GREEK

ARCHITECTUR
E

Module 3
CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE OF ANCIENT GREECE (AEGEAN CULTURE): Hellenic &
Hellenistic period, factors influencing Greek Architecture, Orders in Greek Architecture,
optical correction. (Structures – Parthenon, Theatre, Agora, Stoas, settlements – Athens
& Acropolis of Athens and Delphi)
 HELLENIC AND

HELLENISTIC
The shift from Hellenic to Hellenistic represents the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic
Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of
whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance of the city-state to that of larger
monarchies.
Hellenic (Greek) (650-323 B.C) refers to the people who lived in classical Greece before
Alexander the Great's death.
Greeks (Hellenic) were isolated and their civilization was termed classic because it was not
heavily influenced by outside forces.
The masterpieces of Greek architecture, however, were all erected in the short space of
about 150 years, viz., between the defeat of Persians and death of Alexander.

Hellenistic (Greek-like) refers to Greeks and others who lived during the period after
Alexander’s death and emergence of Roman era. They differ from Hellenic in territory
(geographic influences), culture (philosophy and religion), and political systems (changed
from a democracy to many small monarchies and ultimately to be controlled by Rome).
 HISTORICAL CONDITION

Ancient Greece (Aegean Culture)

The Aegean civilization started in 3000 B.C and suffered due to northern invaders and further by incursions of northern
Greeks and in about 1100 B.C it was entirely destroyed.
Hellenic Greece was born from a humble start and made very rapid development with the new civilization. Half of the world
famous temples and buildings were built in the Acropolis of Athens in this period.
 GEOGRAPHICAL & GEOLOGICAL
CONDITION
Geographical Condition
Greece is a country in Southern Europe.
Geography had a great influence on the Greek culture.
The country is mountainous and separated by hills and dales.
Roads connecting places were unknown of until Roman Times,
causing people to live in isolation. (Hence they rarely had a united
front though united by customs, religion and ideas).
The area is surrounded on all three sides by sea and innumerable
islands. The coast line is indented with many natural harbors,
making it the main source of communication.
Greeks became bold adventurous sea men. They mainly depended for their expansion of kingdom on colonization.

Geological Condition
Greece had plenty of building materials. But, amongst them, marble was the most important. It was found in abundance
near Athens.
On account of its beauty and fine texture it was possible for them to achieve refine treatment and delicacy of outlines in
their carvings as marble favours purity of line and refinement in detail which are the main characteristics of Greek
architecture.
The Greeks also covered stone and bricks with marble ‘stucco’- a powdered marble dust to receive color decoration.
Stucco has been extensively used in Greek temples and palaces and has used marble stucco that was highly polished in
order to reflect like a mirror, another important feature of Greek Architecture.
CLIMATIC CONDITION

Climatic Condition

Greece has moderate climate, not too hot nor too cold. This favored outdoor life.
They therefore built buildings suited to their outdoor life – admin buildings, theatres, agora –open markets.
The hot sun and unexpected rain is the reason for construction of buildings with porticos and colonnades.
 RELIGIOUS CONDITION

Religious Condition

The religion was worship of natural phenomenon of which the gods were personified. Priestesses rather
than priests carried out religious rituals. The Greek temples were surrounded by open colonnades in full
view of common people.
The Greek temples were usually oriented towards east so that the statues of the deities were lit by the glory
of the sun.
There was no regular priesthood.
SOCIAL CONDITION
•Trade, commerce, science and astronomy greatly developed.

•The Greeks were democratic and women played an important role in

social life.

•The idea was based on individual freedom, hence there always were
minor squabbles and Greece remained far from being
under one power.

•National games and religion united the people and

gave them their love for music, fine art and drama.

•People led an open air public life.

•Public ceremonies and administration of justice was carried out in open air.

•The Greeks were great colonists.

•The Greeks hence constructed stadiums, palaestra (wrestling school), theatres,

hippo-drome (for horse and chariot race), basilica (assembly hall) and agora (open air market) .

