ARC 110 History of Architecture I

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ARC 110History of Architecture I

• Module 6
• Ancient Greek Architecture

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Module Outline

• Lecture 17
• Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs
• Lecture 18
• Architecture of the Civilization
• Greek Orders
• Temple Architecture
• Civic Architecture
• Lecture 19
• Greek City Planning and Design
• Greek Architecture in Athens
• Lecture 20
• Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

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Module Learning Outcomes

• What do we expect to learn from the civilization?
  
• Stone construction and decoration
• The introduction of Proportion in Architecture
• The introduction of the classical orders of
  architecture
• Greek architecture of temples and civic buildings
• Principles of Greek city Planning and Design

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Module 6 Lecture 17Ancient Greek Architecture
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Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 17
• Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs

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Historical Background
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Historical BackgroundLocation

• Greek civilization occurred in the area around
  the Greek mainland, on a peninsula that extends
  into the Mediterranean Sea
• It started in cities on the Greek mainland and on
  islands in the Aegean Sea
• Towards the later or Hellenistic period, Greek
  civilization spread to other far away places
  including Asia Minor and Northern Africa

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Historical BackgroundLocation

• Most of the Greek mainland was rocky and barren
  and therefore bad for agriculture
• Most Greeks therefore lived along the coastline
  or on islands where the soil was good for farming
  
• The Aegean and Mediterranean Seas provided a
  means of communication and trade with other
  places

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Historical Background Period

• The period of ancient Greek history can be
  divided into four as follows
• 1100 B. C. 750 B. C. Greek Dark Ages
• 750 B. C. 500 B. C. Archaic Period
• 5000 B. C. 323 B. C. Classical Period
• 323 B. C. 147 B. C. Hellenistic Period
• The classical and archaic period are sometimes
  collectively referred to as Hellenic period

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Historical Background Period

• Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)
• The Mycenaean people were Greek in Origin
• Greek civilization is therefore usually viewed as
  a continuation of the Mycenaean civilization
• The start of the Greek civilization is therefore
  dated to the end of the Mycenaean civilization in
  1100BC
• Following the decline of Mycenae, the area around
  the Greek mainland went into a period of decline
  that is referred to as the Greek Dark ages

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Historical Background Period

• Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)
• Greece became depopulated with groups of people
  moving out of mainland Greece towards the islands
  of the Aegean
• Mycenaean and Greek culture dwindled and many
  cultural elements including writing, art and
  architectural techniques were lost
• Trade with Asia Minor, the Middle East and Egypt,
  which was at the root of Cretan prosperity
  stopped entirely

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Historical Background Period

• Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)
• As Greek people migrated from the mainland, other
  people from other less prosperous mountain
  regions of the north migrated to the more fertile
  coastline regions
• They invade the Greek mainland villages and
  established their rule
• The northerners brought with them a Greek dialect
  called Dorian, as opposed to the Ionic Greek
  spoken by the main settlers
• The two dialects and cultures later mixed
  together to create a Hellenic culture, which is
  at the root of ancient Greek civilization

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Historical Background Period

• Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)
• These two dialects became equated with
  characteristic architectural forms that evolved
  in them
• In the period following the invasion by the
  Dorians, there was a shift in lifestyle that
  produced a sedentary agricultural lifestyle and
  society.
• Sedentary lifestyle allowed the Greeks to
  rediscover urbanized culture that ultimately led
  to evolution of classical Greek culture

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Historical Background Period

• Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)
• The revival of Greece from the dark ages started
  during the eight century BC
• The Greeks developed a new political form called
  city states
• City states are cities which are ruled as
  independent nations
• The archaic period saw the renewal interest in
  overseas trading contact

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Historical Background Period

• Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)
• Greek societies that were engaged in trade became
  rich and by joining with other their neighbors,
  sometimes forcefully, formed large states
• The polis or city state emerged as the natural
  and desirable political entity
• Early examples of these city states include
  Athens, Corinth, Argos, and Sparta on the
  mainland, and in the Eastern Aegean, Samos,
  Chios, Smyrna, Ephesus and Miletus

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Historical Background Period

• Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)
• The archaic period marked the rise of the
  aristocratic families families that are
  considered noble or of higher status
• The archaic period was dominated politically by
  the leading aristocratic families in each city
  state acting in concert or squabbling amongst
  themselves for supremacy
• At times individual aristocrats were able to take
  advantage of popular dissatisfaction to seize
  authoritarian power
• Such rulers were called tyrants

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Historical Background Period

• Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)
• Such tyrants stimulated the development of the
  arts through their patronage
• The archaic period marked the beginnings of Greek
  monumental stone sculpture and architecture
• Around 546 BC, the rising Persian Empire
  conquered some Greek city states
• The rising threat of the Persian Empire marked
  the end of the Greek archaic period and of
  classical Greek culture

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Historical Background Period

