HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

LECTURE 4

Greek Architecture

Abhishek K. Venkitaraman

Assistant Professor

Map of Ancient Greece

Athens
Miletus

Crete

Between 1200-800 B.C, there was much warfare affecting Crete and Greece.
Up to and before 6th Century B.C., there is not much evidence of planned towns in Greece.
From 6th century B.C till 4th century B.C i.e. Alexanders period, a number of cities were
founded and developed on systematic lines and advanced the cause of civic structure.
Earlier, king was the dominating figure but later power gradually shifted to the wealthy land
owning nobles who became the ruling class.

GREEK PERIOD: Chronological Development

The ruling class was were dependent on the support of the farmers and the
merchants;
Importance of palace reduced and there was emergence of the middle class;
During 5th century, democracy took root in city states a new form of political
organization of the community developed.
Government, By law, determined by people.

Discovery of freedom through democracy brought impetus to search the

truth-leading to- development of philosophy, science, mathematics, logic and law.
Freedom and spiritual values were symbolized in temples;
Freedom of speech led to Houses of People or council chambers;
The community needs led to Assembly Houses, OATs and the Agora or the
market place;
Geographical situation of Greece with sea on there sides encourages trade and
transportation by sea;
The climate varied between rigorous cold and relaxing heat .
The hot sun and sudden showers were causes for buildings with colonnaded
porticos.
Greece has ample supply of good building stones.
Their religion was based on worship of natural phenomena.

THE TOWN PLANNING

The ancient Greek towns were
divided into three parts:
Places for Gods
Administration
Dwelling Houses
The Town had to justify the
requirements of :
Hygiene
Defense
Circulation
Three Classes of people
Craftsmen
Soldiers
Workers

The heart of the city: Or the central place was to

occupy 5 % of the city area and comprise of the
temple, the assembly hall , the council chambers,
council hall, the Agora and the Agora square.
All major roads were to meet the Agora Square.

Streets were paved and there were underground drains beneath the streets.
Maintained reservoirs, but no water distribution system.
Orientation with respect to the climate, Principal rooms faced the south and opened on
private courtyard.

Determinants for Ancient

Greek
city development
Regional topography
Climate
Construction Material

Acropolis

Greek City States

Greeks had a clearly defined territorial organization.
Cities emerged as separate city states, instead of a single unified nation.
The disperse nature of fertile area was only available in form of isolated valley, plains and plateau.
These conditions favored an arrangement of :

1. Urban nucleus.
2. Surrounded by country side
3. Surrounded by subordinated agricultural village community.

Regional Topography
City State and Polis- Urban and Rural

Polis is more than a city state/ urban / the nucleus

City state is the Greek City ( the Urban Nucleus) with its clearly defined limits, compact
urban form and superficially at least- integrated social life.
Town and country were closely knit- except in those remote parts of Arcadia and Western
Greece
Greek city states were founded upon agriculture and remained independent on it.
During warfare notably against Persia city states joined together to face the common enemy.

Climate
Greece through out the year it was

generally both agreeable and reliable- Greece is

one of those countries which have a climate and not merely weather;
This attractive situation encouraged an open air, communally oriented attitude to life,
which assisted the development of Greek democracy.
But in direct contrast, however , the
domestic Greek world was that of privacy within the ubiquitous courtyard house;
Meeting took place in open air, new indoor meeting places such as assembly hall (
ecclesiasteron), council hall (bouleuterion) were designed with an advent of advanced
construction Technique;
Large scale open air theatrical ceremonies were also performed initially at the foot of
conveniently sloping natural auditoria.

Construction Material
The ancient Greek architectural characters has a great impact because of readily availability
of high quality marble.
Worked on a fine details, marble was the medium by which Greek architecture attained
standards of perfection seldom reached in later history.
The importance of civic buildings were conceived as three dimensional, free standing
sculptural objects.

Unlike the civic buildings minimal effort and concern for domestic comfort.
Direct contrast to civic buildings houses were rudimentary and either grouped by chance or
rigidly organized along basic grid line.