•Greeks did not believe in life after death hence there was little concern for tombs.
AEGEAN ARCHITECTURE-LOCATION
• The Aegean civilization
was the first major
civilization in Europe
• The civilization also marks
the beginning of western
civilization.
• The civilization occurred
around the areas of the
Aegean sea.
• It was centered at two lo-
cations; the island of Crete
and the Greek mainland
around Mycenae
 AEGEAN HISTORICAL BACKGROUD
• The Aegean civilization occurred during the period 3000 B.C. to 1100 B.C.

• Two cultures flourished during the period;Cretan and Mycenaean.

• It is believed that Cretan civilization was destroyed by some natural disaster,

either earthquake or floods.

• The fall of Crete was paralleled by the rise of the Mycenaean civilization
centered at Mycenae around 1400 B. C.

• The Mycenaean civilization lasted until 1100 B. C.

• The whole Aegean civilization died out after 1100 B. C. following a period
of invasions by outsiders.
AEGEAN SOCIAL CHARACTERISTIC ,
BELIEF
• Not much is known about Aegean culture and societies.

• The culture is believed to be founded on trade around the Mediterranean sea.

• The Aegean people were religious people with religion focused on nature
worship.

• Divinities were conceived in human form and represented by small idols, rocks
and stone pillars.

• They did not have the concept of a supreme powerful God.

• All sorts of trees and animals were respected and treated as sacred.

• Mother Goddess , represented with symbols of snakes, birds or flowers at the

same time bull-god also emerged.

• The Aegean people were ruled by powerful kings.

• The kings built large and visible palaces.

 AEGEAN SOCIAL CHARACTERISTIC ,
BELIEF

• Bronze age, specialists in crafts ,copersmiths, goldsmiths and workers in precious

stone.

• Language was similar to the Greeks.

• Written script on clay tablets with abstract lines and curves, a more advanced form of
writing.

• Men are shown as dark skinned and women fair skinned.

• It was a culture based on love, peace, comfort, enjoying dance ,music and sports.
AEGEAN SOCIAL CHARACTERISTIC ,
BELIEF

• Bull game - involved fantastic acrobatics.

• Women participated in all acivities.

 CRETAN ARCHITECTURE

• Ordinary people lived in houses built in mud brick. Roofs were flat covered with
terracotta tiles. Gypsum was also used.
• Mortar was never used.
• Fresco’s (technique of mural painting on fresh lime plaster) paintings usually
showed birds, animals, flowers, plants and people.
• Columns were simple, tapering downward. The circular shaft was unfluted and
had a projecting capital , which consisted of sqaure abacus at the top.
• Cretan cities did not have city walls, which suggest that they were a relaxed,
peaceful and easy going society.
MYCENAEAN ARCHITECTURE

• Mycenae rose around 1400 following the

decline of Crete
• The Mycenaean people were Greek by
race.
• The Mycenaean kingdom was small and
lacked protection and buffer zones to
protect the capital.
• The people of Mycenae were also more
of a society of warriors than traders,
which the Cretans were.
• Their architecture focused on defense on a
grand scale.
MYCENAEAN ARCHITECTURE

