GREEK

ARCHITECTURE
 Origins

• Our word “architecture”

comes from the Greek
architecton, which means
“master carpenter.”
• Early Greek architecture
therefore employed 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.
 Origins

• The triglyph, which alternates with the metopes, began as wooden beam ends.
• The metope [pronounced "met-o-pee"] is a plain, smooth stone section between triglyphs.
Sometimes the metopes had statues of heroes or gods on them. The triglyphs are a pattern of 3
vertical lines between the metopes.
 Origins
• In moving from wood to stone,
builders had to adapt to the
differing properties of their
building materials.
• Stone has greater compressive
(resistance to crushing) strength
than wood, but lacks tensile
strength (resistance to bending or
twisting). Therefore, while
columns/posts might be relatively
thin, the entablature/beams, must
be quite thick.
 Origins

• Greek temples, like

Egyptian temples, used
basic post-and-beam
construction.
• This is sometimes
referred to as trabeated.
 Origins

• Early temples had massive

pillars as architects
worried about their ability
to support the weight
Temple of Hera, Paestum above.
• Later temples appear more
elegant.

Hephaistion, Athens
Origins

• Some experts feel that the

entasis, the outward bulging
in the middle of Greek
columns, may originally have
been an imitation of the
effect of great compression in
wooden posts.
• It also serves as a kind of
correction to an optical
illusion, however.
 Entasis
• Entasis counteracts the tendency of
the eye to reach upward, forcing it
to travel up and down the shaft.
• Columns that are straight appear
thinner in the middle when seen
against light, making the supports
appear flimsy.
• The middle bulge counteracts this.
• The upper 2/3 of the shafts to the
right are tapered.
 PLAN OF THE CITADEL
1600 – 1250 BCE
ENTRANCE
TO PALACE COURT NORTH
PALACE GATE
MEGARON STAIRS TO
CISTERN
LION
GATE
GRAVE
CIRCLE

POSTERN
GATE

HOUSES

POSTERN
GATE

THIS INCOMPLETE PLAN SHOWS AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN EXCAVATED. THE FORTIFICATION WALLS EXTEND TO
PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION AT THE ‘LION GATE’ AND THE SECONDARY GATE ON THE NORTH SIDE. THE
PALACE MEGARON, ONE OF THE LARGEST ROOMS IN THE CITY IS LOCATED AT THE CENTER.
It is the famous gate of the palace at
Tiryns. It consists of four massive
stones ,one for threshold , one for
lintel , (4.87 m long and 1m high )
and two for upright columns ,
spanning 3.2 m .above the lintel is a
triangular slab carved out of a pair
of lions one on either side , facing a
central column 3m high which is
tapering downward, a peculiar
feature of Mycenaean style.

The central column is the scared

symbol of earth that is supposedly
protected by the heraldic lions
indicating the power of the rulers of
Mycenae.
THE LION GATE, MYCENAE, 1300 BCE
The triangular slab above the lintel
gave rise to the formation of The carved lion figures flank a column of the
sculptural pediment in classic tapered type seen at Knossos. The use of
guardian beasts associated with royalty links
Greek Architecture. Mycenae with both the Hittite and the Egyptian
traditions.
 Temples - Purpose
• Unlike modern churches or
mosques, Greek temples
were not meant to be
meeting places for
congregations.
• They were homes for the
community’s god or
goddess and a place to keep
offerings
• A cult image was centrally
located within a naos, or
chapel.
 Temples - Purpose

• In the mild climate of Greece, ceremonies generally took

place outdoors.
• Even the alter, upon which sacrifices were made, were
outside the temple structure.
Temple Forms
• Greek temples, like
Egyptian ones, tended to
follow set patterns, which
were regarded as ideal
forms.
• Variations are few in any
given period, tending to
reflect the choice of a
particular classical order,
rather than new and novel
design.
 The Classical Orders

• The three classical

orders are:

– Doric
– Ionic
– Corinthian
The Doric Order

• Doric columns are the

heaviest in appearance
• The capital is plain.
• The shaft is thick –
though it loses some
of its mass over time.
• There is no base.
 The Ionic Order
• These have greater
elegance.
• The capital has
distinctive volutes.
• The shaft is thinner
than its Doric
equivalent.
• A base is apparent.
The Corinthian Order

• This is also a tall,

elegant form.
• The capital has
distinctive acanthus
leaf decoration.
• A base is also
employed.
 Parts of a Greek Temple
• There are four
distinct parts to a
greek temple.
– The bottom,
horizontal part is the
steps. Most Greek
temples had three of
them.
– This part is called the
stylobate.
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.
– It has 3 parts: the
architrave, a kind of base.
– The frieze, a decorated part
– The cornice the top.
Parts of a Greek Temple
• The top section is angled
and is called the pediment.
– The sloping top part is
called the sloping cornice.
– The triangular part below
is called the tympanum.
This is often carved and
decorated.
– Sometimes there are caved
features sticking up from
the room. These are
called antifixae or
acroterions.
 Plans of Greek Temples
• The grandeur and
evident expense of a
temple can be seen in
the number of columns
employed.
• Simple tempes have
blank walls around a
naos, or chapel. With
an open area or porch in
front, called a pronaos,
with two or four
supporting columns.
Designs of Greek Temples
 Designs of Greek Temples

• Grander temples, like the

Parthenon, had both a
front and back porch, as
well as a colonnade
surrounding the entire
structure.
• This is called a peripteral
temple.