• Classical period (500 - 323 BC)
• The Classical period of ancient Greek history
  occurred between 500 BC, and 323 BC.
• The period started with the Greek city states
  coming into conflict with the rising Persian
  Empire
• The free Greek cities saw the threat that was
  developing from the Persian Empire and prepared
  for resistance
• A seaborne expedition by the Persians to Athens
  was defeated at Marathon in 490 BC

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Historical Background Period

• Classical period (500 - 323 BC)
• Under the Persian King Xerxes, Persia attempted a
  retribution in 479 BC and was defeated by an
  alliance of the Greek states headed by Sparta
• The Greek alliance soon transformed into an
  Empire under the leadership of Athens
• Pericles, the ruler of Athens between 444 and 429
  BC became a driving force for the development of
  temple architecture
• Pericles used the defense revenue from the
  alliance for temple building in Athens to thank
  the Gods

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Historical Background Period

• Classical period (500 - 323 BC)
• Athens reached its greatest political and
  cultural heights during the classical period
• The full development of the democratic system of
  government occurred under Pericles
• The Parthenon on the Acropolis at Athens was
  built
• Philosophical schools such as those of Socrates
  and Plato were founded
• Between 431 and 404, Athens entered into a series
  of wars with Sparta which left it in ruins
• The fall of Athens gradually led to political
  chaos in the whole of Greece
• The 4th century saw the rise of Macedonia as a
  power in the region

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Historical Background Period

• Classical period (500 - 323 BC)
• The Macedonian king, Philip rapidly extended
  Macedonian power and wealth
• In 338 BC, he defeated a coalition of the major
  Greek Cities including Athens and Thebes, and
  created a federation of all Greeks with him as
  the leader
• He proposed a crusade against the Persians but
  was assassinated before undertaking it

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Historical Background Period

• Classical period (500 - 323 BC)
• His son Alexander undertook the crusade and
  established himself as the ruler of the former
  Persian empire
• Alexander undertook a lot of military campaigns
  to extend the Greek empire and founded many new
  cities such as Alexandria in Egypt
• He died in 323 BC without a heir to inherit him
• The Death of Alexander marked the end of the
  classical period of Greece civilization

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Historical Background Period

• Hellenistic period (323 - 147 BC)
• The Hellenistic period of ancient Greek
  civilization started with the death of Alexander
  in 323 BC
• When Alexander died, he did not have a heir to
  inherit him
• The Greek empire split into smaller states with
  Alexanders generals as their rulers

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Historical Background Period

• Hellenistic period (323 - 147 BC)
• The period saw the transplanting of Greek art,
  civic life and culture to newly conquered areas
• The period also saw a marked increase in interest
  in civic buildings
• The Hellenistic period ended in 147 BC, when the
  Roman Empire conquered Greece and incorporated
  the city states into it

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Introduction
• Greek civilization is the first major
  civilization in Europe
• Greek civilization along with the Roman
  civilization are said to be at the root of
  current western civilization
• They two are referred to as classical cultures
  because of their recognition as the root of
  western civilization
• Greek and Roman architecture are also referred to
  as classical architecture
• Greek civilization started with the mingling of
  two Greek cultures, the Dorian and the Ionian to
  create a single Hellenic culture
• The two developed a sedentary agricultural and
  commercial society that ultimately gave birth to
  the concept of the city state

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Societal Organization- The city state
• The ancient Greeks lived in self governing
  city-states called "polis."
• The city-states were small, independent
  communities which were male-dominated and bound
  together by race.
• The ancient Greek world was made up of hundreds
  of these independent city states
• The polis started as a defensible area to which
  farmers of an area could retreat in the event of
  an attack as in the Mycenaean citadels
• Over time, towns grew around these defensible
  areas.

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Societal Organization- The city state
• Every polis was different from another, even
  though there were similarities between them
• They were all bounded by common language and
  religious beliefs
• They all made efforts to preserve their own
  unique identity, and each city state believed
  that their state was better than all the other
  states
• The city states often fought with one another.
• The city state of Athens on the Greek mainland
  was among the most famous and powerful of the
  city states

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Societal Organization- The city state
• It was a major center for learning and the arts.
• When city-states were first formed, they were
  ruled by a few wealthy men.
• However, they gradually moved towards democracy.
• Athens developed an early form of democracy
• How did they make laws? Only men who were born in
  Athens were allowed to vote.
• They did this at public assemblies where upper
  class citizens discussed and adopted laws that
  might benefit Athens.