• Citadel walls were constructed of huge

unworked limestone boulders roughly
fitted together.
• Small chunks of limestones were used to
fill the gaps between the boulders.
• The exterior face of the boulders may be
roughly dressed but the stones are never
carefully cut.
• They ensure difficulty of access and were
highly defensible.
• The palaces located within the citadels
acted as centers of administration.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF GREEK ARCHITECTURE
• • Combined Influence of Egyptians and Assyrians is traceable in early periods.
• • Architecture is essentially trabeated and columnar.
• • Evolved from wooden structure – post , supporting beams and sloping rafters
• • Simple self evident design
• • Wood got replaced by stone – Carpentry in marble
• • Spans were still limited
• • In 600 B.C marble became limited and was used only for finer works
• • Walls were constructed with all kinds of masonry- from course rubble to fine ashlar.
• • No mortar was used.
• • Joints were minimized by using large stones.
• • Stone and marble was joined by using metal clamps and dowels.
• • The exterior of the buildings were designed with colonnades.
• • Doorways square or rectangular.
• • Windows rarely used.
• • Sloping roof with terracotta or marble tiles.
• • The pediment had floral design at top and sloping ends.
• • The tympana in the pediment was fully ornamented with fine sculptures in bright color.
• • Optical illusion.
OPTICAL
ILLUSION
• Vertical columns if built straight
would appear bulged in the
middle, so to correct this the
Greeks made the columns
convex in the middle.
• Long horizontal surfaces like
architraves, entablatures and
vertical features such as
columns if built without optical
correction appear to bulge out
in the middle.
• ENTASIS: the convex curve
given to a column, or similar
upright member, in an attempt
to correct the optical illusion of
hollowness or weakness that
would arise from normal
tapering. Entasis is almost
universal in Classical columns.
 OPTICAL
ILLUSION

• The lettering of inscriptions are generally made larger in the upper lines to
counter the diminishing effect of perspective.

• Metopes and triglyphs are painted

darker than columns emphasizing their
importance and making the columns
appear sturdier.

• The corner columns of Parthenon in the

Acropolis of Athens seem to be of one width
when there’s bright sky behind, though their
diameters differ.
 Greek Classical Orders

A classical order is one of the ancient styles of classical architecture, each distinguished by
its proportions and characteristic profiles and details, and most readily recognizable by the
type of column used.

There are three different distinct ancient orders, these being Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
 GREEK
ORDER
• ENTABLATURE

• CAPITAL

• SHAFT

• CREPIDOMA
 THE ORDERS

Refer to the entire set of form that makes up

the principal elevation of a monument.

• Base
• Upright column or support
with its capital
• Horizontal entablature
 THE ORDERS
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.

Each order had its own conventions about

the design of the entablature and divided into
3 sections:
• CORNICE
• FRIEZE
• ARCHITRAVE
•Doric order
•No base
•Stands directly on a crepis or crepidoma – conventionally 3 steps in a temple
and single in stoas
•Height – 7 x diameter
•20 shallow flutes separated by sharp projections ‘arrises’.
•Shaft normally has a slightly convex profile called the entasis to counteract
the concave appearance produced by straight sided columns.
•Shaft terminates at the ‘hypotrachelion’ also known as necking.
•The capital consists of - abacus and echinus.
•The abacus which forms the upper member of the capital is a square slab
often molded.
•The echinus has varying outline , such as parabolic curve or oval of subtle
profile.
•Below echinus , there are horizontal fillets 3-5 in number , called ‘Ánnulets’.
The Doric entablature – 2D high ,has 3 main divisions – the cornice
(Crowning or topmost part.), frieze and architrave.
•Architrave - lintel, ¾ D high
•The architrave projects slightly beyond the face of the column.
•Frieze- 3/4D high, contains ‘Triglyph’ and ‘Metope’
•Triglyph- The triglyphs are a pattern of 3 vertical lines.
•Metopes- Sometimes the metopes had statues of heroes or gods on them,
also contain sculptures of hunting, fighting, etc.
stereobate
Ionic order
1. COLUMN-
a. 9D high.
b. Consists of a base.
c. The moulded base consists of torus.
Torus – moulded disc with plait ornament.
d. The shaft is circular in nature.
e. The shaft has 24 flutes.
f. It is remarkable for its volute or scroll capital.
g. Column has volutes in the front and connected by
flutes, beads at the back.
i. An abacus is also present above the spiral scrolls.
2. ENTABLATURE-
a. Architrave –
i. ¾ D high.
ii. Consists of triple fasciae
iii. Leaf and dart ornamentation
b. Frieze –
iv. ¾ D high.
v. Mostly plain or ornamented by sculptures.
Cornice –
Semi diameter high.
5. More ornamentation than Doric order.