Emergence of Greek Civilization

Aegean period till 1100 B.C.

Mycenaean period 1400 to 1100 B.C.
Hellenic Period 800 to 323 B.C.
Hellenistic Period 323 to 30 B.C.

Early Greek Civilization

Contributions in City Planning

Colonizing movement
Use of Grid-iron layout.
Urban form components.
Evolution of:

Acropolis: Religious Centre

Agora: The city center, the multi-purpose everyday heart.
Clear distinction between Developed city districts and organic growth.

Colonizing Movement
This process involved the Greeks in the creation of new city states.
They imposed a limit on population.
Each colony was an independent city state which was well organized socially and
economically.

Greek urban form component

The Acropolis
The enclosing city wall
The Agora
Residential districts
One or more leisure and cultural area
A religious precinct
The harbors and ports
Industrial district

Urban form component

Priene: Port and Industrial District
Miletus: Acropolis were sometimes situated outside the city limits.
City walls were more demanded.
There was a policy of limiting population by founding new cities.
The agora, shrines, the theatres, gymnasia are occupied site determined by traditional sanctity
and houses filled the rest of the space.

Athens
The Organic Growth
Athens was never planned as a whole;
Destroyed and reconstructed again over the old city;
Two main groups of civic building 1) Acropolis, 2)Agora;
It is considered as the best natural fortress of the ancient world;
It rises some 300 feet above the general level of the plain, irregularly shaped roughly 350
yards by 140 yards and the long dimension oriented east-west;

The Athenian Acropolis started as Neolithic Village Nucleus;

Humans have been attracted to the area by the presence of natural spring and in 1581 BC
worship of Athena was established on Acropolis.
Agora area developed from a market and meeting place;

Ancient Athens

Ancient Athens

Prominent features
A powerfully assertive landscape
influenced the Urban planning.
The high points of the city were
treated as sacred.

In case of Athens, the high

place was originally a
fortified hilltop which became
the Acropolis: The site for the
temples of
Gods, their
treasures and artifacts.
The
city
Acropolis.

developed

below

ARCHITECTURE

Hellenistic period
classical orders
public buildings
geometry and symmetry in their buildings
Acropolis
Agora
Temples
tombs and house forms.

Aegean period till 1100 B.C.

Mycenaean period 1400 to 1100 B.C.
Hellenic Period 800 to 323 B.C.
Hellenistic Period 323 to 30 B.C.

Aegean period till 1100 B.C.

Mycenaean period 1400 to 1100 B.C.

Architecture

Mycenaean Period
Also called Pelasgic, Cyclopean or Primitive period
Rough walling of large stone blocks
Corbel system, true arch evolved

Hellenic Period
Trabeated style developed
Refinement from Mycenaean influence
Slender columns with refined mouldings

Principles of design

Correction of optical illusion

B a r r o w To m b s

4 10 0 B C E

The first architectural expression

Preserved memories of clan lineage
Served as place for gathering, trade and rituals

Architecture
Chamber (circular mound) built of stone slabs
Narrow passageway
In some cases fortified by retaining walls
An artificial mound created on top
Sometimes side chambers surround the main
chamber

3 0 0 0 - 1 3 0 0 B CE

Pre-Mycenaean (Aegean) Period

Turmoil in Mesopotamia benefitted the economies of the eastern

Mediterranean (mostly Minoans on Crete island)
Worlds first maritime trading economy
Peaceful trading- hence no defensive installations
Worshipped bull Zeus, the fertility God
Rituals in open landscape or in front of palace theatre-like
setting
Large scale drinking and feasting, joyful festivals
No separate temple (part of Palace)
Largest Palace at Knossos- residences, kitchens, storage rooms,
bathrooms, ceremonial rooms, workshops
Ground water conduits and basement storage

2 0 0 0 B CE

Pre-Mycenaean and Mycenaean Period

Minoan Palace at Knossos (Crete)
Courtyard surrounded by verandas at upper level in palace

Three kind of masonry for walls:

1.Cyclopean- masses of rock roughly quarried stones
piled on each other, with clay mortar.
The interstices between the larger stones
were filled with smaller blocks

2. Rectangular- carefully hewn rectangular

blocks

arranged in regular courses, but the joints between

stones in the same course are not always vertical.

