Greek Architecture

Kevin J. Benoy
 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,
however.
 Origins

• The trigyph, which alternates with the

metapes, began as wooden beam ends.
 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
Temple of Hera, Paestum support the weight
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.
 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.
Click here to see a NOVA video clip on the Parthenon’s optical refinements.
 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

Finis