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Social Organization And Responsibility
• The scale of the polis was small.
• The philosophers Aristotle and Plato believed
  that the polis should be of a small size, so that
  members know each other personally
• The ideal size of a city state was fixed at 5040
  males by Plato
• Citizens in any polis were related by blood and
  so family ties were very strong.
• Membership of the polis was hereditary and could
  not be passed to persons outside the family

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Social Organization And Responsibility
• The society of the polis had a social hierarchy
  with citizens at the top, followed by people who
  are not citizens and finally slaves
• Public life was for male citizens while women
  were secluded in the house
• Greek citizens did not have rights but duties
• All citizens were directly involved in politics,
  justice, military service, religious ceremonies,
  intellectual discussion, athletics and artistic
  pursuits.
• It was not acceptable for Greek citizens to
  refuse to carryout their responsibilities

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Religious Belief
• The ancient Greeks were polytheistic, believing
  in many different gods and goddesses
• The God were regarded as all powerful but similar
  to human beings in their passions, desires and
  appetite
• All aspect of life was under the protection of
  the gods, and they controlled everything, from
  the waves in the ocean to the winner of a race.
• All the gods and goddesses had specific roles,
  controlling one or two major aspects of life
• Zeus was, for example, the supreme leader of the
  gods, Hermes was the messenger of the gods, and
  Poseidon was the god of the sea

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Religious Belief
• The essential concept in religious practice was
  that of contract, of obligation and the paying of
  obligation
• Humans call on the gods for protection and make
  offerings to the gods to secure this
• Ancient Greeks believed that religion would make
  their lives better while they were living.
• They also believed that the gods would take care
  of them when they died.
• Religious belief was constantly changing and
  developing as new cults were introduced from time
  to time

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Place of Worship
• Temples were the focus of Greek religious
  worships
• Temples were usually built in the cities of the
  Gods called Acropolis
• Temples were built in every town and city for one
  or more god or goddess
• The temples were considered as offerings to the
  gods
• Each community was therefore under pressure to
  make them beautiful as possible

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Place of Worship
• The temples were also considered as the house of
  the gods
• They were not designed for functional use
• They usually consist of a large open hall called
  sanctuary where the statue of the god to whom it
  is dedicated is kept
• The temples were the places for routine festivals
  to the gods
• The festivals included plays, music, dancing, and
  then a parade to the temple where they made
  sacrifices and had a feast.
• Animals were usually sacrificed as a gift to the
  gods

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Architecture in service of religion
• Architecture in Greece Started in the Service of
  Religions
• Temples were the abode of gods
• The Greeks regarded beauty as an attribute of the
  gods and the conscious pursuit of beauty as a
  religious exercise.
• The most important task for architects was how to
  make the temple beautiful
• The search for ways to express architectural
  beauty made the Greek civilization among the
  first to have established ideals of beauty

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Architecture in service of religion
• The Greeks convinced themselves that the secrets
  of beauty lie in proportions
• Man was viewed by the Greeks as having the most
  ideal proportions and is the measure of all
  things
• Greek developed a system of building proportion
  that reflected those of the human body
• With time, they refined their system of building
  proportion, and developed the classical Greek
  orders which we will soon explore

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Architecture in service of religion
• The principal building material of the ancient
  Greeks was stone
• Clay and timber were also used
• Timber was used mostly for roofing and its
  scarcity coupled with limitations in its length
  imposed restrictions on the width of buildings
• Temples were the main building type and it was
  used as a decoration element by every city

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Architecture in service of religion
• Greek society also made buildings other than
  temples
• These evolved in response to changes in need with
  time
• The most common buildings are amphitheaters,
  council halls, public fountains and theatres,
  gymnasia, schools and libraries, public baths and
  lavatories
• As these civic buildings emerge, treatment once
  reserved for temple was extended to them even
  though on a less grander scale than in the temples

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Architecture in service of religion
• Greek construction was of a simple post and
  lintel or trabeated construction
• Their ground plans were always very simple,
  usually rectangular
• With a combination of simple ground plans and
  trabeated construction, they were able to create
  amazing buildings
• Buildings were constructed by skilled craftsmen
  who were in demand and traveled from one state to
  the other for construction work
• Designs were done on the ground by measuring out
  the foundation

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Architecture in service of religion
• Blocks of stone were ordered from the quarry
• Blocks were given initial preparation on the
  building site
• Blocks were large and retained in position by
  their own weight it was not necessary to fix
  them together in any way
• Roofs were of wood beams and rafters cut to
  square shapes with tile roof
• Carvings and other decorative work were finished
  when the building is completed

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Other Activities and Achievements
• Greek society contributed to the earliest
  development of science and scientific inquiry
• Greeks attempted to explain the world through the
  laws of nature.
• Greeks found out that the earth was round and A
  Greek person is credited as being the first to
  measure the circumference of the Earth
• The Greeks also made significant contributions to
  the arts, particularly in sculpture and painting

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Other Activities and Achievements
• They wrote many stories and plays that continue
  to be performed today.
• The ancient Greeks were huge sports fans and
  sports was considered a part of religion
• Every four years, the Greeks held the Olympic
  Games in the stadium at Olympia.
• The best athletes in Greece competed in different
  events
• Because the games were religious, anyone who was
  caught cheating during the games was never
  allowed to compete again

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End of Lecture
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Module 6 Lecture 18Ancient Greek Architecture
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Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 18
• Architecture of the Civilization
• Greek Orders
• Temple Architecture
• Civic Architecture

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Architecture of the Civilization
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The Orders Introduction

• Refer to the entire set of form that makes up the
  principal elevation of a temple.
• Composed of a base, an upright column or support
  with its capital, and the horizontal entablature.
  