Examples at Mycenae - the entrance passage in tholos

or beehive-tombs
3.Polygonal- many sided blocks accurately worked so as
to fit together.

Palace at Knossos

Mycenaean Period

2 0 0 0 - 4 0 0 B CE

Traded with Sicily, Southern Italy, Egypt, Sardinia and countries bordering Black sea
Small kingdom lacked natural defence barriers
Decentralized society- Small but fiercely loyal fighters
Excellent works in ivory, carpentry and metallurgy

Palaces used to be the administrative as well as industrial centres

Eg- Around 550 textile and 400 metallurgical workers along with artisans, goldsmiths, ivory and
stone carvers and potters were employed in Palace of Pylos

Mycenaean Period

2 0 0 0 - 4 0 0 B CE

Characteristic features
Corbels- horizontal courses of stones were laid, projecting one beyond the other till the
apex was reached
This produced either a triangular opening (found above the doorways of the

tholos tombs) or an apparent arch (found at the gallery at Tiryns, or a domeshaped roof (found at the Treasury of Atreus) in Mycenae

Inclined blocks- triangular headed opening.

Arches

Mycenaean Period

Megaron The Great Hall in the Palace of Pylos

A square rooms with 4 columns
A hearth in the centre
Clerestory ceiling

2 0 0 0 - 4 0 0 B CE

Megaron

Mycenae

1300 - 4 0 0 BCE

1450

BCE-

(cyclopean)

Thick
were

ring
built

walls
around

Mycenae
Entry to citadel through Lion Gate
Treasury of Atreus- 6-chambered

tombs containing gold, silver and

bronze burial treasures
(Burial Tholos)
Palace compound on an elevated
level

T h e L io n G a t e , M y c e n a e
Relief carving of two lions facing a central column
Triangular sculpture supports the load above entrance.
Ashlar masonry walls on the sides.

Tr e a s u r y o f At r e u s
Kings were buried outside the cities in beehive tombs or
tholos monumental symbols of wealth and power
Circular chamber - 15m high and 15m diameter; into the

hillside.
36 m long and 6 m wide corridor (dromos)
Corbelled dome was covered with earth to form conical
hill
2 half columns and stone lintel above the entrance.

Tr e a s u r y o f At r e u s

ARCHITECTURE

Hellenic Period 800 to 323 B.C.

Hellenistic Period 323 to 30 B.C.

Hellenic Period 800 to 323 B.C.

Commenced circa 900 BC, (with substantial works of
architecture appearing from about 600 BC) and ended
with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC.
Hellenistic Period 323 to 30 B.C.
Hellenic culture was spread widely, throughout lands
conquered by Alexander, and then by the Roman Empire
which absorbed much of Greek culture.

GREEK COLUMN ORDERS

DORIC
IONIC
CORINTHIAN

GREEK COLUMN ORDERS

Introduced by a Roman architect, Marcus Vitruvius
Defined column styles and entablature

Order of Architecture
A set or rules or principles for designing buildings.

Classical order of architecture

An approach to building design established in Greece or Rome during the Classical
period, roughly 850 BC through 476 AD.

How Classical Architecture Began

Great buildings were constructed according to precise rules
Marcus Vitruvius (De Architectura, or Ten Books on Architecture) believed
Builders used mathematical principles when constructing temples
Without symmetry and proportion, no temple can have a regular plan

DORIC
Basic Order in Greek Architecture used by
Spartans
1. Column height is 7 D plinth, dado and
stylobate
Shaft20 flutes and arrises
General Inter columnation2 D
Distinctive Capital Abacus and Echinus
2. Entablature consists of Architrave, Frieze
and Cornice
a) Architrave D, flat moulding called taenea
Regulashort band with six guttae(small cone
like blocks)
b) Frieze D, contains Triglyph and Metope.
Triglyphformed by two V-shaped channels
with similar half channels on both ends which
are rounded at top.
Metopessquare shaped space between
Triglyph
c) Cornice D high crowning part, projects
beyond frieze
Acroteriafor ornamentatal block