Reconstruction of the Parthenon

in Nashville.
Designs of Greek Temples
 Designs of Greek Temples

• Grander still, and

generally from
the Hellenistic
age, are dipteral
temples.
• They have a
double colonnade
surrounding Artist’s reconstruction of the Temple
them. of Artemis, Ephesus, Turkey
Designs of Greek Temples
 Important Structures – The
Acropolis
• The most
famous Greek
buildings
topped the
Athenian
Acropolis.
• These include:
the Propylaea,
the Temple of
Athena Nike,
the Parthenon,
and the
Erectheum.
The Propylaea

• This is the
monumental
entry point to
the acropolis.
 Temple of Athena Nike
• This is a small temple
dedicated to the
victorious Athena.
• The ratio of height to
diameter of the
columns is 7:1 and not
the 9:1 or 10:1
generally found in
Ionic temples.
The Parthenon
• This is the most
important and
perfectly formed
temple on the
acropolis.
• Dedicated to Athena,
it housed an enormous
cult image.
 Parthenon
• This building is the
culmination of
Classical Greek
architecture.
• Optical refinements
are many, and the
result is a building
reflecting the Greek
concept of arete,
perfection.
 The Parthenon
• One of the Parthenon’s most
impressive features was not
seen by most worshippers –
the great frieze showing the
Panathenaic Procession.
• The colour of this
reconstruction is indicative
of what much of the
structure would have looked
like before being bleached
by centuries of
Mediterranean sun.
The Erechtheum

• This is a complex building

of up to four distinct
spaces.
• It is also built on a slope,
so its walls are of differing
heights.
• It is dedicated to Athena
Polias and Poseidon
Erechtheus.
 The Erechtheum

• The most distinctive element of this building is the

Porch of the Maidens.
 Important Structures – The Great
Altar of Pergamum
• This Hellenistic
building broke
completely with
traditional style.
• The frieze was
brought down to the
level of outside
observers.
• The colonnade was
raised above it.
 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.
 The Greek Heritage

• Greek forms
have become an
integral part of
the vocabulary
of world
architecture

The Supreme Court of the United States

 THEATER,
EPIDAUROS, 350-
200BCE

THIS SHOWS THE

ROWS OF
SEATING. THE
ORIGINAL SKENE
OR BACKDROP
BUILDING SHOWN
IN THE PLAN NO
LONGER EXISTS

THE THEATRE AT EPIDAUROS IS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL PRESERVED AND

BEAUTIFULLY SITED IN THE LANDSCAPE, LOOKING OUT TO DISTANT HILLS.
TRADITION ASSIGNS ITS DESIGN TO POLYKLEITOS, ARCHITECT OF THE
THOLOS, BUT NOT ALL SCHOLARS AGREE WITH THIS ATTRIBUTION. THE
THEATER WAS BUILT IN 2 STAGES, THE LOWER 5000 SEATS IN 34 TIERS
DATING FROM 350 BCE, WHILE THE UPPER 23 TIERS BEING ADDED IN THE
SECOND STAGE.
 PLAN OF THE THEATER,
EPIDAUROS,
350 – 200 BCE

VIRTUALLY EVERY
GREEK CITY HAD ITS
OWN THEATER THAT
COULD ACCOMMODATE
A GOOD PORTION OF THE
POPULATION, AS
ATTENDING FRAMATIC
PERFORMANCES WERE
ENCOURAGED TO
PROMOTE CIVIC VALUES

5TH CENTURY ATHENIANS CONSTRUCTED THE THEATER OF DIONYSOS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF
THE ACROPOLIS HILL, USING THE RISING EMBANKMENT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR A
CONCENTRIC SEATING FOCUSED ON THE CIRCULAR ORCHESTRA, A FLAT AREA FOR DANCING.
BEHING THE ORCHESTRA WAS A BACKDROP STRUCTURE, THE SKENE, & THEY ARE DIRECTLY IN
FRONT, THE PROSKENION, WAS A RAISED PLATFORM FROM WHICH ACTORS DECLAIMED THEIR
LINES. (NOTE HOW THIS TERMINOLOGY CONTINUES TO BE USED TODAY; THE FRAMING ARCH
OVER THE STAGE OF TODAY’S THEATERS IS KNOWN AS THE PROSCENIUM, WHILE THE
ORCHESTRA SEATS ARE THOSE PLACED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE STAGE). SEVERAL DOORS
SET IN THE SKENE SERVED AS ENTRANCES & EXISTS AS NEEDED IN THE DRAMA, AND ACTORS
SPOKE LINES FROM THE GODS FROM THE ROOF OF THE BUILDINGS.
GREEK ARCHITECTURE

Q1. Describe the characteristic feature of GREEK architecture.

Q2. Explain with examples & sketches, THREE ORDERS in Greek

architecture.

Q3. Write a short note on TRABEATED ARCHITECTURE in ancient Greece.

Q4. Write short note on:

•Agora
•Stoa
•Hypostyle
•Propylon
•Acropolis at Athens
•Epidaurus – Tholos & theater