Greek ArchitectureGreek Architecture

Origins

• Our word “architecture” comes from the Greek architecton, which means “master carpenter.”

• Early Greek architecture therefore used 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, however.

Origins

Origins• In moving from wood to stone,

builders had to adapt to the differing properties of their building materials.

• Stone has greater resistance strength than wood, but it lacks flexibility strength (resistance to bending or twisting).

• Therefore, columns of stone had to be thick enough to resist snapping or bending under pressure.

Origins

• Greek temples, like Egyptian temples, used basic post-and-beam construction.

Origins

• Early temples had massive pillars as architects worried about their ability to support the weight above.

• Later temples appear more elegant.

Temple of Hera, Paestum

Hephaistion, Athens

Temples - Purpose• Unlike modern churches or

mosques, Greek temples were not meant to be meeting places for religious gatherings.

• They were homes for the community’s god or goddess and a place to keep offerings.

• A image or statue was usually located in the middle of the naos, or chapel.

Temples - Purpose

• In the mild climate of Greece, ceremonies generally took place outdoors.

• Even the altar, upon which sacrifices were made, was outside the temple structure.

Temple Forms• Greek temples, like

Egyptian ones, tended to follow set patterns.

• Variations are few and

usually reflect one of the classical orders, 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, or top of the column is plain.

• The shaft is thick – though it loses some of its mass over time.

• There is no base.

The Ionic Order

• This order has greater elegance.

• The capital has distinctive volutes, or curled scroll designs.

• The column is thinner than in the Doric order.

• There is a base.

The Corinthian Order

• This is also a tall, elegant form.

• The capital has distinctive acanthus leaf decoration.

• It has a base.

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.

Parts of a Greek Temple

PEDIMENT:Depicted scenes related to the god/goddess of that temple.

Plans of Greek Temples• The greatness and value

of a temple can be seen in the number of columns it has.

• Simple temples have blank walls around a naos, or chapel. With an open area or porch in front with two or four supporting columns.

Designs of Greek Temples

Designs of Greek Temples

• Grander temples, like the Parthenon, had columns surrounding the entire structure.

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 an inner and outer row of columns surrounding them.

Artist’s reconstruction of the Temple of Artemis, Ephesus, Turkey

Designs of Greek Temples

Important Structures – The Acropolis

• The most famous Greek buildings topped the Athenian Acropolis.

Greek Homes

The homes of the farmers and laborers were usually small and made of mud-brick.

The middle and upper class Greeks lived in houses very similar to modern houses today.

Andron =

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Gynaeceum =

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What social class do you think is represented by this picture?

Other architectural features…

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