• All the parts of an order are proportionally
  derived from the size of the base of the column.
• It determines all aspects of the elevation of a
  building including its shape and the arrangement
  and proportion of its parts

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The Orders Introduction

• Greeks are credited with originating the three
  orders of the classical language of architecture,
  Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
• Columns were understood by the Greeks to be
  anthropomorphic or representative of the body of
  a human
• The base suggests the feet, the shaft the torso
  and the capital the head.

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The Orders Introduction

• Each order had its own conventions about the
  design of the entablature
• The entablature is divided into three sections
  the cornices, the frieze and the architrave
• According the rules of classical architecture,
  the entablature should always be divisible into
  these three zones

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The Orders Doric Order

• The Doric order was the earliest to be developed
• By the 6th century, a set of universal
  proportions for the Doric temple had been
  developed.
• The Doric order is made up of three elements
  stylobate, Column and entablature
• The stylobate is a podium raised three steps on
  which the temple sits
• The Doric column is further divided into the
  shaft and a square capital

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The Orders Doric Order

• It had a height of between 5 and 6 times its
  diameter.
• The shaft is tapered and made to bulge slightly
  to provide correction for optical illusion.
• The shaft is usually divided into 20 shallow
  flutes.
• The entablature is divided into an architrave, a
  frieze and the cornice.
• The Doric column represents the proportions of a
  mans body, its strength and beauty.

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Doric Order Entasis

• A characteristic of the Doric order is the use of
  entasis
• Entasis refers to the practice of optical
  correction in Greek Doric 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

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Doric Order Entasis

• 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
• The application of entasis is an expression of
  the desire for perfection by Greek architects
• The best example of the application of entasis is
  found in the Parthenon

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The Orders Ionic Order

• The Ionic order evolved and took its name from
  Ionia in modern day Turkey
• The ionic column including the capital and base
  had a height of 9 to 10times its diameter
• It had 24 flutes, which is more than that of the
  Doric column, even though it is smaller in
  diameter.
• The flutes were rounded at the top and bottom.

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The Orders Ionic Order

• The Ionic order had a capital developed from a
  pair of volute about two-thirds the diameter of
  the column in height
• Ornaments are used to decorate the area between
  the capital and the volute
• The Ionic column has a base
• One of the limitations of the Ionic order is that
  it is designed to be seen from the front only

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The Orders Ionic Order

• At the corner of rectangular buildings, an
  angular volute had to be used.
• Entasis was not applied to the ionic column
• The Ionic column is said to represent the shape
  of a women with its delicacy and feminine
  slenderness.

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The Orders Corinthian Order

• The Corinthian order takes its name from the city
  of Corinth in Greece
• It however appeared to have been developed in
  Athens in the 5th century BC
• This order is similar in its proportions to the
  Ionic order but has a different capital
• The core of the capital is shaped like an
  inverted bel.
• The bell-like capital is decorated with rows of
  carved acanthus leaves

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The Orders Corinthian Order

• The rich decorative effect of the Corinthian
  capital made it attractive.
• Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian capital
  unlike the ionic capital is designed to be seen
  from all directions
• The Corinthian column, the most beautifully
  ornate of the three orders represents the figure
  of a maiden
• This order was not extensively used during the
  Greek period
• It became popular during the ancient Roman period

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The Orders Column Construction

• Do you wonder how the columns of the Greek orders
  were constructed?
• Each column was made up of several drums of
  marble
• They were held together by a stone peg in the
  center
• The stones were assembled and put together in
  their rough form

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The Orders Column Construction

• The capital was also carved out
• After they were put together, the grooves called
  flutes were cut up and down the shaft of the
  column and all around it
• This gave the column its slim and elegant look

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Temple Architecture Introduction

• The most important Greek building was the temple
• The temple had the finest building materials and
  the richest decoration.
• It was also the most complex of architectural
  form.
• It was designed not to hold worshippers, but as
  symbolic dwelling of the gods
• The temple is usually rectangular in plan
• It is lifted on a podium, and in plan has
  colonnades on all its external sides

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Temple Architecture Introduction

• The number of columns is always even to allow the
  location of the entrance in the center temples
  with odd number of columns are uncommon
• Temples with 2 columns in front are diastyle,
  4-tetrastyle, 6-hexastyle, 8-octastyle and
  10-decastyle
• Greek temples usually have twice the number of
  columns in front plus one by the side A
  hexastyle temple six columns in front thirteen
  on side

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Temple Architecture Introduction

