ANTIQUITY

 There is little information or evidence about

major architectural theory in antiquity, until
the 1st century BCE, with the work
of Vitruvius.
 This does not mean, however, that such works

did not exist. Many works never survived

antiquity.
MARCUS VITRUVIUS POLLIO (Born in 83-73 BC):

 Vitruvius was a Great Roman writer, architect,

and engineer active in the 1st century BCE.
He was also a military engineer, fought wars
for Emperor Augustus.
 He was the most prominent architectural

theorist in the Roman Empire.

 Wrote De Architectura (The Ten Books of
Architecture), a treatise written
in Latin and Greek on architecture, dedicated
to the emperor Augustus.
 Probably written between 27 and 23 BCE,

Sole surviving treatise on ancient architectural

theory & practice.
 De Architectura, the treatise is divided into ten
volumes or "books"; it covers almost every
aspect of Roman architecture, from town
planning, materials, decorations, temples,
water supplies, etc. It rigorously defines the
classical orders of architecture.
MARCUS VITRUVIUS POLLIO (Born in 83-73 BC):

 Vitruvius proposes the three fundamental

criteria that Architecture must obey: firmitas,
utilitas and venustas.
 It was translated in English as firmness,

commodity and delight (meaning structural

adequacy, functional adequacy, and beauty) in
the 17th century by Sir Henry Wotton.
Vitruvius state 6 principles of architecture -
 Order – Proportion

 Arrangement – Proper location of components

 Eurhythmy – Pleasing sizes of components

 Symmetry – Arrangement of parts with respect to a

selected standard.
 Propriety – Use of approved Principles

 Economy – Proper management of site & materials.

 Vitruvius was a theorist rather than a
practitioner, designed only one building –
Basilica at Fano.
 Vitruvius made a statement ‘Architect must be

sound in theory as well as practice’.

 Vitruvius was the earliest to classify 3

classical orders into Doric, Ionic & Corinthian

order.
Titles of the 10 volumes of De Architectura:
 Vol. I Architecture in general.

 Vol. II Building material.

 Vol. III Construction of temples.

 Vol. IV The orders of architecture.

 Vol. V Public buildings.

 Vol. VI Private Buildings in Town & Country.

 Vol. VII Ornamentation of buildings.

 Vol. VIII Water aqueducts.

 Vol. IX Construction of water clocks.

 Vol. X Buildings of various machines.

 The rediscovery of Vitruvius' work had a profound
influence on architects of the Renaissance.
 Renaissance architects, such as Niccoli, Brunelleschi

and Leon Battista Alberti, found in "De

Architectura" their rationale for raising their branch
of knowledge to a scientific discipline.
 Vitruvius lives during Roman period, but people

came to know who Vitruvius was only during

Renaissance period because of invention of Printing.
Thank you