6. A pediment is an architectural element found particularly in Classical, Neoclassical

and Baroque architecture, and its derivatives, consisting of a gable, usually of a
triangular shape, placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if
supported by columns.
Corinthian order

1. Most beautifully ornamented than both the orders

2. COLUMN-
a. Height is10 times the diameter.
b. Circular shaft.
c. Has 24 flutes in the shaft.
d. Contains distinctive capital
e. The lower part contains two rows of eight acanthus leaves resting on
lotus or water.
2. ENTABLATURE-
a. Architrave –
i. ¾ D high
ii. Divided into three fasciae
b. Frieze –
iii. ¾ D high.
iv. Ornamented by sculptures
Dentil- Small block forming one of a long horizontal
c. Cornice – series, closely set, under the cornices.
i. ¾ d high and ornamented.
GREEK
ORDER
 GREEK
TEMPLES

1 = Stereobate 3 = Colonnade 5 = Cella, or Naos

2 = Stylobate 7 = Anta
4 = Pronaos 6 = Opisthodomos 8 = Columns in Antis
•Principles of Greek Temple Design

•The Temples formed the most important class of buildings erected during this period, and a general
description applicable.

•They were built with special regard to external effect, and were ornamented with sculpture of the highest
class in order to form fitting shrines for the deities in whose honor they were erected.

•They were generally placed in a "temenos" or sacred enclosure, and consisted of a "naos" or cell,
usually oblong in plan/ in which was placed the statue of the god or goddess

• a treasury or chamber beyond

•a front and rear portico, with flanking colonnades.

•The whole generally raised on a crepidoma of three steps.

•In the larger temples were internal colonnades of columns placed over each other to support the roof.

•On the two end facades above the columns a triangular shaped pediment, usually but not always filled with
sculpture, terminated the simple span roof.

•These roofs were constructed of timber and covered with marble slabs.
•The door was almost always placed in the centre of the end wall, behind the portico of columns, and
frequently planned so that the sun might enter and light up the statue opposite.

•The general absence of windows in the temples

•The method of lighting by a clerestory concealed in the roof.

•Many authorities hold that light was obtained solely through the doorways, others that the transparent
Persian marble roofing slabs would admit sufficient light.

•Artificial illumination by means of lamps may also have been employed.

Internal Distribution
-PRONAOS: Open Entrance

-NAOS or CELLA: Chapel for God’s image

-OPISTHODOMOS: Room for holding the treasure of the temple

The temple is usually rectangular in plan.
The temple always faced east so that the rising sun would light the
statues inside
It stands on crepidoma of 3 or more steps.
Colonnades define a portico around the temple and support the
triangular shaped Pediment.
 GREEK TEMPLES

1. ANTA (TEMPLE IN ANTIS)

Pillars of the side

exceed the wall
2. THOLOS 3. AMPHIPROSTYLE
Circular Temple Columns in both facade
4. PROSTYLE [Link]
 Columns only in one facade  Double columns
around the building
[Link]
Columns around the building
GREEK
TEMPLES
 ACROPOLIS AT ATHENS
• [Link]
Acropolis – is a settlement, especially a • [Link] Temple of Athena
citadel, built upon an area of elevated ground • [Link]
—frequently a hill with precipitous sides, • [Link] of Athena Promachos
chosen for purposes of defence. Acropolis • [Link]
literally in Greek means "city on the extremity. • [Link] of Athena Nike
• [Link]
• [Link] of Artemis Brauronia or
Brauroneion
• [Link]
• [Link]
• [Link]
• [Link] of Athena
• [Link] of Zeus Polieus
• [Link] of Pandion
• [Link] of Herodes Atticus
• [Link] of Eumenes
• [Link] of Asclepius or
Asclepieion
• [Link] of Dionysus Eleuthereus
• [Link] of Pericles
• [Link] of Dionysus
Eleuthereus
• [Link]
ACROPOLIS AT ATHENS
[Link]
INTRODUCTION
•The Parthenon is a resplendent marble temple built between 447 and 432 B.C. during the
height of the ancient Greek Empire.

•Dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, the Parthenon sits high atop a compound of
temples known as the Acropolis of Athens.