• Colonnades define a portico around the temple
• The temple building is made up of four walls
  enclosing a rectangular space called the naos or
  sanctuary
• This was the house of the god to whom the temple
  is dedicated
• The interior rectangular space of the naos is
  framed by a pair of colonnades on the long side
  creating a central processional space
• At the head of the processional space is the
  statue of the god to whom the temple is dedicated
• The temple interior was generally dark, with only
  the entrance as a source of light

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Temple Architecture Introduction

• The temple always faced east so that the rising
  sun would light the statues inside
• Temples were designed to be admired from the
  outside rather than used
• The Greek temple is believed to originate from
  the Mycenaean megaron
• From the megaron, it went through several stages
  of evolution as shown in the diagram
• By 500 BC, the final form of the Greek temple had
  emerged

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Temple Architecture Doric Temple

• The Doric temple is based on the Doric order
• Both the Doric order and temple went through a
  simultaneous process of evolution
• The Basilica at Paestum 550 BC is an example of
  early Doric temple
• It was built during the archaic period of Greek
  civilization

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Temple Architecture Doric Temple

• The columns on the front are 9, while on the
  sides they are 18
• The Doric columns appear heavy in comparison with
  later temples
• The columns have a bulge, pointing to the
  practice of optical correction or entasis by the
  time of its construction
• The capitals are also huge, heavy and very wide

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Doric Temple Temple of Aphaia at Aegina

• The Temple of Aphaia at Aegina 490 BC is a later
  temple than the Basilica at Paestum
• Temple of Aphaia is much less heavy than Paestum
• The entablature is less thick
• The columns are slimmer with less entasis or
  bulge
• The capitals are also smaller

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Doric Temple Temple of Aphaia at Aegina

• This temple is hexastyle but has only 12 flanking
  columns- early temple
• The interior columns are divided into a row of
  two columns separated by an architrave
• This allowed the designers to avoid using columns
  with a large diameter
• The temple has triangular pediment on n the
  Eastern and Western sides decorated with stories
  from Greek myths

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Doric Temples Temple of Hera Argiva at Paestum

• The Temple of Hera Argiva (or Neptune) at Paestum
  460 BC was built later than the Temple of Aphaia
• It is one of the best preserved of all Greek
  temples
• It is more mature in its proportions than all the
  others examined
• The columns are 8.8 meters high and about 4.3
  times their lower diameter

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Doric Temples Temple of Hera Argiva at Paestum

• The temple is hexastyle but with 24 columns on
  its flank
• It also has a double row of columns in the
  interior, and divided into two separated by a
  stone architrave
• The most perfect of the Doric temples is the
  Parthenon We will examine this temple later

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Ionic Temples Introduction

• Ionic temples were built using the Ionic order
• The most famous of the Ionic temples is the
  temple of Artemis at Ephesus
• It was considered one of the seven wonders of the
  ancient World
• It was commissioned by Alexander the Great and
  was believed to have been built and destroyed
  several times
• Unfortunately the temple has not survived to the
  present time

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Ionic Temples Introduction

• There are also uncertainties about its
  arrangement in plan
• The temple stands on a platform 2.7 meters high
• It had 36 columns in its front and they had an
  additional relief sculpture at the base
• The best surviving Ionic temples is the Temple of
  Athena located at the Acropolis at Athens

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Corinthian Temples Introduction

• The Corinthian order was not widely used during
  the Greek period
• Earliest known example is inside the 5th century
  Temple of Apollo at Bassae.
• The temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens was in the
  Corinthian order
• The column was constructed in 131 A.D. well after
  the Roman conquest of Greece
• The Corinthian order became very popular during
  the Roman period.

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Civic Architecture Introduction

• During the Hellenistic period Greeks became very
  fascinated by civic buildings
• Treatments once reserved for temples and the
  gods, were gradually extended to civic and
  government buildings.
• The Agora or market place also became very
  important in Greek cities.
• The theater and council chamber are examples of
  civic buildings found in every Greek city

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Civic Architecture Theaters Theater Epidarus

• The Greeks invented the theater design that is
  still used in movies and auditoriums today
• Every important Greek city had a theater
• Their theater was built into a hilly landscape
• The theater had a bank of seats steps created
  from the landscape

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Civic Architecture Theaters Theater Epidarus

• The theater had a bank of seats steps created
  from the landscape
• It would usually commands a view to the landscape
• The image shown is of theater Epidaurus
• This was the largest theater in ancient Greece
• It is still in use today

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Civic Architecture Council Chamber
Bouleterion, Miletus

• The Bouleterion is where the Boule or council of
  the city state met
• It was a covered chamber fitted with banks of
  seats like a theater
• The example shown is from the city of Miletus
• Similar buildings were found in every Greek or
  Hellenistic city

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End of Lecture
79
Module 6 Lecture 19Ancient Greek Architecture
80
Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 19
• Greek City Planning and Design
• Greek Architecture in Athens

81
Greek City Planning and Design
82
Greek City Planning and Design Planning and
Design Principles

• The ancient Greek civilization had established
  principles for planning and designing cities
• City form were of two types
• Old cities such as Athens had irregular street
  plans reflecting their gradual organic
  development
• New cities, especially colonial cities
  established during the Hellenistic period, had a
  grid-iron street plan
• Certain things were common among cities

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Greek City Planning and Design Planning and
Design Principles

• Towns had fixed boundaries and some were
  protected by fortifications
• Much of the town was devoted to public use
• The Greek City was usually divided into three
  parts the acropolis, the agora and the town.
• Site planning and design was centered on the
  appreciation of buildings from the outside.
• The location of buildings was therefore such that
  it could command a good view to it.

