Greek Archi

Greek Architecture
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.
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.
• Greek Architecture is divided into 2 main periods.
• The Hellenic period and Hellenistic Period.
Hellenic Period (650-323 B.C.) Characteristic features

• The term Hellenic is used to describe the early Greek’s
civilization. The combined influence of Egypt and Assyria is
traceable in the early development of Greek style.
• Greek architecture is essentially a columnar & trabeated
style & is considered to have evolved from wooden hut of
upright posts & supporting beam & sloping rafters.
• Spans were limited because of trabeated style where the
architraves were composed of single blocks of stones or
marbles.
• Arches, domes, vaults were not used by the Greeks.
• The walls were constructed with all kinds of masonry from
coursed rubble to fine ashlar. But no mortar was used.
• They minimized the joints by using large sized stones.
• For good work, the stones or marble blocks were jointed by
metal cramps and dowels.
• The doorways were square and rectangular.
• Windows were rarely used.
• The other important refinement adopted in Greek style was
to correct the optical illusion.
• The long horizontal feature such as entablature which if built
straight would have appeared to sag in the middle. This has
been corrected by forming facade with slight convex
outlines in the centre.
• Also the vertical columns if built straight would have
appeared curved inward. Hence to correct this defect the
sides of the column were curved in a convex manner i.e
were made to bulge in the centre slightly known as ‘entasis’.
Hellenistic Period (323-30 B.C.) Characteristic features
• The term is used to describe the Greek Civilization when it
was partly influenced by middle eastern culture.
• The architecture had a religious character.
• The usual trabeated style was in practice but arches started
appearing on wall openings.
Meaning of Order
• An Order in classic architecture consists of upright column

or support and the horizontal entablature or part supported.
• The column consists of base, the bottom part, shaft, the
middle part and capital the top part, while entablature
consists of architrave, the lower part, frieze, the middle part
and cornice the upper most part.
Columns or Orders
Columns are part of Post and Lintel
type construction
The Greeks adopted post and lintel

from the Egyptians modifying and
developing their own style of column
or order decoration
There are three types of Greek

columns--which are still used today.
Proportioning of Greek Classic Orders
Name of Greek Height of Column in Height of Entablature

Order terms of lower in terms of lower
diameter diameter
Doric 7 2
Ionic 9 2
Corinthian 10 2½
The Doric Order
• The first of the Greek order (the oldest)
• Doric columns are the heaviest in
appearance
• The capital, or top of the column is
plain.
• The shaft is thick – though it loses
some of its mass over time.
• There is no base.
The Ionic Order
• The second Greek order (the middle)
• This order has greater elegance.
• The capital has distinctive volutes, or
curled scroll designs.
• The column is thinner than in the Doric
order.
• There is a base.
The Corinthian Order
• The third type of the Greek order
• This is also a tall, elegant form.
• The capital has distinctive acanthus leaf
decoration.
• It has a base.
Examples of these types of columns can be found in
buildings today all throughout the world. The New York
Stock Exchange in Manhattan has Corinthian columns.
• Columns are the post part in construction; the Greeks
also modified the Lintel part
• Pediment (Lintel):
• Frieze: statues; usually of the Gods
Typical Examples
1. Temples
• The temples were main types of buildings in the Hellenic

period.
• They were to worship the deities to whom the temple was
dedicated.
• The Greek temples are oriented to face east so that the statue
of the deity would be lit by the glory of the rising sun.
• The plan of the temples were mainly rectangular.
• The temple stood on crepidoma of three or more steps.
• The temple is usually surrounded by open colonnades which
is character of the Greek architecture.
• The ‘naos’ which was core of the temple contained the statue
of the god or goddess with treasury chambers in front and
rear known as pronaos and epinaos (opisthodomos) which
were provided with metal grills for safety.
The Temple of Parthenon at Athens
• The temple is built entirely in pentelic marble on the high
ground of Acropolis and dedicated to Athena Parthenos the
virgin Athena.
• It is constructed by the
architects Ictinus and
Callicrates under the
supervision of master
sculptor Pheidias.
• The temple is built on
rectangular plan 71m
long and 32m wide.
Temple plan, section & elevation
32 m
71 m
• It stands on crepidoma, a platform of three steps with tread
70cm and rise 50cm.
• These being difficult to climb, smaller steps are also
provided at centre of east and west ends.
• The temple is designed in octa-style i.e
eight columns in front and back, which
lean inward.
• There are seventeen columns on either
side.
• All columns are 10.4m high and of Doric
Order.
• The statue of Athena in gold and ivory
with eyes of precious stones was the finest
sculptural achievement of master artist
Pheidias.
Parts of the temple
shaft
crepidoma
Sectional view of the temple
Other Examples
2. The tower of Winds

• This tower was built to know the weather and also the time.
• This is Hellenistic building, octagonal in plan designed in
marble by architect Andronicus of Athens.
• It measures about 7m wide internally and 12.5m high with
entrance on north east and north west sides.
3. Theatres
• These are the open air structures containing orchestra,
auditorium and ‘skene’ or the scene building.
• Theatres were usually constructed from slope of hillside near
the city.
Plan of theatre, Epidauros
4. Stadiums
• All the Greek’s games were celebrated at stadiums.
• The stadiums had a length of 183m with hemi-spherical
ends, rows of seats were raised on either side for spectators.
• The oldest one is at Olympia.

Greek Archi

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Greek Archi

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Greek Architecture

Hellenic Period (650-323 B.C.) Characteristic features

• An Order in classic architecture consists of upright column

The Greeks adopted post and lintel

There are three types of Greek

Name of Greek Height of Column in Height of Entablature

• The temples were main types of buildings in the Hellenic

2. The tower of Winds

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