is left free of

building for a view into the country side
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Module - 1

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• Because of its logic and order.

• Because of its invention of the classical "orders“

• Because of its exquisite architectural sculpture

• Because of its influence on other schools

Because of its logic and order:

• Logic and order are at the heart of Greek architecture.

• The Hellenes planned their temples according to a coded

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• Mathematics determined the symmetry, the harmony, the

• These proportions might be changed slightly, and certain

Because of its invention of the classical "orders":

Because of its influence on other schools:

• Modern architects, too, have been influenced by Greek

• Louis Sullivan (1856-1924), for instance, a leading figure in

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• The Hellenic and The Hellenistic Period

• The Hellenic period commented circa 900BC (with

• Our word “architecture” comes from the Greek architecton ,

• Early Greek Architecture therefore employed wood, not

• These early structure, as well as those of mud brick, have

• By the 6th century BC, stone replaced wood in the

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• Design still reflected their origins in wood however.

• Unlike Egypt, it has long coastline with many bays and

• Many of the famous structures, such as the Parthenon and

• Although many of the buildings only purpose was to

• The beauty and elegance of these temples was inspired by

• In classic architecture the term “ORDER” is employed to

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• The capital is plain, there

• Frieze divided into : Metope

• The metope is a plain,

• The capital is a simple

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• In stone they are purely

• In the Doric order, there are

• They are always arranged in predetermined areas: the

• The ionic columns

• Ionic columns and

• Decorated with scroll

• Slender, fluted pillars.

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• Ionic columns have

• The Ionic Column is

• The shaft is thinner than its Doric equivalent.

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• Base and shaft similar

• The Corinthian capital was much taller than either the

• Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian capital unlike the

• Entasis – This technique was used by Greek.

• A swelling or curving outwards along the outline of a

• Entasis refers to the practice of optical correction in Greek

• All buildings are arranged with a slight curve to correct

Prepared By : Ar. Kamisetty Nihaarika, AAAD College

• This is done to counteract the concave appearance

• The shaft of the column is built to be slightly convex in

• Columns were also built with a slight tilt.

• The best example of the application of entasis is found in

• The application of entasis is an expression of the desire