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Greek City Planning and DesignThe Acropolis

• 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

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Greek City Planning and DesignThe Agora

• 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

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Greek City Planning and DesignThe Town

• The town was where the people lived
• This was the domain of women, who did not have
  any public role
• Early Greek towns had an irregular street
  pattern, resulting from its organic growth
• Later Hellenistic towns such as Prienne had a
  formal rectilinear pattern
• The town was made up of only residential houses

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Greek City Planning and DesignThe Town

• Houses were usually constructed of mud bricks
• Houses were of the courtyard type, with rooms
  arranged around a courtyard
• Houses vary according to standing in the society
• Houses of poor people were very simple compared
  to the house of the rich, which had more rooms
  and better finishing

88
Greek Architecture in AthensArchitecture,
Planning Design

• Athens is a very good example of a typical
  ancient Greek city
• The city has the three components of acropolis,
  agora and town found in a Greek city
• The Acropolis and Agora in Athens also have some
  of the best examples of ancient Greek
  architecture
• We will examine the Acropolis and Agora in Athens
  to understand Greek architecture, planning and
  city design.

89
Greek Architecture in AthensThe Acropolis in
Athens

• 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

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Greek Architecture in AthensThe Acropolis in
Athens

• 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.

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Greek Architecture in Athens Acropolis Athens

• The best example of Greek emphasis on
  visualization in design and site planning is seen
  at the Acropolis at Athens
• All the buildings on the Acropolis are designed
  to be seen than use
• All the temples on the Acropolis are place 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

92
Greek Architecture in Athens Acropolis Athens

• 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

93
Greek Architecture in Athens Propylae

• The propylae is the entrance to the Acropolis
• It was built around 437 B.C by Mnesicles
• The image highlights what is currently left of
  the propylae
• To reach the acropolis, people had to enter
  through the center section of the propylae
• The two wings on either side were never finished
• The columns on the outside of the propylae were
  Doric
• The columns in the interior were however Ionic

94
Greek Architecture in Athens Propylae

• Explanation for this is found in the proportions
  of the Doric and Ionic columns
• If the Doric order were used in the interior, the
  height of the roof would make its diameter very
  large
• To overcome this difficult, the designers used
  the Ionic column which is much slender than the
  Doric column
• Inside the propylae was a library and picture
  gallery with a place for people to read and rest
• In times of peace, the gates of the propylae were
  usually left wide open
• When an enemy threatened, the wooden doors of the
  propylae were closed and there was no other
  access to the acropolis

95
Greek Architecture in Athens The Parthenon

• The Parthenon was the most prominent building on
  the Athenian Acropolis
• It was designed by Ictinus and Callicrates in 447
  BC
• The Parthenon is the most perfect Doric temple
  ever built.
• It was lighter and more graceful than previous
  temples

96
Greek Architecture in Athens The Parthenon

• It also embodies the perfection of the Greek
  system of proportioning
• The proportions of the Parthenon are based on the
  proportions of a man, which is seven to one
• The ideal human body was seven heads tall

97
Greek Architecture in Athens The Parthenon

• The Parthenon is an octastyle temple with 8
  columns in front and 17 columns by its side
• In the Parthenon we also find the best example of
  the application of entasis
• The Parthenon had two rooms in plan the
  treasury, which is most often empty and the naos
  or inner sanctuary
• An ivory gold statue of Athena, 11 meters tall
  carved by Phidas once stood in the noas or inner
  sanctuary of the Parthenon

98
Greek Architecture in Athens The Parthenon

• The statue reached the wooden roof of the temple
• Parts of the inside and outside of the Parthenon
  were once painted
• The inside of the temple was often not used
• Processions and ceremonies were held outside
• The temples alter was placed on the Eastern side
• During the Christian period, the Parthenon was
  used as a church

99
Greek Architecture in Athens The Parthenon

• Later the Turks converted it into a Mosque
• In 1687, the Turks used it to store ammunition
  and when they were attacked by the Venetians, it
  exploded
• The images shows what remains of it
• In 1801 An English man gathered the broken pieces
  and shipped them to the British museum in England

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Greek Architecture in Athens The Erectheum