1)

Tympanum

2)

Acroterion

3)

Cyma

4)

Cornice

5)

Mutules

6)

Frieze

7)

Triglyph

8)

Metope

9)

Regulae

10) Guttae
11) Taenia
12) Architrave
13) Capital
14) Abacus
15) Echinus
16) Column
17) Fluting

18) Stylobate

 Doric columns stood directly on the flat pavement (the stylobate) without a base
Vertical shafts were fluted with 20 parallel concave grooves
Smooth capital that flared from the column to meet a square abacus
Carried the horizontal beam(architrave)
The Parthenon has the Doric design columns.

IONIC
Named after the Ionians of ancient
Greece
1. Column 9 D, has a base, moulded
base consists of upper and lower torusseparated by Scotia and fillets
Shaft has 24 flutes diminishes to 5/6 D
at its top.
General Intercolumniations 4 D
Remarkable for its volute(capital)
2. Entablature 2 D
a) Architrave D, triple fasciae(three
beams)
b) Frieze D, either plain or
ornamented
c) Cornice D, similar treatment like
Doric
Rainwater sprouts in the shape of lions
heads
Ionic Order is more ornate than the
Doric grace, refinement of outlines
and elegance as compared to Doric
Order

IONIC
More slender and more ornate
than the Doric style
Scroll-shaped ornaments on the
capital
A pair of volutes
Stands on a base of stacked disks
Shafts are usually fluted, but can
be plain
Buildings With Ionic Columns:
The Erechtheum, Athens
The Colosseum, Rome
Doric columns on the first level,
Ionic columns on the second
level, and Corinthian columns on
the third level

CORINTHIAN
Emerged as an offshoot of the Ionic style
about 450 BCE
Distinguished by its more decorative
capitals
Corinthian capital was much taller being
ornamented with a double row of
acanthus leaves topped by voluted
tendrils.
Typically, it had a pair of volutes at each
corner, thus providing the same view from
all sides
The ratio of the column-height to columndiameter in Corinthian temples is usually
10:1 (compare Doric 5:1; Ionic 9:1), with
the capital accounting for roughly 10
percent of the height.

CORINTHIAN
1. Column 10 D height
Base D high, similar to Ionic
Shaftcircular and tapered to 5/6 D at
top
24 flutes separated by fillets
General Inter columnation3 D
Distinctive capital perhaps evolved
from a basket placed on the root of
acanthus plant
2. Entablature 2.25 D high and bears
a close resemblance to the Ionic Order.
a) Architrave D, divided into three
fasciae
b) Frieze D, ornamented by
continuous sculptures
c) Cornice D, dentils and corona
antefixal ornament
Rarely used by Greeks, more decorative
and delicate

AGORA AND ACROPOLIS IN

ATHENS

The agora was a central spot in ancient Greek city-states. The literal meaning of the word is
"gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual and
political life of the city.

The Acropolis
The acropolis is the general term for the original defensive hilltop nucleus of the older Greek
cities and the fortified citadel of many of the colonial foundation.
Possibly the religious sanctuary of the city like Athens or left deserted and left outside the
city limit, as the Miletus.
If the acropolis is at the centre then, there were no need of city wall.

Acropolis

Athens Agora

Represented the sacred precinct of the city of Athens.

The building of the Acropolis did not have a geometrical/axial
relationship with one another but had a definite visual relation with one
another as well as the natural setting of the surrounding to be experienced
by the human eye and people on foot.
The natural Panorama was dramatically accented by the foreground of
man made temple- adding mans world to natures.
The building of the Acropolis consisted of one concept of grouping
buildings- as masses articulating space.

The City Wall

In Athens, Priene and Miletus, the
walls are loosely spread around both
unplanned and planned urban areas,
in order to take maximum advantage
of the terrain.

Athens

Agora
Agora is a public space in Greek cities contained sustained or intense concentration of varied
activities.
The Agora was in fact not only a public place, but the central zone of the city- its living heart.
A ground for social life, business and politics.
Being ideally positioned between the main gate and entrance to the acropolis serves as a
focal point of a planned city.

