Greek Architechture Essay Research Paper Behind the

Greek Architechture Essay, Research Paper

Behind the complex understanding of Greek architectural design lay the backbone of all Greek lifestyle, Sacred Architecture. The temples built in Ancient Greece were extraordinary in their design, planning, and construction. Some of the more simple temples were built with solid limestone blocks, which were surfaced with stucco made of marble dust (Greece, 1). Other temples were made completely of solid marble or other near-indestructible materials. These temples were constructed to worship the gods. Deity worship was a daily part of Greek life. The Greeks conceived of their gods in human form, as anthropomorphic representations of the forces and elements of the natural world.

Sacred Greek temples were made of many specific parts which all served their own purpose. The temple was designed simply as a shelter for the statue and a storehouse for offerings. The basic model of this shelter is the four-sided cella. The cella was somewhat of a back wall. To the simple cella was attached a pronaos. The pronaos was a porch lined with columns. The cella walls are connected to the porch with antae, which were bronze grills securing the pronaos (Sullivan 15). The larger temples included columns that were added between antae for roof support. Even though there was only one entrance to the cella, a second pronaos was added on the other side to add a balanced and symmetrical look.

All Greek architecture is based on a simple three-order system. These three orders are different in four basic ways. The first way would be the purpose of the design. Each order has it s own purpose whether it be for beauty, structural sturdiness, or for reasons still unbeknownst by us today. The second difference would be focused on the base of the column. The base can differ in many ways including size, shape, and sometimes even color. The third way is the shaft of the column. The shaft can include different lengths, shapes, sizes, indentations, grooves, cuts, and many other styles. The shaft is connected directly to the base and can even be different in connection circumstances and widths. The last difference is the capital. The capital is agreed to be the most changed of the parts of the columns throughout the different orders. Because the capital can lack almost all structural integrity and still maintain it s purpose, it can be smoothed, carved, cut, chiseled, or can have any other amount of work done on it.

The first order of the three is the Doric order. The Doric order dates back to around the year 600 BC:

Normally standing right on the floor, the shaft is made of a series of drums that are rounded, doweled together, or tapered up usually twenty times. On top of the shaft sits a two-part capital carved in a single block. The bottom is the echinus or cushion and the top is a flat square slab called the abacus. There is a natural ring where the capital and shaft meet and this is emphasized by the addition of several carved rings. The column height is four to six and one half times the diameter at the base of the shaft. (Greece, 1).

The straight lines on the columns used vertical and horizontal blending in perfect unity. Strength and simplicity were the most important aspects. The Doric columns had a very uncluttered capital and even no base (Sullivan 14)! The next of the 3 orders had a very different appearance.

The Ionic column, second order, is distinguished by it s volute or scroll capital. More slender than the Doric column, it s height is eight or nine times the diameter if the shaft. Normally, the Ionic column has twenty-four flutes, which are separated by fillets or soft edges; some examples have as many as forty-eight flutes. There is a column base, the most notable type consisting of a torus or convex molding above, a three-part concave molding, and a torus below. All the carving is on a high level. The Ionic order was considered to be very graceful and feminine.

The last order, Corinthian, is so much like the Ionic order they would be one and the same if it wasn t for their one big difference. The shaft and the base of the Corinthian order are very much like those of the Ionic order. In fact, the only difference between the two orders is the capital. The capital in the Corinthian order included distinctive carvings usually including acanthus leaf, foliage, or flower carvings. The capital took the shape of an inverted bell. Rising up the sides from the bottom of the bell was where the carvings were carved.

Throughout all of early human civilization, the Greeks set a certain standard of beauty and excellence. Although the Greek city-states themselves were completely divided, evolving ideas of strong warfare tactics, greater understanding, more knowledge, and philosophical logic predisposed for a new world of greater successfulness. The things achieved by Greek architecture, whether it is from beauty or image, surely had an effect on flourishing excellence of the human civilization.

One aspect that made Greek architecture a new experience is the material that they built with. The use of limestone and marble created a whole new look of beauty for Greek buildings. These near-indestructible materials are much sturdier than wood and stone and have more of a beauty quality to them. This quality of building will effect the architectural design in even the most recent construction proje