• The erechtheum is located at the point of a
  mythical fight between Poseidon and Athena for
  the possession of Athens
• Athena is believed to have won the fight and so
  Athens was named after her
• The erechtheum was named after Erechtheus, the
  legendary king of Athens, whose mother was the
  goddess of the earth and whose father was the
  fire god

101
Greek Architecture in Athens The Erectheum

• He was brought up by Athena and is believed to
  have judged the fight between Poseidon and Athena
• The shape of the erechtheum is not a perfect
  rectangular and it does not have a colonnade
  surrounding it

102
Greek Architecture in Athens The Erectheum

• Two porches spring out from the core rectangle of
  the temple at different levels
• A small porch faces the Parthenon
• This has columns in the shape of a woman called
  caryatid
• The caryatids are linked to a historical story
• The caryatids are a people who lived in Asia
  minor
• They were believed to have fought with the
  Persians against the Greeks
• When the Greeks won, they destroyed the cities of
  the caryatids

103
Greek Architecture in Athens The Erectheum

• They killed all the men and brought back the
  women as slaves
• For revenge the Greeks copied the Caryatid slave
  women in stone and forced them to carry the roof
  the Erechtheum for all time
• The weight of the roof is carried from the top of
  the head of the caryatid through their leg
• A larger porch on the northern side has ionic
  columns
• The ionic columns have all the characteristics of
  the Ionic order

104
Greek Architecture in Athens Temple of Nike

• Just beside the propylae is the Temple of Athena
  Nike, meaning victorious Athena
• It was built around 420 BC and was designed by
  Callicrates during the Peloponnesian wars
• The Athenians worshipped Athena Nike in the hope
  of victory

105
Greek Architecture in Athens Temple of Nike

• This is an ionic temple
• It had a pediment that no longer exist
• The temple has an entrance of four ionic columns
  on two sides
• The temple looks the same from the front and back

106
Greek Architecture in Athens The Agora

• 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

107
Greek Architecture in Athens The Agora

• 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

108
Greek Architecture in Athens Introduction

• The Agora at Athens contains other administrative
  buildings
• There was the bouleterion for the meeting of the
  council
• There was also a tholos, a circular building
  where the standing committee of the council when
  in office dined at state expense
• There were also two buildings for the meeting of
  the jury court.

109
Greek Architecture in Athens Introduction

• And a shrine where the remains of Alexander was
  buried
• The central area of the Agora was free of
  building
• This image shows a reconstruction of how social
  life may have taken place in the Agora
• People would be in the space of the Agora
  carrying out all sorts of activities with the
  Acropolis prominent in the background and the
  gods hopefully looking after them

110
End of Lecture
111
Module 6 Lecture 20Ancient Greek Architecture
112
Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 20
• Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

113
Architectural Characteristics
114
Buildings Other Arch Elements
115
Buildings Other Arch. Elements Building Types

• The major architectural element of the Greek
  civilization is the order and their principal
  building type is the temple
• Greek buildings also feature civic buildings such
  as theater, council chamber, stoa, etc
• Greeks invented the classical orders of
  architecture
• Their invention of the orders was a result of the
  search for rational methods of expressing beauty
• The orders embody a system of proportion that
  determines how the whole building looks
• An order consist of a column shaft with its base
  and capital, and an entablature
• All its dimensions were derived from the diameter
  of the column
• The entablature is further divided into
  architrave, frieze and cornice

116
Buildings Other Arch. Elements Building Types

• Three orders of architecture were invented by
  Greeks Doric, Ionic and Corinthian
• Doric was the earliest and has a square capital
  and the stoutest proportion, resembling the power
  of a man
• Ionic was taller in its proportion, has a volute
  capital and resembles the proportion of a maiden
• Corinthian has the same characteristics with the
  Ionic except that its capital is decorated with
  the Acanthus leaf
• Temples were the principal building types of the
  Greeks
• Temples were considered as house of the Gods and
  efforts to beautify them pushed architectural
  development

117
Buildings Other Arch. Elements Building Types

• Temples were design to be seen and appreciated
  rather than used
• The evolution of the orders led to standard
  temple forms based on them
• Towards the later part of the Greek civilization,
  there was also a focus on civic construction
• The Greeks needed civic buildings to support
  their democratic institutions and also satisfy
  their social and recreational needs
• Council chambers, theaters, Stoas, were among the
  civic buildings that became popular with the city
  states

118
Materials, Const. Tech.
119
Materials, Construction Tech. Materials

• Examination of Greek architecture points to three
  common materials of construction
• These are Stone, timber and clay
• Stone was the most common construction material
  for buildings
• Greece had an abundant supply of stone,
  particularly marble
• Stone was used for all types of temple and civic
  construction
• It was used for all type of building elements
• The characteristic grey color of the stone of the
  area is also what gives most ancient Greek
  buildings their characteristics color