The Agora
The Agora was the political and
commercial heart. It was the CBD
which developed at the foot of the
Acropolis.
There was a stress on a finite size
for all things.
Ideal size of a city-polis: 1000020000
The Greek towns attempted to fit in
as another component of nature.
Architectural massing and detailing
of building always gave a sense of
human measure.

OPTICAL CORRECTIONS

Please refer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzhA3yiEofI

TEMPLES

Classification
Classification is based on:
- the number of columns on the entrance front
- Type of collonade surrounding the naos
- Type Of Portico

Greek Temple Plans

Typical floor plan incorporated a colonnade of columns (peristyle) on all four sides; a
front porch (pronaos), a back porch (opisthodomos).
Categorized based on their ground plan and the way in which the columns are arranged.

1.Prostyle temple is a temple that has columns only at the front

2.Amphiprostyle temple has columns at the front and the rear.
3.One of the more unusual plans is the tholos, a temple with a circular ground plan
4. Temples with a peripteral arrangement have a single line of columns arranged all
around the exterior of the temple building.
5. Dipteral temples simply have a double row of columns surrounding the building.

Characteristics
ORIENTED TOWARDS THE EAST
NAOS ( it refers to the Cella, i.e. the inner chamber of a temple which houses a cult
figure)
PRONAOS ( is the inner area of the portico of a Greek or Roman temple, situated
between the portico's colonnade or walls and the entrance to the cella, or shrine)

AND EPINAOS (OPISTHODODMOS) - a room in the rear of the cella of an ancient

Greek temple
SURROUNDED BY OPEN COLONNADE
ENTRANCE DOORS on the east and west walls
WINDOWS WERE RARE
PEDIMENT
TYMPANUM
TIMBER ROOFS covered with MARBLE OR TERRACOTTA TILES
ANTIFIXAE ORNAMENT at the end of the roof tiles

Parts of a Greek Temple

There are four distinct parts to a greek temple.

The bottom, horizontal part is the steps. Most Greek temples had
three of them.

The next section is vertical and is the column.

Most columns had a base (though not the Doric), at the bottom, a
shaft in the middle, and a capital at the top.
The shaft may be smooth or fluted.

Parthenon

Built in pentelic marble.

On the high grounds of the Acropolis, south of temple Athena.
Architects Ictinus & Callicrates ; sculptor Pheidias.
Rectangular plan measuring 71m X 32m.
Stands on a crepidoma of 3 steps with tread 70cm & rise 50cm.
Designed in octal-style, eight columns in front & back, columns having base d = 1.9m, h =
10.4mand of the Doric order.
The entablature is 3.4m high and curve up in the middle.
Architrave was ornamented with bronze shields.
Sculptured metopes are about 1.34m X 1.34m, 14 in on front, 32 on south and north.
The frieze lean outward slightly.
The pediment inclined at 13 30 mins.

It has floral decoration called Acroteria about 3m high.

The sloping cornices
of the pediment has ornamentations.
The Tympana had fine sculptures in bright colors.

The Erechtheion (421 B.C -406 B.C)

Reconstructed West Elevation

The Erechtheion (421 B.C -406 B.C)

Plan

The Erechtheion (421 B.C -406 B.C)

Plan

The Erechtheion (421 B.C -406 B.C)

Caryatid porch

The Erechtheion (421 B.C -406 B.C)

West elevation
&
East Elevation

South elevation
&
North Elevation

The Erechtheion (421 B.C -406 B.C)

East portico

The Erechtheion (421 B.C -406 B.C)

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS

Residential Districts
Residences were either grouped
together, in organic growth districts or
rigidly organized along basic grid-iron
lines.

There was a contrast between the

splendor of civic areas and squalor
of housing.
Communal activities were more
important than Home life.
Individual dwellings within the
same grid block were of different
sizes and plans.

Ancient Athens
Ancient Athens Houses

Priene City Block

Houses in Priene

THANK
YOU