•Throughout the centuries, the Parthenon withstood earthquakes, fire, wars, explosions
and looting yet remains, although battered, a powerful symbol of Ancient Greece and
Athenian culture.

• The Parthenon was the center of religious life in the powerful Greek City-State of Athens.

• Built in the 5 century B.C., it was a symbol of the power, wealth and elevated culture of
Athens.

• It was the largest and most lavish temple the Greek mainland had ever seen.

• Today, it is one of the most recognized buildings in the world and an enduring symbol
of Ancient Greece.
Who Built the Parthenon?

• The celebrated Greek statesman Pericles is credited with ordering the design and construction of the
Parthenon as a temple for Athena—the goddess of wisdom, arts and literature and war—but it may
not have been the first attempt to house the deity.

•An earlier structure known as the Older Parthenon or Pre-Parthenon once existed on the site of the
current Parthenon.

•Many historians believe the Older Parthenon was under construction in 480 B.C. when the Persian
Empire attacked Athens and destroyed the Acropolis, although some experts dispute this theory.
Doric Columns
• Pericles commissioned the renowned Greek architects Ictinus and Callicrates and the sculptor
Phidias to design the Parthenon, which became the largest Doric-style temple of its time.

•The structure has a rectangular floor plan and is built on a 23,000-square feet base, part of which was
the limestone foundation of the Old Parthenon.

•There are 46 outer columns and 19 inner columns.

•The columns are slightly tapered to give the temple a symmetrical appearance.

•The corner columns are larger in diameter than the other columns.

• Incredibly, the Parthenon contains no straight lines and no right angles, a true feature of Greek
architecture.
Metopes

Ninety-two carved metopes (square blocks placed between three-channeled triglyph blocks) adorn
the exterior walls of the Parthenon.

Parthenon Frieze

A broad, decorated horizontal band called a frieze runs along the entire length of the walls of the
Parthenon’s inner chamber (the cella).

The frieze was carved using the bas-relief technique (which means the sculpted figures are raised
slightly from the background)
OPISTHODOMOS 2nd CELLA CELLA PRONAOS
A room used as a treasury or
storage area for offerings. Could
only be accessed by priests or
priestesses
Athena Parthenos
Shrine within the Parthenon housed an extraordinary
statue of Athena, known as Athena Parthenos, which
was sculpted by Phidias. The statue no longer exists
but is thought to have stood 12 meters high (39 feet).
The Athena statue depicted a fully-armed woman
wearing a goatskin shield known as an aegis. She
held a six-foot tall statue of the Greek goddess Nike
in her right hand and a shield in her left hand that
illustrated various battle scenes. Two griffins (a
mythical creature with the head and wings of an
eagle and the body of a lion, typically depicted with
pointed ears and with the eagle's legs taking the
place of the forelegs.) and a sphinx stood on her
helmet and a large snake behind her shield.
2. PROPYLAEA

Propylaea - entrance gates

that formed the approach to
the sacred enclosures to many
ancient Greek cities
(Acropolis).
It is so designed to afford the
most complete and stimulating
view of the location, such that
each structure is seen as a
sculpture.
 3. THEATRES
•Open to air buildings for dramatic activities and its
audiences and also for political gathering.
• Three Main Portions of Greek
Theatre:
• Skene – Stage building, Portion
where actors performed .(included 1-
3 doors in and out)
• Orchestra – “Dancing Place” / stage
where chorus sang to the audience or
performances took place, slightly
raised floor.
• Theatron –Auditorium / cavae / koilon
- Seating for audience
•Greek theatre was generally hollowed out of the slope of a hill near the city, and was
unroofed, the performances taking place in the day time.

•In plan it was usually rather more than a semicircle, being about two- thirds of a complete
circle.

•The auditorium consisted of tiers of marble seats, rising one above the other, often cut out of
the solid rock.

• It was divided into wedge-shaped blocks ‘cunei’ by radiating flights of steps to allow the
spectator to reach to their seats from the ground floor level.