120
Materials, Construction Tech. Materials

• Timber was used mainly for roofing
• It was a very scarce commodity and it also had
  limited length
• This limited its use
• The limitation in length meant that the width of
  buildings was restricted and only very important
  buildings such as the Parthenon could go beyond a
  certain width
• We did not examine Houses but clay was used
  mostly in housing construction
• Clay was made into sun dried blocks for use in
  construction

121
Materials, Construction Tech. Construction
and Technology

• The principal Building Material of ancient Greece
  was stone
• The principal construction system was trabeated
  or column and beam construction
• Combined, the two were used for temples and civic
  buildings
• Construction technology involves ordering stones
  in semi-prepared state from quarries,
• On site, they were roughly shaped and placed in
  position on the building
• Elements placed in position would be been sized
  to the right proportion

122
Materials, Construction Tech. Construction
and Technology

• Building blocks were not bonded, but are rather
  held in position by their weight
• Then the rough stones were finished to achieve
  the final form and treatment of the building
• Finishing enables the builders to create
  buildings of a particular order
• It is in finishing that the Greeks showed their
  mastery of construction
• Finishing work involved creating the fluting,
  base and capital decoration on columns
• The Frieze and cornices of buildings were also
  decorated with appropriate relief carving

123
Materials, Construction Tech. Construction
and Technology

• Pediments were also finished with relief
  carvings, which in temples depict stories of the
  gods
• Full statues of gods were also carved and placed
  on strategic places on the outside of the temple
  and also as the major element in the interior
• The Greeks essentially formalized architectural
  sculpture and decoration
• They were able to effectively translate their
  ideas of beauty into tangible buildings
• Ancient Greeks did not make significant
  contributions in the aspect of building
  technologies

124
Principles of Arch. Organization
125
Principles of Arch. Organization Principles

• It is possible to understand forces and
  principles shaping Greek architecture by
  examining the following issues
• The role of religion in architectural development
• Ideas about architectural aesthetics
• Principles of architectural organization
• Principles of city planning and urban design

126
Principles of Arch. Organization The Role of
Religion in Arch. Dev.

• Religion played a significant role in the
  development of Greek architecture
• Architecture started in the service of religion
• The important question for Greek architects was
  the right form of the temple
• Temples were the house of the Gods
• The duty of the architect was to make them
  beautiful
• The search for how to make the temple beautiful
  resulted in the establishment of Greek ideals of
  beauty
• Greek ideals of beauty was rooted in mathematical
  proportions

127
Principles of Arch. Organization Ideas about
Architectural Aesthetics

• The Greeks believed that mathematical proportion
  is at the root of beauty
• They also believed that the human body has the
  best of proportions
• Greeks also valued harmony, balance and symmetry
  in design
• Greeks developed principles based on their
  believes about aesthetics
• These principles were refined over time as they
  are applied in building
• With time they developed into a standard that is
  widely applied

128
Principles of Arch. Organization Ideas about
Architectural Aesthetics

• Builders exerted great effort in ensuring that
  buildings were created to meet the aesthetic
  ideals of the society
• The Greeks in essence became the first society to
  have well established ideas about architectural
  aesthetics with principles for their translation
  into physical design

129
Principles of Arch. Organization Principles of
Organization

• The Greek ideals of mathematical proportion was
  applied in architecture through the use of the
  orders
• The orders provide a means to codify mathematical
  proportioning, by linking all the elements of the
  building with the diameter of the column
• The orders were also viewed as anthropomorphic,
  representing the human body

130
Principles of Arch. Organization Principles of
Organization

• The Doric represents a man and the Ionic and
  Corinthian represent a woman
• The use of the orders also provided a means for
  the Greeks to design buildings to meet their
  ideals of harmony, balance and symmetry
• The use of optical correction, entasis, is a
  pointer to the desire of the Greeks to achieve
  their ideals of beauty in architecture

131
Principles of Arch. Organization Principles of
City Planning Design

• Ancient Greeks not only develop ideals of
  architectural aesthetics, but they also developed
  principles for the design and planning of cities
  as location for architecture
• The ancient Greek city states developed a
  standard plan of the city
• The city consisted of three defined elements the
  town, acropolis and Agora
• Principles were developed for organizing each
  element of the city based on activities and its
  symbolism
• The town was a place to retire for the day
• It was composed of simple courtyard houses
  separated by streets
• It could either be organic or grid-iron

132
Principles of Arch. Organization Principles of
City Planning Design

• The Acropolis was the city of the gods
• This is where buildings reflecting the highest
  ideals of beauty were placed to be seen rather
  than used
• The principle of its design is that of isolated
  objects arranged in open space
• The objects are arranged to be seen in
  three-dimension
• The Agora was a mundane place for social,
  commercial and political activities
• The principle of its design centers on creating
  boundaries to contain space for activities
• In practice, stoas and other civic buildings are
  used to loosely define the space
• These are usually treated with continuous
  colonnades or porticoes along the side of the
  court with occasional penetrations by footpaths

133
End of Module 5