• The Greek theatre, which was constructed more for choral than dramatic performances, had
a circular "orchestra" or dancing place.

•The stage was known as the logeion or "speaking place," its back-wall being the skene
(= booth or tent for changing in), the latter name being preserved in the modern word
“scene."

•The actors being few, the stage consisted of a long and narrow platform, with permanent
background.
THEATRE OF
DIONYSOS,ATHENS
THEATRE OF
EQUIDAUROS
4. STADIUM
• Stadium or stadias are places
for conducting athletic activities
and accommodating its
spectators.
• Stadias are derived from a
word stade or stadion which
is a unit of measurement .
• All the Greek games were
celebrated in stadiums.
• The stadium had a length of
183m with hemi-spherical ends,
and rows of seats were raised
on either side for spectators.
• The oldest one is at Olympia.
DELPHI
STADIUM
• High up the hill, beyond the sacred way
and the Theatre the ancient stadium is
nested.
• It was built in the 5th c. B.C. and it was
remodeled several times during the cen-
turies.
• Its present form was acquired in the 2nd
c. A.D. when Herodus Atticus financed the
stone seating and the arched entrance.

• Its stone seats could sit around 6500 spec-

tators, and it was used extensively during
the Pythian and Pan-Hellenic games for
athletic events and for music festivals.

• Its track is 177.55 m long (about 550 ft.),

and 25.50 m wide.
 OLYMPIA STADIUM

• The oldest known stadium is a

stadium in Olympia, Greece
where the Olympic games
of antiquity were held from
A oval shaped construction that held 776BC.
sport events in it
• The Olympic games was a cel-
ebration in favour of the gods,
Starting line for the alethetes where the best athletes from all
over the country gathered and
showed their skills to win the
competition for their cities.

The vaulted tunnel leading into the stadium

 STADIUM OF
EPIDAURAUS

• Initially constructed near natural embankments, stadia evolved into

more sophisticated structures with rows of stone or even marble steps
for seating which had divisions for ease of access.
5. HIPPODROME
• An open-air stadium with an oval
track for horse and chariot races in
ancient Greece and Rome.

• With a length of four stadia or

780 m, it was the largest sport area
at Olympia

• A Greek hippodrome was not a

complicated construction.

• For a simple race track, a large

flat terrain, with column at the start
and finish as a turning point for the
chariots, suffices.
6. PALAESTRA

• The Palaestra at
Olympia, used for boxing
and wrestling.

• Often attached to the

Gymnasium.
7. GYMNASIUM

• Public institutions where male

athletes over age 18 received
training for competition in the public
games of that time.

• Sports centres for conducting vari-

ous sports activities.

• Large rectangular building with

central open court, enclosed by
Doric colonnade.
• They are sometimes lined either by
simple stoas or by certain specific
buildings and spaces like
Palaestras or wrestling grounds,
washroom, dressing room, resting
room, club rooms etc.
8. AGORA

•A central open market place

or a meeting place or civic
centre defined by stoas,
religious buildings, public
building and having free
standing commeomary
structures in the centre
9. STOA

•it was a long colonnaded building

as shelter at religious shrines. One
at Olympia is 100m long and 10m
wide
10. BOULEUTERION

This was a council hall and used as a

meeting place by the elected councellors.

[Link]
This was similar to theatre where
the musicians carried their performance
to get appreciation and prizes from the public.
12. PRYTANEION

• Senator House or Town Hall for

the chief dignitaries of the city.
• Also used as a place to entertain
distinguished guests, foreigner etc.

• It contains the feast or dinner

room.
 13. TOWER OF WIND
• This tower was built to know the weather
and also the time.
• This is Hellenestic building, octagonal in plan
designed in marble by the architect
Andronicus of Athens.
• It measures about 7m wide internally and
12.5m high with entrance on North West
sides.
• From each corner, lines forming sun-dial are
inscribed.
• At the top of the roof a Triton or a bronze
merman(demigod of sea) is pivoted to show
the direction of the blowing wind with it’s rod.